Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1878-10-24
Unraveling a Cipher.
A Detectives Story About a Per
sonaI Advertisement.


way down the personal column
of the Herald, conspicuous only
for its singular and most aggrava-
ting combination of letters and fig
ures, the sole clue to the wherea.
bouts of the gem l had been after
over week, scarcely resting, eat
ing or sleeping in my anxiety L
secure the reward offered in I
heavy burglary case-and some
thing else.
That something else" Oh,
my heart sank within me as
flung aside that enigmatical puz'
zle before me, and leaning back in
my chair gave myself up to the
gloomy reveries Of the past. Ed.
na Dayton-how / loved her
How fair and beautiful as sum-
mer idyl had been the week in
which / had met her, had loved
her, and had been told that my
love was returned (! How well ]
remember the bitter PARTING
hopeless one, it seemed to me
when l learned my fate from her
fathers lips, and passed down the
brownstone steps of the Dayton
mausion, wondering if the incli-
nation of moneyed men toward
stone residences was not caused by
the existence of similar hard
material in that part of the hu
man anatomy known as the heart.
| was a poor man, be said, and
the profession of a detective was
a precarious one. His daughter
loved me; he could not deny that
but she was his only child, and
her wealth and position demanded
a match with her social equal
He would not break her heart by
absolutely refusing to sanction our
engagement; but if within a year
| could secure fortune of $4,000
and lucrative business, and Ed
na was Of the same mind--well,
he would consider it.
Twenty five thousand dollars !
| grew sick at the thought of the
condition imposed, upon which ]
was TO purchase my future happi
ness. Receiving only a meagre sal
ary and utterly unknown, where
was TO raise this amount? And
wha. business capacity had |, the
son OF parents who had given me
every luxury, and neglected a
practical education, until crash
came that left us homeless and in
penuryY
Day and night l brooded over
my sorrows, until one day | was
aroused into renewed life by the
reception of a formal but courte.
GUS note from Mr.. Dayton, reques.
ting my immediate attendance at
the mansion.
My feet winged as / FASTENED
to the home of my beloved Edna.
What did it mean ? Had he re-
Tented ? Was. Edna SICK. or did
business await me at the pleasure
of my hard hearted censor? /
was ushered into the library, where
| found the old gentleman in an
intense state of excitement pacing
tue floor, the window broken in,
paper and boxes scattered about
the apartment, and a safe in the
corner broken open.
stared at him in anlazement
"You seem agitated, Mr.. Day
ton," | ventured to suggest.
"Agitated agitated, SIR! / am
wild. Late last night or early
this morning, burglars entered this
apartment by means Of yonder
window and broke open the safe
When | came down this morning
| found affairs as they are now,
and nearly 100000 in money,
bonds and jewelry gone"
! stared mutely. The immensi
ty Of the robbery petriGed me.
NO." he thundered coming 10.
q full stop. 81 have no confidence
in police force which fails TO
protect a house from such an au.
dacious robbery and expects hall
of the booty for it's return. Here
is the room, and yonder is a list
of the stolen property. believe
you are honest, and | leave the
entire affair in your hands. Call
on me for. whatever money you
require 10 an attempt to recover
the property or detect the thieves
IL YOU succeed in a month I will