Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1878-12-18
UNRAyELING A CIPHER.

"Ozi6-Norg no hzgf,cz6 nartss
20 127 arc hgiUrg. Mcp."
There it was in italics, half way
down the personal column of .ht
Herald, conspicuous only for il
singular and most aggravating com
bination of letters and figures, the
sole clue to the whereabouts Of the
gem l had been after over a week
scarcely resting, eating or sleeping
In my anxiety TO secure the reward
offered in a burglary case-and
something else.
That something else," All 4! my
heart sank within me as | flung
aside the enigmatical puzzle before
me, and leaning hack in my chair
gave myself up to the gloomy
reveries of the past. Edna Day
ton, how l loved her How fair
and beautiful as summers idyl
had been the week in which | had
met her, had loved her aud had
been told that my affection was
returned! How well | remember
the bitter partiug-a hopeless one
1t seemed to me-when / learned
my fate from her fathers lips aud
PASSED down the brown stone steps
Of the DAYTON mansion, wondering
IL the inclination of moneyed man
toward the stone residence was mot
caused by the existence Of SINH
lar hard material in that part Of the
human anatomy known as the
heart.
Twas poor man, he said, and
the profession Of defective was
q precarious one. His daughter
loved me, he could not deny that,
but she was his only child and her
wealth and position demanded with
some social eqnal. He would not
break her heart by absolutely re-
fusing to sanction our engagement.
but IL within year | could secure
q fortune of S25. 900 and a lurra-
tive business, and Edna was of the
same mind-well, he would con-
slider it.
Twenty-Five thousand dollars! ]
grew sick at the thought of the
condition imposed, upon which l
was to purchase my future happi-
ness. In the reception of meager
salary and utterly unknown, where
was to raise this amount And
what business capascity had /, the
son Of parents who had given me
every luxury and neglected a
practical education, until a crash
came that left US homeless and
penuryi
Day and night for over q month
] brooded over my sorrows, and
then one day ! was aroused into
renewed life by the reception Of a
formal but courteous note from Mr..
Dayton, requesting my immediate
attention at his mansion.
NV feet winged a. fastened n
the house Of my loved Edna. What
did il meant Had he relented
Was Edna sick, or did business
await me at the pleasure OF my
hard-harted censor | was usheret
into the library, where / found thu
old gentleman in an intense stat,
Of excitement, pacing the floor
the window broken in, papers aDt
boxes scattered about the depart
ment, and a safe in the corne
broken open,
I stared at him in amazement.
"You seem agitated, Mr.. Day
ton," / ventured to suggest.
"Agitated! agitatedl sir, an
wild. Last niget or early thi
morning. burglars entered thi
apartment by the means Of yonde
window and broke open the safe
When / came down this morning
found affairs as they are now, an
nearly 100000 in money, bond
and jewelry gone"
Tstared mutely. The immensit
Of the ROBBERY petrified me.
emo" he Numbered, coming 10
full stop. az have no confidenc
hs police force which fails to pre-
tect house from snch an audariou
burgIarly and expects one half {
the booty for its return. Here
he room and yonder is a list ,
the stolen property. i believe 20
are honest and leave the entiI
affair 10 your own haDhs. Ca
upon me for whatever money 20
require ia an attempt to recov,
the property or to detect II
thieves; " you succeed within
month, / will pay you $4,000.
You fail, will paw your expenr'
for the month and place the ease
other hands. Are Won satisfied y
I gasped spasmodically.. Thir'
thousand dollarsi A FORTUNE
more than the price Of nv harp
ness Z And then my professions can
TO my aid, and | told him | sbou
succeed.
examined the apartment. TT
burglary had been effected vel
simply, apparently. Edward. "
footman--a tall, lank specimep
bumanity-had heard mise