Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1874-05-30

another. He was, however, soon to
learn this fact in a very unpleasant
way.
One evening Mary dropped note
which she had received by mail, and it
was picked up by her father. The old
gentleman was wild with horror. There
was his trusted daughter actually cor
responding with some unknown villain
in cipher. Obviously the cipher must
have some shameful secret. He sat in
his armchair with the open note in his
hand, and serious thoughts of apo
plexy in his mind, when his son Tom,
a young fellow just home from college,
entered, and, frightened at his fathers
expression of face, asked and received
an explanation. 3
Tom was bright'young fellow, and
he at once remarked that it was hardly
worth while to take to apoplexy until it
was really apparent that the mysterious
note contained something wrong. He
suspected that it was written by the
mystery-loving Smythe, and he did not
doubt his ability to read it. The note
ran as follows: ......
CRSM PSMX: H TBDR XBC SYC
STFSXN FHTT. ORYYHYDUBY
NPXULR.
In less than ten minutes Tom had
translated this innocent mystery into
the words: "Dear Mary, I love you
and always will, Pennington Smythe, y
and thus banished his fathers doubt
and wretchedness. However, the old
man was angry enough to desire to give
the unfortunate Pennington a lesson
which he might remember. So when
the young man made Lis usual evening
call he was awaited in the parlor by
the incensed father and his greatly
amused son, and addressed in the fol-
lowing stern and cruel words:
"Mr. Smythe, what do you mean by
writing to my innocent daughter in such
infamous style as this, sir p and he shook
Pennington's letter before his aston
ished eyes.
"Sir," replied the youth, "it is not
infamous. 1t is an entirely proper note.
All the world might see it,"
"Then why the devil did you write
it in this outlandish lingoY" returned
the father.
"She is not to blame" hastily urged
Pennington, judiciously Sinking the
main question. ,: 1 assure you she can
never read them without my help, and
when she writes them she makes so
many mistakes that often I can't make
head or tail of them"
"By them I suppose you mean the
letters written in cipher" replied Mr..
Morris. We'll. I won't add to your
trouble. Only let me advise you not to
write any more cipher notes, my boy.
Tom, here, read your note almost as
easy as if had been written in print.
There, go along now, and don't be
silly again-at least, any more than
you can help, you know" And the
old man, quite recovered from his an
ger, went laughingly away,
Pennington fingered. "Is it really
true, Tom, that you could read it with
out key?' he doubtfully asked.
"Of course I could. Why, Pen.
there is nothing easier to read than
that sort of cipher. If you will write
in cipher-and I don't see why you
shouldn't if you want to, though you'll
find it beastly tiresome-I can tell you
of cipher that no one can possibly
translate"
eff you would be so very kind"
murmured Pennington.
Why" continued Tom, "you Sc
lect 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 it,
say, on the twelfth page of the book,
in the second line from the top, and
the third word in the line. You then
represent it by the numbers IL, 2, g..
And SO with the rest of your note.
You see, no human being could possi-
bly, read it unless they happened to
guess what book you used"
Pennington was overjoyed at this de-
lightful plan, and, thanking Tom warm
ly, fastened to unfold the new cipher
to Mary. He felt at perfect liberty to
disregard Mr.. Morris advice not to
write in cipher, for he now decided
that Mary's father would be justifably
regarded as a heavy-headed tyrant, bent
on 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 tn imme-
diate practice by writing a brief note
and sending it by post, as he would be
unable to see her next evening. This
is what he wrote:
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
65.4.5.--51 1876. -15.1.4 -77.1.1.--
IS. 1913. -83.4.2. -S3.8.6.-89.5.2.-
80. 9.2.6.--117. .5.6.-71.17.8.
Now the book upon which this cipher
was based was printed in double col
umns. Unfortunately Pennington for
got to explain which Of these columns
he intended to use. However, he de-
cided to usa the oufar column frustinn