The Winchester journal. [volume] (Winchester, Ind.) 18??-1920, 1870-06-30

lhle Win woe anu treH DilnS with cX
element.
"Why. what is the matter, Parker.
Has Bonaparte come?r
HE may have, for aught know
said Parker. Things are all wrong
Sir George."
"What is wrong?r
"The letters are wrong. There is q
spy among Us. | have known ii Tor d
long time. Now am quite sure; but
| can not find him out.r
Parker went on to explain that he
had for some time suspected that some
one in the office communicated their
private information and dispatches
outside. He had redoubied his pre-
cautions; but, more than ever confirm
ed in his suspicious, was entirely baf-
fled in his endeavors TO detect the
culprit.
"But, Parker" said my uncle, "how
do you come TO be so sure that your
''N'''' iH'' bibitFliiibs
'By the funds, Sir George. They
answer to the news as surely rs the
bell down stairs answers TO the bell
rope. find them going up and down,
as If they were sitting in the Office, /"
said Parker, personifying the stock ex-
change for moment.
"Have all the letters TO the clerks
been examined strictly?'
ayes; resd them all myself.
"Find nothing i'm them?"
Mighty little. Some are from
home and some from friends; but
most OF them from sweethearts," said
Parker, twisting his face into grim
smile, "and rum things they say in
them"
"And he young mems letters. Are
they rum, foo7n
"Thcy are more careful like, ns they
know ! am To see them; but Lord save
you, sir, they are all stuff; not n
ha'porth OF harm In them"
"This matter must be seen to-" said
my uncle; III have had my own mis-
givings on the same subject. Bring
me all the letters which come To, and
are sent by, tho clerks Tor the next
week. There is no reason why you
should have all the rum things to
yourself"
So my uncle had the letters for n
week, and found them very much
such rs Parker had described them.
The suspicious symptoms increased;
the stock exchange responded more
than ever; but not the
slightest ground for suspcctlng any
one transpired. My uncle was be-
aud Parker was rapidly
verging on insanity.
at Is certainly not the clerks" said
my uncle. "rhcrc Is no reason there"
said he. pushing back the letters of
the day. "By the way, how does
young Beaumont get on? She seems
a nice creature, that sister of his, to
Judge by her letters"
"IIe Is the best hand In the Office, n
long sight; and hls sister Is very sweet
ladylike creature. They are orphans,
poor things, and he supports her out OF
his salary. She called ut the Office
two months ago, and gavo him
leave To see her for few minutes in
my room. But he knew il was aguinst
rules, and has not seen her here
again"
"But what are we 10 d"?" said my
uncle. 81 think I will speak TO the
First Lord"
So he spoke to the First Lord, who
thought the affair serious enough.
at must be in the lelters,n said he.
at can not be In the letters" said
my uncle.
"As you please" said the chief;
'Bnt, although you can not find il
here, perhaps another can. i would
ry an expert"
My uncle had no faith in experts or
Bowsireet runners, and mistrusted
hem. But he could not refuse TO try
he experiment suggested. so the
most experienced decipherer in London
vas summoned into council, and 10
lim the letters of the day were secret
y submitted.
He read them all very carefully,
ooked nj tie light through them. At
ast he put them all aside, excepting
,ne from Elinor Beaumont.
"Who Is the lady who writes this?"
aid the taciturn man of skill, at last.
"a very sweet young woman" said
Parker, smartly; "sister of my private
ccretary."
"Does she write often:n
"Yes; she is his only correspondent,
md writes about twice n week"
"Where does she live?v
"She lives in Jersey, Beaumont told
ne. Their father was in business
here"
"And does she always write about
he same sort Of things-aunt's rheu- !
natism, pic mics, squire's tea parties,
lnd the like?"
"Much the same, excepting when
lie speaks of Beaumont himself"
"Humw said the expert.
"Well, sir" said my uncle, who was
'ather impatient OF the man of skill's
'and what may Hum
mean? Have the young woman and
Ter aunrs rheumatism done the mis-
.hief?r
"Hum. She dates from Fleet street?'
"And why should she not date from
Fleet street?'.