The letter was written on a single sheet of cream-laid, court-sized
paper and bore the legend “Euston Hotel, London. N. W. 1.” in blue
type on its right corner. It was typed in black, and French could see
that the machine used was not new and that some of the letters were
defective and out of place. It was signed “James S. Stephenson” in a
hand which French instinctively felt was disguised, with blue-black
ink apparently of the fountain-pen type. It read: