The Republican journal., 1870-06-30

NoulN lltl IcluSc W " tIC tAPSIllIIClll
gested. SO the most experienced decipherer
in London was summoned into council and
to him the letters of the day were secretly
submitted.
He read them all very carefully, looked at
them in the light and looked at the light
through them. At last he put them all aside
excepting one from ElnOr Beaumont.
"Who is the lady that writes this?" said
the taciturn man of skill at last.
"A very sweet young woman" said Parker
smaltly; "sister of my private secretary"
Does she write often?"
Yes, she is his only correspondent, and
writes about twice week"
Where does she live?"
''She lives in jersey, Beaumont told me-
Their father was in business there"
''And does she always write abolt the
same sort of things-aunt's rheumatism, pic
mics, squre's tea parties, and the like 2"
''Much the same, excepting when she
speaks Of Beaumont himself"
"Hum y said the expert
''Well, Sir" said my uncle who was rath-
er impatient of the man of skill's pomposty,
'and what may hum mean? Have the
Young woman and her aunt /, rheumatism
done the mischief"
"Tum! She dates from Fleet street"
''And why should she not date from Fleet
street ?''
81 should be sorry to prevent her" said the
unmoved philosopher. 'Has this correspond
ence continued long?"
son, yes q couple of years or so, but not
nearly SO regularly as lately
For how long rcgularly?"
about two months.'
THAT is about the time when you first
suspected the betrayal of confidence?"
''Really my friend, if you can't see further
into milestone, than that, you may give up
the profession" said my uncle. 'sTake my
word for it the Beaumonts have nothing to
do with it. Rubbish2"
'Hum!' And with that the man of skill
took his hat and departed, saying he would
return in two days. The two days, however,
We're five before he come back, and was
again closeted with my uncle and Parker,
with whom he had fallen in great disfayor.
Wants to make a job,' said the latter-''a
regular humbug.''
''sir George" said the regular humbug,
'has Beaumont a locked desk in Ills room9''
''Yes, Sir" said, parker, 'he has
''l1ave you a key which will open it ?'
Il havc-and what of that ?"
II wish to have the desk opened without
his knowledge, and the contents brought to
me-
'And on what pretense." said my uncle,
"do you propose to put this insult on a man
against whom there is no reasonable ground
OF suspicion, and who has not been allowed
to speak for hmself?"
There need be no insult, for he will know
nothing OF it. neither will any one else"
II will not permit it, SIR
''Hum Then can do no more in the bus
npssn
But" said Parker, whose official notions
made him unwilling to break off the negotia
tions in this manner, '>what pretense have
you for doing this to Beaumont and not to
the other clerks -
''Shall tell you? There is no such person
As Elinor Beaumont, and the address in Fleet
street is a notorious haunt of suspected for
eigncrs."
Good gracious y said my uncle, changing
color, ''you don't say that?n
at is the fact; but you will see the neces-
sity Of being cautious and silent in the mat
ter. Detection hangs on a thread, rs it
stands, and u whisper will break it,
"What do you mean,' said Parker, "about
Elinor Beaumont? | have seen her?r
''There is no Elinor Beaumont in jersey.
sent and have assertaned the fact"
ii am sure there is some mistake about all
this, which Beaumont can clear up Let us
send for him.
of you do the game is up. | trust, in
fact, he does not know of my visits. We
cannot be too cautious in this matter.A
"Pedantic ass" muttered my uncle; ''but
| suppose we had better give him his own
way. If you meet Parker and me here at
seven tonight, we shall have this wonderful
desk opened, and your great discoveries shall
be made
They met again that evening. The desk
was opened by Parker, and a bundle of let
ters, carefully packed up, all from Elinor
Beaumont, and a quantity of circulars. play
bills and shop receipts were handed to the
expert.
That gentleman read through the letters
and seemed much struck by the last.
''Read that" said he, handing it to my un-
Gle. AS the letter, is important, | give it en-
tire:
12O FLEET ST., Sept. a. 1903.
Ny Dear charles. Although we had an
adverse wind all the way, we made without
difficulty the port we We're bound for. My
aunt in spite of the weight Of her fifty years,
enjoyed the trip much and is ready to sail
again. | hope you will think of sending the
line you promised on the 18th, and come
yourself, as our party is now much smaller
and we should enjoy the visit.
When was in London last week | saw,
your cousin Harry fresh from Windsor There
lS lttu Iltl- Cll'tIlS W DC ODStlNt't III
not as much as you would expect. Come to
us on Friday.
Yours very ah'ectionatcly, E. Il.
My uncle read this out loud, from begin
ming to end, and then he said, ''Do you see
anything suspicious in that +? 1t seems to me
very innocent"
'Hum. 1t may be. Was there anything
else in the desk ?" said he addressing Parker.
You may 60 and look growled that po
tentate and he led the way, the expert fol-
lowing.
The desk was quite empty, with the excep-
ton of two or three scraps OF waste paper.
On one of these the expert pounced, and re-
turned with an air of elation to the other
room. He then unfolded this scrap paper,
disclosed half sheet exactly the SIZE of the
paper on which Elinor Beaumont's letters
were written, in which obong holes at inter
walls had been cut.
He then placed this half sheet over the let
ter, and handed both, thus placed, to my un-
cle whose astonished eyes read the follow
ing words, which the hole left visible;
Fleet wind-bound Fifty sail of the line
Twenty-Five smaller Should the wind change
expect us on Friday.
''The develn said my uncle; and Nelson
ordered off to the West mdies.'
Then was there as YOU may suppose, hur-