River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-10-03

L went down 10 the Herald Office that
morning, and introducing myself, at
tempted to obtain some description OF
the person who had handed in the adj
Verhsement. The clerk stated that it had
been received by mail. in a letter incios-
| ing the amount requisite for its insertion
in the paper. Could | see the original
copys Luckily, the copy had been pre-
/ served. 1t was written in a disguised
hand on a little scrap of paper. asked
| leave to retain it, and permission being
granted TO me, / returned to my room at
| once.
pored over the cipher for a long
time. and discouraged at nv inability to
make out word of it was finally about
to abandon it, when | CHANGED TO look at
the reverse side of the paper There
were figures ana words on K, and I read
~. S. Bond $4,000" and other memoir
anda, indicating that it had been loose
wrapper Tor valuable papers.
Then | knew that the advertisement
bore an important relation to the rob
berry.
And so until the day upon with the
story opens | was unable to make head
or tail of The secret enigma.
So wearied was | that I feel asleep
with my head upon my desk, and I did
not awaken until noontime. 1t is won
aerful how brief repose will clear the
mind. | took up the paper with re-
newed energy, and bright idea flashed
over me.
Simple as it was had not thought of
it before The entire message was writ
/ Tor - ln%+
on the reversal of the alphabet. In
stead of q z, the last one, was substituted;
instead of b, Y was used-the alphabet
reversed was the key to the solution of
the puzzle.
gave utterance to shout of Joy, for,
following out the theory it, read:
Larry, meet me Saturday night at 127
Fire street. NED
And Ned" or Edward was the name
Of Mr.. Dayton's footman. l began 10
see very large mice. But Fire-street-
there was no such thoroughfare in the
city, and was flooded" again.
Gradually, however, the thought oc-
Cured to me or the basis of reversal and
opposites adopted by the sender of the
message, why should not fire" mean
water" its direct reversed
| dashed down the stairs, and, hailing
a cab dc | had not forgot that it was
Saturday, and that evening was the APP
pointed time for the meeting of the two
burglars, Off such they were), | soon had
coached Water street.
Vacant Number 1871 was an empty
lott
l paused, disappointed, and dismissed
the vehicle, again having recourse to the
puzzled enigna So near the solution,
and yet doomed to he banked 1T the last,
and
A sudden inspiration of renewed en-
ergy, and had forged the last link in
the chain of evidence! There had been
reversal in the order of numbers from one
10 10, as in the letters of the alphabet,
and 1877 meant 1904.
| looked at my watch three O'Clock. |
went To the nearest local telegraph office
and sent the following dispatch to chief
nf police:
Send to tins Office three efficient men
in citizens clothes"
I signed my name, lit cigar, and
awaited the arrival of evening aud my
companion officers.
IL Was ddTk WITH We reached the
place for the meeting appointed by the
two men. 1t was vile eroggery, kept
by woman and resort for the very
lowest class of ruffians | had put on
teit hat and pair of whlskers. and | en-
tered the bar-room, having first placed
lny men in advantageous positions on
me outside.
Within half an hour there entered an
old woman, yelled, bearing some bulky
object under her cloak She made a
s:gn to the woman bohind the bar, and
vent into the next room. | caught sight
of her feet as she passed through the
door; they were encased not in shoes but
in mem boots. | went quickly to the
bar, and made sign to the woman
is Larry in there" l inquired IN
loud voice, pointing to the other apart
nent
S1e looked at me sharply, and then re-
piled III the affirmative.
" Keep anybody that comes out" |
said. Significantly. "We are going to
divide the swag'
And | opened the door.
There was no one III the first room, but |
III the second By table, on which lay |
iaf2e TN DOK, was my gamc-Lhrfy, the |
burglar, and a tall, spare form in female |
attire, with veil thrown back, and terri
fed face, and the footman, Edward.
You can drop on that little dodge, !
! said, quietly whipping out
a brace of revolvers. The house IS sur |
and any resistance will only
make it worse for you. Larry, open that
door"
lie unbolted the rear door under the |
silent persuasive eloqueuce of my revol-
Yer, and three officers entered.
Need | tell the restl Edward, the foot |
man, had admitted his accomplice into
tbs house aud had chloroformed his en- |
ployer. He had kept the booty hidden |
in his room, not daring to go out to COM
municate with his pal, except as has been |
seen, for feaThe was watched.
The property hal Lot been disturbed,
but justice was cheated, for both the men |
escaped before conviction, and were new
er heard of again. As for me, quietly |
handed five thousand dollars to the depart |
mept, resigned, engaged in business and
married Edna.