Chapter 4
Andyet,afterall,itwasfromnostepofMr.Ward’sorDr.Willett’sthatthenextmoveinthissingularcaseproceeded.Thefatherandthephysician,rebuffedandconfusedbyashadowtooshapelessandintangibletocombat,hadresteduneasilyontheiroarswhilethetypednotesofyoungWardtohisparentsgrewfewerandfewer.Thencamethefirstofthemonthwithitscustomaryfinancialadjustments,andtheclerksatcertainbanksbeganapeculiarshakingofheadsandtelephoningfromonetotheother.OfficialswhoknewCharlesWardbysightwentdowntothebungalowtoaskwhyeverychequeofhisappearingatthisjuncturewasaclumsyforgery,andwerereassuredlessthantheyoughttohavebeenwhentheyouthhoarselyexplainedthathehandhadlatelybeensomuchaffectedbyanervousshockastomakenormalwritingimpossible.Hecould,hesaid,fromnowrittencharactersatallexceptwithgreatdifficulty;andcouldproveitbythefactthathehadbeenforcedtotypeallhisrecentletters,eventhosetohisfatherandmother,whowouldbearouttheassertion.
Whatmadetheinvestigatorspauseinconfusionwasnotthiscircumstancealone,forthatwasnothingunprecedentedorfundamentallysuspicious,noreventhePawtuxetgossip,ofwhichoneortwoofthemhadcaughtechoes.Itwasthemuddleddiscourseoftheyoungmanwhichnonplussedthem,implyingasitdidavirtuallytotallossofmemoryconcerningimportantmonetarymatterswhichhehadhadathisfingertipsonlyamonthortwobefore.