He drew it out unthinkingly--a very dirty bit of paper.

In his absent-minded way he threw it towards the fire, but it fell on the tiled hearth.

In moments of great strain the mind seizes with pitiful eagerness on the trivial.

Emmy looked at the paper.
Something familiar about its shape struck her.

She leaned forward, picked it up and unfolded it.
"This is a check," she said in a matter-of-fact tone.