The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1902-03-22
'fsgAHE remarkable cipher valentine
Copyright, 1901, by c. w. Hool,o
town of Leedsboro, Me, and

@A IL remarkable clpner valentine
which originated in the small
@ town of Leedsboro, Me, and
gained Il national reputation Il
dozen years ago has been solved nj last
dn way that caps with romantic inter
est this strange little story of mystery.
There's lesson in it, too; so the dc
mands OF fiction are fairly well met by
the simple facts of this case.
The puzzle was the work of Edward
Weld of Boston, whose sister Alice had
married John NJ. Shepard of Lccdsboro
Ut consisted of twelve lines of doggerel
written on the back of Il valentino
(which, if rightly read, revealed Il very
important secret.
Shepard was well to do ut the time Of
his marriage, and his wife had about
$4,000. They might have passed their
days in comfort. but the husband fell
into dangerous ways, beguilcd by one
of those circular letters which are sent
into the rural districts by Il certain
class of city brokers'. He began TO spec
ulatc and within two years his own
property was in a nearly hopeless con
ditiOn, and he had wrongfully used
some thousands of dollars belonging to
his wife.
In these operations he manifested an
ingenuity almost incredible, borrowing
two or three times upon the same Sc
curity in that little town where ev-
erybody was supposed to know every
body elSe's business and yet entirely
escaping suspicion until, when the
wreck was nearly complete, his wife
Learned the truth. She Immediately
communicated with her brother Ed
ward, and he came to LeedSboro with
all speed. There must have been IL
painful scene in the old Shepard home
stead but not whisper of it got
abroad Even Uncle William Weld,
who lived in the town, was kept wholly
dn ignorance.
1t was decided to save Shepard in his
native place, where exposure and dis
grace were coming on at a gallop, and
nothing but ready cash could avail.
Weld returned to Boston to see what he
icould do with his sisters remaining
property and Shepard's precarious in
terests in the stock market. He sue
tceeded much more promptly than he
mad hoped in raising the sum required,
and on Feb u, 1856. he left Boston for
Leedsboro with $3.50 in his pocket
Alice was not expecting him, and she
had gone to Hortonville, neighboring
town. 1t was thought that she would
return in the afternoon, and her broth
er waited Then came word that she
would remain over night. Edward was
obliged to take the late afternoon train
for Boston, and he was in n quandary
about the money. He dared not trust
Shepard with penny, and he was I'M
der pledge to keep the secret inviolate.
He spent most Of the day at Uncle
William Yields house and probably
meditatcd taking him into his conf
dence, but finally decided upon another
course. In the middle of the afternoon
Edward and his uncle walked over to
the Shepard house, and on the way Ed
ward bought the valentine which sub
sequently became the center of so
much interest
When they reached the house, Uncle
William, who was not on good terms
"ltn SucpuIu, Nav luS oppOoeN TIC iuili
rage with all his power strolled out TO
the barn to wait for his nephew and
there encountered Shepard. Meanwhile
Edward was in the house, and no eye
was upon him. Where he went or what
he did could be learned only from Il
brief and hasty scrawl which he left
for his sister.
lie finally joined the other men in the
barn and had few words in private