The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-10-01
PRoPo RTIoNs.

PRoPo RTIoNs. F"
In that direction. did not wish to call
on him IL could avoid it; IL would be far
better that any conversation we mi ght
have should spring up casually. i was
therefore not little pleased when, as
was drawing near the post office, i saw
my man little distance in front of me.
1t was impossible TO mistake his huge fig
ure, and curious shsmbling gait.
BY an instinct he seemed TO know that
some one Was watching him from the
rear, for he suddenly turned round and,
catching sight of me turned back TO meet
me.
sAh," he said, in his grand manner,
"going to the postoffice, / suppose. Ii Is
the real center OF civilization.
thought IL would be we'll 10 accom- pa :
ny him, SO / said something about buying
stamps.
We entered the postoffice together, lie
Grand prepared TO write a telegram. As
be unbuttoned his coat TO take out his
own special pencil--the gift of some mon
srcb-I noticed the end of blue official
envelope sticking out OF an inside breast
pocket, ana could not help wondering
whether ii contained the draft of the
treaty.
When he had finished writing his tele-
gram, he came up to me fourishing 1t in
his hand.
.'It is in one way lucky" he said,
"that We correspondents have absolutely
no news to send, for the censorship is
very strict. No cypher kilograms are al
lowed TO be sent during the sitting of the
congress, and the ordinary kilograms are
detained, or suppressed, or mutilated,
as IL suits the authorities. / have no
doubt, too that the blsck-csbinet is at
its old work of opening letters. How
ever, II you have no news to communi-
cate, IL makes no difference. They can
hardly object TO telegram like this
can theyg"
With tnat, he handed me the telegram
10 read. IL was very short, and was ad-
dressed TO the office OF his paper in Lon
dom
"Cannot obtain much information. No
good waiting in the hope tonight" :"
i have trained memory, and when /
read this telegram ! took care to fix it in
delibiy in my mind. Then turned il TO
Le Grand, and be handed it to the clerk,
who accepted 1t without demur.
had hoped that might now get little
private conversation with the great pan
but was disappointed, for the moment
We got outside, he made his adieux and,
bailtng . droschky, was driven back TO
Bis hotel. There was nothing for me TO
DO but TO return TO mine but, meanwhile,
] took out my note book and wrote down
the telegram word for word. Two or
three things had already struck me with
respect to IL. The first was that he had
self was suspicious. as lie Grand seldom
did anything without an object. The Sec
ond was. why should he telegraph at all
IL he had no news to convey? The third
was that, transparent as the telegram
seemed, there was still something a little
suspicious in its length. Why not have
amply telegrsphed: "No news?''
Altogether, was satisfied that there
was some deception about this telegram.
and heretore proceeded to treat IL as a
cryptogrsm. Now the plan of such every
day cryptograms is not, as a rule, very
complicated. Unless, as was the case
with me, there is some ground OF suspi-
cion to start with. a very simple crypto-
gram will effectually conceal the meaning
OF the writer. But, knowing what I did.
had something 10 work upon. and thu 0
helped, soon deciphered lie Grand's rem
meaning. At least felt morally certain
had done 80. merely took the initials
OF the words in their order. and found
snce:
Coming with T.'
ST. Of course stood for treaty.
This was not only piece Of informa.
Won, but Just the piece OF informtion that
might have been expected. For, IN lie
1rsnd had really secured copy OF the
treaty, be would, OF course, be most anx.
lcus TO transmit IL at once To London.
But howf IL ives impossible 10 send N bv
telegraph. No oypher kilograms were al.
lowed to pass, and any other, however i'm
geniously constructed. must needs betrav
itself through the proper names of persons
and countries without which the treaty
would DO mere nonsense. Nor did think
II likely that lie Grand would commit
such momentous secret TO the post
Knowing as he did the unscrupulousness
Of the black cabinet. There remained on
IL one course Of action at once feasible
dnd prudent, and that was for Re Grand
A. a. L..
fusf ss soon a. q letter. and no doubt