The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1902-02-05

| bAME 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 Alce-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.
Shepard had Immediately opened the
other envelope containing the valentine
and had discovered the mystic verses.
which ran thus. the peculiar numbering
of the lines being here preserved:
ID Flash of gold in Cupid's eye
CD Sends his sharpest darts awry
90 In these modern days.
90 He doth know where dollars bida
90 Better than where true hearts hide /;
Sad these modern ways. go
There's a love that's new and old, ~
(O Takes no thought OF minted gold
Fen In these bad days: go
Trust brothers steadfast faith O
(0 Dear as life and strong as death;
Guide In troubious ways.
The sum eff money $6,250) was clear.
ly enough indicated, but 1t was long
time before anybody advanced another
step in the solution. The strain of the
attempt undoubtedly FASTENED Shep-
ards end. He was found on the floor
Of the library unconscious, and he died
within few hours Of hemorrhage OF
the brain
What may be called the documents
In the case passed into Uncle William
| Yields hands, and ne spent many
weary hour over those rude verses. He
searched the house fifty times and
might even have pulled 1T down, but 1t
passed into the hands OF Deacon VIII
lard Webster Of Leedsboro on mort
gage given by Shepard.
Meanwhile Uncle William had striv
en- In secret with the valentine 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 In that
part of Maine as u species of amuse-
ment, and nobody knows how many
minds they unsettled, for 1t finally
spread all over the country.
Frank had his troubles with them,
look upon the money as lost, knowing
how unwiso it is to permit such will
o'-the- wisp to flicker before the eyes Of
youth. 1t Is easier to teach that doc
trine than to follow 1t. Frank never
forgot that he had S6,250 hidden in the
old Shepard house In Leedsboro.
The day came when he needed that
u,nno- no bod mona into fha otnulnv
of a mercantile establishment in Bos-
ton after leaving college, and there the
chance OF his life came to him. One
of the partners got into trouble with
the other two and decided to with
draw. Frank, Selling favorable OPP
portunity secured an option on the
share In the business. But an initial
payment of $4,000 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-
perate 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
1t. Uncle William viewed this pro-
ceeding with well 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 a
big, robust, handsome fellow, but he
was not fitted for that particular line
OF endeavor, and 1t told upon his
nerves. He had the air of one who
has sat up several successive nights
with sick friend, as Uncle William
expressed 1t. and. though the old gem