Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-04-30

cipher forward. Follow it out, gentlemen
and see for yourselves"
did as he babe me. And the ciphe,
read, letter by letter, as follows. with the
peculiar spelling of the name of the tesla
trix and all !:
GPxDN wMDYBDov JwDMI HT IDZx7
LUCIs BRIDGrTA oBIRN MY NIECE
There was no more doubt that the cipher
was this than it was My dear nephew, Fl
rentz Steldl. 1t meant both equally, and
both at the same time
put it to every psychologist in the
world, is it within the bounds of credibility
that cipher of twenty five letters should
be readable in two exactly opposite and in
consistent ways, and that its two irrecon-
cilable solutions should be gained by fol-
lowing two simple principles, both equally
obvious and equally sound ? Incredible
nav, impossiblel will be the unanimous
answer And yet the impossible, by a
marvellous chain of condolences, was eff
fected in that will of Miss Molloy. She
could not Intentionally have brought about
such result, even if she had tried. The
for the in Ferentz, or rather Firentz,
left no room for doubt that Wither's solu-
ton was true. Onthe other hand, the pecu-
liar spelling of Bridgita was an unanswer-
able argument in favor of Mr.. Higgins
Withers had started on the principle
which has amused so many readers of Ed
gar Poe, and is in itself perfectly true
and sound one. Higgins had started on
the principle favored by simpletons who
correspond in cipher in the agony columns,
and imagine that their silly secrets are not
open to anybody who takes five minutes
trouble to read them.
What was to be done-now
Clearly the situation was not realized by
either of the fathers of the rival legatees.
But a gloom came over the face OF Mr..
Withers. He took up the paper on which
Mr. Higgins had written his solution and
examined it intently.
" No sane woman would have used such
simple cipher as that, said he. cit is
just the solution that would satisfy an
amateur.
"True, said Mr.. Higgins, with slight
sneer. .'Jurymen are in the position of
amateurs, believe, and judges. too.
ga cipher can't have two solutions,
said Mr.. Withers, throwing the paper
down.
True, again, said Mr.. Higgins. Hap
PLY for Miss 0'Birn.
" Have you studied cryptology as sci
ence, MIR. Higgins, asked Mr.. Withers,
with wild effort at elaborate courtesy.
81 am not such an ass, said Mr.. Hig-
gins, with no pretense of courtesy at all.
I'd as soon set up science OF handwrit-
ing as science OF whins.
You are insulting, sir There is
science of handwriting and of char
acter in hand writing and shouldn't like
to write like you, juggling from what it's
like TO be"
81 always make it a point of insulting
quacks and humbugs,' said Mr. Higgins.
=" It's the first duty of man. I've read
that cipher in the way that would satisfy
anybody but an expert but there's an
end"
"Whom do you call quack, sir? Let
me tell you that when man deliberately
insults my science, I-I-feel it my duty
to knock him down"
neutrality-suspicious. = I cried out,
g you have been very clever-a great deal
too clever, l would gladly have accepted
either of your readings, heaven knows.
Bat l can't accept both !; and both your
reasons are SO admirable that l can't ac-
cept either. And what's worse, it's your
arguments, not your assertions, that will
have to 90 into Chancery, and into Cham
Gerry we must all so. Yes, there's no help
for it now and, once in, heaven alone
knows when we shall set out again.
81 object to the law on principle; |
!
S5eldl, and have no doubt but he had ex-
cellent reasons for the only principle ever
heard CT his having. 81 bring my expert
YOU are satisfied. demand Els, eco for
my son.
~ despise the law, " shouted the Major.
% An Irish gentleman doesn't mix up with
pettifogging rasc.ls. ! wouldn't touch the
dirthy thing with the end of an old boot.
'risas clear as day-Lucis Bridgita O'Birn. J"
1T must be compromise, or-Chan-
Gerry" said l. Have it as you viii. !"
" CompromiRe-wit him q said Steldl,
pointing to the Major with his thumb.
= Not one penny shall he rob my son.
Compromise-w with Steldl? ?" said the
Major i'll his turn. Mayb be with old Nick
I wonld for old Nick's gentleman, adj
ded he.
And there was the deadest lock l ever
heard of since | was born No Lord
Chancellor ever drew up will that most
clearly meant two opposite and irreconcila-
bic things. So, | verify believe, should we
have been standing at this triangular dead
lock at the present hour, had not the delay
itself brought about most natural solution
in the most natural way in the world.
''When in doubt, do nothing, l constantly
find to be the wisest maxim that ever was
made.
My relief, at the time, hardly equaled
my surprise. But considering that Mrs.
Stedl and Mrs. o Birn had never quareled
considering that they had met again
considering what sort OF young people their
son and their daughter weTe-I must own
that was an ass to feel surprised on learn
ing OF the marriage OF Lieut.. Steldl to
Lucis Bridgita O'Birn. The history of
the Montagues and the Capulets does not
stand alone in the effect of the feuds of the
old upon the hearts of the young But
this is no part of my story. Enough that
her claims became his, while his remained
his own-and therefore her own, too.
And if two elderly rascals were kept in
somewhat disreptuable clover for the rest
of their days, and if two executors were
content to run little safe risk in making
things comfortable all round for every
body, themselves included, and if two
psychologists remained irreconcilable foes
and if two young people became happy in
their own peculiar way, and the Court
was deprived of big cause, and the pro-
fession of the bulk of the property OF Miss
Molloy-well, the fanlt is mainly my own.
l profess only to tell the story, not TO
solve the mystery of Miss Molloy's most
remarkable win. London Society.
STILL SINGLE.
.tood hy tn, " Blake Transmitter."