Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1878-10-29

you will think Of sending the line you
promised on the 25th. and come yourself
as our party is now much smaller, and
We should enjoy the visit"
wien ! was In London last week
saw our cousin Harry. fresh from Wind
sor. There is little change to be observed
In him--not as much as you would OK
peot. Come TO US on Friday"
Yours very affections ately.
"ELISoR b."
Ny uncle read this out loud, from be-
ginning to end. and then said: do you
see anything suspicious in thatP 1t seems
TO me very innocent"
Hum it may be. Was there any
thing else In the desk ?" said he. address
ing Parker"
You may go ard look" growled that
potentate; and be led The way, the ex-
pert following.
The desk was quite empty. with the
exception of two or three scraps of waste
paper. On one of these the expert
pounced. and returned with an air OF ella
tion to the other room. He then unfolded
this scrap OF paper, and disclosed halt
sheet exactly tho size Of tho paper Oh
which EIinor BeaumonI's letters were
written. in which oblong holes at inter-
walls hsd been cut.
He then placed this halt sheet ovor the
letter, aud handed both, thus placed. to
my uncle, whose astonished eyes read the
following words. which the holes lefI
visible:
Fleet wind.bCund. Fifty sails OF the
line 70 smaller. Should the wind change.
expect us on Friday"
The Devil !" said my uncle; land
Nelson ordered of 10 the West Indies"
Then and there. as you may suppose.
were burGying and scurryiug, and rua-
ming and chasing, and despatching OF
Government couriers. and semphore .elo
graphs, and carrier pigeons. and all the
old world means OF communication then
in fashion. The key, thus obtained. dis
closed the whole correspondence, which
turned out TO be a connected series of let
tefs from the French Government, snug
gled into Jersey. The result history
knows; The intended invasion WAS sban.
doned, and Napoleon went elsewhere.
bat what put you on the scent P'
asked mT uncle aiterward, with msny
apologies to the expert.
IL suspected the trick from the first,
although 1t was very good specimen OF
It. The letters were too innocent, and
had too little point in them. But they
were done with admirable skill. The
grammar was complete; and the little
dots or marks which bunglers use to guide
thom in writing the words which are 10
be read were entirely absent. Tho way
In which the deception is effected is this
The correspondent, before commencing.
takes sheet OF paper and cuts holes in
IL, which. OF course, in the two hall
sheets, exactly correspond. They each
take. one half sheet, and. when letter
is 10 be written, the writer 40 arranges
the words that those intended TO be read
shall appear In the holes when the half
sheet is placed over the paper, which is
the same sz3. When his correspondent
receives she letter, he places bis bali
sheet over it, and reads of the words, as
ron did. The difficulty, which was so
we'll conquered in this case, is to make
the sense run auently, and TO preventany
visible break in the writing. Without
tho half sheet with the holes in it no one
can have the slightest clue TO the real
meaning.
my suspicious once aroused. were
confirmed by the inquiries which made.
The whole story about the sister was tab
rication. The letters did come from Jer-
sey. the answers went TO Fleet Street, 10
the charge OF notorious foreign agents.
But if our friend had no. been fool
enough TO leave his baif sheet in bis desk
we might have CROPPED in vain for the
mystery"
Beaumont disappeared in the night.
and was never heard of again at the aL-
miralty. II transpired afterwards that
some sccomplice had warned him of the
experts visi to the admiralty, and his In
quiries in Jersey. He had made an at
tempt to get admittsnce 10 his room, but
was scared away by the sounds he heard,
and contived to escape TO France. The
lady who acted the sister, and who visit
ed the admiralty. partly to put the author
tiles off their guard. and probably to in.
terchange tho key to the cipher, was 8
Partisan celebrity who both before and
afterwards was renowned for her daring
in political intrigue.
|
Letter from HSpdrkes."