The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1902-03-22

SAME WAY"
note to Alice, as the writer had feared
that he would do. The effect upon him
may be understood by a glance at the
contents:
Dear Alice-Your business done. Money
put away in this house. Writing hastily
at desk in library. Uncle's waiting in
barn for me. Cipher in valentine tells
you the place. The same trick we have
used several times before. EDWARD.
Shenard had Immediately opened the
other envelope containing the valentine
which ran thus, the peculiar numbering
of the lines being here preserved:
% Flash Of gold in Cupid's eye
% Sends his Sharpest darts awry
go In these modern days.
"a He doth know where dollars bide
90 Better than where true hearts hide;
Sad these modern ways. go
There's a love that's new and old, %
CD Takes no thought of minted gold
Fen in these bad days; 80
Trust a brothers steadfast faith a.
go Dear as life and strong as death
Guide in troublous ways.
The sum of money C$G,2J0) was clear
| ~ enough indicated, but it was a long
time before anybody advanced another
step in the solution. The strain of the
attempt undoubtedly FASTENED Shcp-
nrd's end. He was found on the floor
of the library unconscious, and he died
| within few hours of hemorrhagc of
| the brain.
| What may be called the documents
in the case passed into Uncle William
Yields hands. and he spent many a
| weary hour over those rude verses. He
searched the house fifty times and
might even have pulled it down, but Il
| passed into the hands of Deacon Will
lard Webster of Leedsboro on mort
gage given by Shepard.
| Meanwhile Uncle William had striV
| en- in secret with the valenti.e cipher.
| He resorted after time to experts in
such matters and finally had let the
| verses come before the public. They
used to be handed around in sewing
circles and similar gatherings il that
| part of Maine as a species of amuse.
mcnt, and nobody knows how many
minds they unsettled, for it finally
| spread all over the country.
| Frank had his troubles with them.
but his uncle always taught linn TO
| look upon the money as lost, knowing
how unwise it is to permit such will
o'the wisp to flicker before the eyes Of
| youth. 1t Is easier to teach that doe
trine than to follow it. Frank never
forgot that he had S6,2j0 hidden in th"
old Shepard house in Leedsboro.
The day came when he needed that
| money. He had gone into the employ
| of q mercantile establishment III BuS
ton after lea ing college, and there Tie
| chance of his life came to him. one
of the partners got into trouble with
the other two and decided to with
draw. Frank. scizing u favorable Up-
portunity, secured an option on the
share in the business. But an initial
payment OF $1,000 had to be made, and
Frank did not know where to lay
hands upon that sum.
In this emergency he bethought him
of the money that had lain for four.
teen years in the old Shepard house.
and he resolved to make one last des-
pcrate attempt to solve the riddle of
the valentine The original was in
the keeping of Uncle William Weld.
and Frank went to Leedsboro to study
it. Uncle William viewed this pro
ceeding with we'll founded alarm, and
he made secret efforts to secure the
sum that Frank needed, being convinc-
ed that the young mans opportunity
was one the like of which would not
come again.
Frank Weld worked two days upon
the valentine puzzle and began to show
signs of mental collapse. He was q
big. robust, handsome fellow, but he
was not fitted fo- that particular line
Of endeavor, and it told upon his
nerves. He had the air of one who
has sat up several successive nights
with sick friend, as Uncle William
expressed it, and, though the old gen