The American Marquis by Nick Carter — page 132: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

es Ome ates ee: TNA TE FR ar he a he Ca es NR ROVE OREO ge Ba ae ee Be ee TS y he fr ae pid . ; 7) ; Sx 7 ; _-_ bx; * = * . > oe 3&4 4 eh JI. oe - s. ¥ ae 4 =} 7 Bey ‘ < fr \ : . * y ui é , ; ey, : % ¢ My Py ae | . [3 * : A : - : ¥ - 4 a 7 ~ x i s. 2 Fs \ 128 THE AMERICAN MARQUIS. CHAPTER AXXVIL. ALPHONSE STUDIES THE BANKING SYSTEM. The next morning Alphonse entered the room where the ~ Marquis d’Iberri sat making out checks. an ‘* Ah!” exclaimed Alphonse, carelessly; ‘‘ balancing your accounts, I suppose?” ““No. Ineverdo that. Itis too much trouble. When I run short at the bank they let me know. I ought to — look over my checks at the end of the month, but I never — do.” | oo ‘‘T should think that would be dangerous.” ‘Why dangerous?” ) ** Because if anybody should forge your signature well enough to pass the bank, you would never find it out.” 4 ‘““Oh, come now, Alphonse, you can’t scare me into bet- ~ ter business habits. I know I’m careless, but I’m not go- — ing to take the trouble of overhauling my checks every ~ month on the chance of finding a forgery.” + Alphonse laughed pleasantly. ‘<7 wouldn’t either if I were you,” he said. a The marquis continued making out checks, tearing them ~ from his check-book, and pushing them hastily intoea pile © at one side of his desk. 4 Alphonse had taken up a book, and while pretending to — _ read it, was all the time watching his brother-in-law. a Presently a maid came and told the marquis that Grace ~ wished to see him. 3 “<T’ll be gone about fifteen minutes, Alphonse. Will you be here that long?” ; ‘<] guess so.”’ at “‘ Well, then, I won’t take the trouble to lock these things — up.” a he marquis hastened away. 7 Alphonse listened intently until he heard the marquis ~ shut the door of Grace’s room, ae Then he crept softly to the desk, and hastily ran over the | checks. | a EOmicbooks.com