The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1886-12-02
CHAPTER XVI.
THE SECRET OF THE CIPHER

"Gentlemen, said Bielski, when we were
alone, u think l have something to say that
will surprise you. He held in his hand the
little memorandum book, the mysterious
contents Of which lie had been studying
while we had been engaged with Gregson.
aHave you discovec cd The cipher7 Does it
betray anything Of the fellows secretsP'
asked with caserness.
"Yes, sir; | hare found the clew to the
cipher. Do you know what it is? 1t is an
od-fashoned system of short hand, with
some new authorizations end arbitrary signs.
You see had TO learn short hand for my
own purposes, so know ali about it,"
"And do you mean to say you know this
system:'
"Oh, dear, no! We are going little too
fast, if you'll excuse me, sir 1t may take
weeks to unr;ddle this; for at the best OF
times it is not always easy to decipher short
hand. All the same, | hope we may pick
the lock in q shorter time than that. have
O. friend in London who will help me-"
"And this is tie surprising Ecws you lave
to tell lis, Bicisii:" inter jec,el Harding.
"No, sir, no. 1t is something more than
that You gave INC this book rs FIinters.
But I find that it is not his ct all. 1t is writ
ton By Francis Branksome, NJ. d. Here's
his name upon tie first rage" He pointed
to some hieroglyphics that to Harding and
myself were quite unin,clllSlble.
"And have you read that already?"
"Ycs, that is quite easY TO understand. 1t
is written in system that know something
of myself What makes me most suspicious
about this book is that the cipher has been
altered in many ways rs tho writer has gone
on with his entries. 1t is to!erably clear
anl simple ut first, but it becomes more
difficult and complicated as we proceed.
That shows that the man was determined 10
hide from everybody what he was writing
Why should DR.. Branksomo be so anxious
TO do thatl"
"We have heard something about DR..
Branksome this morning which may per-
laps throw light upon tsat question:" said
Harding.
'"From the young man outside theres"
ayes" and then related to the detective
the strange story which had been told by
Grcgson.
"By Jove! gentlemen" he cried, slappng
his thigh in his exultation, "this is really
magnificent. What q case I'll have when 1
get that in hand It'll mean trip to Aus
tralia for me, though; and I don't care so
much about that"
"But what light will it throw OH Miss
Stancliffc's case! How will it assist herl'
"How will it assist herr l should say
nothing could assist her more. 1t is tho very
evidence we have been wanting to weaken
the motive for the murder You must hand
this young man over to me now, gentlemen.
l must get that story of his down in ship
shape"
Bielski was quite excited over the pros
pect of the task, which he had apparently
already allotted to himself, Of unravcling
the whole mystery of which Grcsson pro-
fessed to have given US tho outlines For my
part, I carel little Or nothing about that
mystery in itself. All that wanted was
evidence which would doliver my darling,
not only from q shameful death, but from
that stain Of criminality which the verdict
of the jury had cast upon her. We had
gone far, felt, towards arriving at the
truth; but nothing short Of the complete cx-
oneration of Daisy would satisfy me, and
that, alas! was apparently still remote
When the detective had taken Grcgson of
to his own hotel to cross-eXamine him at his
leisure regarding the story he had told lis,
Harding and l sat together discussing all
that had now come to light. Our chief feel
ing-or mine at any ratc-was ono of Won
der ut the fact tha. Dr.. Branksome should
be such Villain rs CireSson represented.
Never, surely, was there man in this
world who looked loss like a villain, who
bore himself less like one who seemed to all
around him to be more completely above
suspicion Irecallol all my dealings with
him from that first day when we met in the
Grand hotel at Scarborough, and | could
no. remember single incident, 4 lool: or q
tone Of the voice, that had been calculated
to awaken suspicion in my mind. II" was
ALWAYS the sam"--conl, self possessed, geil-
tlcmanly, frank liz manner, brilliant IN talk.
He had never played the part Of Joseph Sur
face and assumed the functions of Il cham
pon OF morality; h.i rcm"ia1cr 10 one
whom had met il the course # my life
who had made deeper impression on M,
or who hal more completely won my conf
dence an regard. Even now | could hardly
bring myself TO be!ieve that lie was villain
much less Il villain Of the cold, cruel, cal.
culatim, tv;c depicted BY Grc5aon.
IcIlclll'tiSu, LohNNti, ny III
quarrel with him had arisen when he
dropped to me- hint Of his belief that
Daisy was guilty. twas only then that, in
my ovcrpowrrinS love for her, l had broken
through the glamour which had hitherto in
vested him. l believe that even now, when
/ had heard GreGson'S story, should havo
rejected it with my whole heart if it had
not been for Brunksom IS descrtion Of Daisy.
That otfense had never forgiven; and the
fact that lie Lad been guilty Of it enabled
me at this moment, despite all my expert
enco in my personal relations with him, to
accept ths apparently incredible story OF his
Grim, which had received from the lips OF
GreGson. l saw, too, quite clearly, tho
strong confirmation OF that story, which was
to bc found in the fact that he hal acted
just as Grcgson had predicted that he would
act. In the event OF the sentence OF the law
being carried out upon Daisy, he would stop
into undisputcl possession of Maulevcrers
millions Yes; folt convinced, in spite of
all my prepossessions, that l had indeed
been, as Gregson had declared, the verie't
dupe throughout this businsss-but the dupe
of a man whose villainY was such as to defy
all ordinary sagacity.