The Hickman courier., 1874-04-25
..If you would be so very kind, ;,

eff you would be so very kind, "
murmured Pennington.
Why" continued Tom, "you Sc
Iect some book. Then out of the words
in this book you make your cipher.
For instance, you want to write dear,
as I presume you do, and you find 1t,
say, on the twelfth page of the book In
the second line from the top and the
third word in the line. You then rep
resent it by the numbers u, 2, 3. And
so with the rest of your note. You see,
no human being could possibly read 1t
unless they happened to guess what
book you used"
Pennington was overjoyed at this de-
ightful plan, and, thanking Tom
warmly, hastened to unfold the new
cipher to Mary He felt at perfect lib
erty to disregard Mr.. Morris's advice
not to write IN cipher, for he now de-
cided that Mary's father would be JUS
tifiably regarded as a hOary-headed ty-
rant, bent upon Separating two loving
hearts, and only fit to be circumvented
by careful strategy. So he selected a
novel, of which he knew that both Mary
and himself possessed copies explained
the new cipher with the utmost care,
and after he reached home put it in I'M
mediate practice by writing brief note
and sending it by post, as he would be
unable to see her next evening. This
is what he wrote:
35.95-33. .2.3-45.4 1875 1864 5
-5I.15. 6-l5.1 14-771. .1-S5. 10 9--S3. 4.
2-S3. s. 6-S9. ). 2-39.2 6-1l7.5.5-7l
178.
Now the book upon which this cipher
was based was printed in double col
umns. Unfortunately Pennington for
got to explain which of the columns he
intended to use. However, he decided
to use the outer column, trusting that
the other heart, which, as he frequently
remarked, was one of two which beat
as one" would instinctively divine his
selection.
Two nights afterwards he reached the
Morrises' door, full of delightful antici-
patiOns. He was met by old Mr.. Nor
ris, who, thrusting a note into his hand,
explained, with much unnecessary en-
phasis and total disregard of the com
monest rules of politeness, hat if he
ever yentured to present himself at that
house again he would be kicked down
the front steps, mixed up in complicated
relations with the family bulldog, and
committed to the final care of the police.
He went home maddened with this
very undesirable mystery, and confident
that old Morris had been attacked with
delirium tremens and was an exceeding
" unsafe acquaintance. Once IN his
room, he sat down to read the crumpled
letter that had been forced upon him.
It was his own letter to Mary. Below
the cipher was written Mary's transla-
ton OF it. The poor girl had tried to
translate it by using the inner column
OF the book, and with the following un-
satisfactory result:
" You liar when almost hate her and
farewell you deceitful never again and
base iufamy."
And still further down on the page
was written in Mary's hand, 4 can
make out enough of your letter to see
it is a cruel, wicked insult, and l shall
tell papa"
1t flashed across Penningtou's rem
nant of a mind that perhaps Mary had
made mistake IN the columns of the
book. He seized the volume and veri-
fed his suspicion. The innocent note
that he had written was actually trans
formed, by the simple process Of read
ing it with the wrong column as a key,
into the incoherent but obviously impo-
lite letter which had wrought such un-
happy consequences.
Pennington sank in his chair utterly
overwhelmed He called himself all
the choice names that old Morris had
applied to him, together with a large Sc
lection of other epithets. He spent an
hour il this profitable occupation. At
the end of that time he had fGmed a
resolution which he proceeded - put
into immediate execution.
He rose up and, going to his trunk,
took out his secret society emblems and
solemnly threw them in the CRATE. He
next sat down and wrote twelve sepax
rate designations for twelve differe1N
lodges. Then he wrote a solemn pledge
never, to the day of his death, to med
die with cipher or any other mystery,
and finally, writing out full history of
the cipher letter, sent it, together with,
the book which he had used as q KEY.
his pledge to solemnly abstain from
mysteries. and an humble apology, to
old Morris.
OF course his explanation was accepted
and Mary forgave him. Several years
have passed since that event, but if you
wish TO make Pennington Smythkblush
with wretchedness, all that is necessary
is to ask of him if he knows of any
good, trustworthy cipher.