Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1903-08-20
The Cipher
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Illlltsil W III ~ 'h'' 'bN 0iA' W 'AN VI
gagged to Dimtri Ollzoff, Il lieutenant in
the Russian army. There are cases
where lovers become so wrapped in
each other that separation is agony. SO
II was with these two young people
when Dimitrl OliZorr departed for the
ward. Lisa held To him till the last
minute and fell in a stupor when lac
left her.
II had been arranged between them
that OliZOiT should not only send word
10y everyday mail, but telegraph her In
case of his being wounded or taken
sick. This might involve sending news
of battle The Russian government
gives out all the news, not permitting
even the newspaper correspondents 10
send any except what has passed
censor Therefore OhZoff would not
only he obliged to send his message
surrcptitiously, but in cipher. The
lover arranged a code, giving Lisa the
key. He did not tell her that there was
little hope of his being able to use II.
Still, since the cipher was simply few
ordinary sentences, each with "A special
meaning, the sending of n message was
not impossible.
OIizoff was wealthy, and Russian Otti-
cials are very corrupt. He made the
acquaintance of a telcgrapher at head
quarters and arranged with him for
600 rublcs to send a message If re-
Quired.
One evening Lisa was at an enter
tainmcnt at the house of Vladimir
SohnsH, n prominent government Of
fetal ut St Petersburg. The Malakotf
had been Stormcd and the government
was especially desirOus of keeping
news which forebode the defeat of the
Russian cause from the people. I..r
host knew of il and was instructed to
proceed with his entertainment, since
n DoStponcmcnt would excite suspicion.
In the midst of the festivities Il tcle-
gram was handed to Lisa. She tore Off
the envelope, scanned the words in the
message and fell in Il faint. SOhnsh,
who had been fcigning to be III merry
mood, but really was depressed by what
he was conccallng, happened TO be near
Lisa when she Swooncd. lie seized
the telegram, noticed the point from
whence it came and knew at once that
II must be cipher message containing
some news about the disaster. He
had Lisa carried upstairs TO n private
room, notified the police to come and
take charge of her, and disappearing
rs. lirnstIV
to the imperial palace with the tclc-
gram.
The telegram was composed of two
sentences. Il am on picket duty to-
day and Il love you as ever" the
first meaning There has been disas-
ter" the second Il am badly wounded" ="
1t had been understood between the
lovers that in the latter event Lisa
should 20 to her lover if possible. Lisa
before recovering from her swoon
raycd about his condition, then as soon
rs she came to herself raised herself
from the couch on which she had been
laid, saying that she must 70 at once
to him Then for the first time she saw
among those about her a police officer.
She knew at once that she had bctray-
ed herself.
Lisa was sent to her fathers house,
where she was kept under the suryeil-
lance of tn" police. Every effort was
made witluut success to induce her to
tell from iona the telegram, which
was unsigned, came. But 1t was quite
plain that it must have come from her
lover. An account of the matter was
sent to the headquarters Of the army
with orders to watch OlizoT without
informing him of the result Of his mes
sage, in the hope Of catching him send
ing another and discovering through
what operator he sent it. OliZoif, how
ever, sent no more messages, for he
was lying in a hospital severely
wounded.
Several months passed, during which
Lisa was kept in close confinement,
without any knowledge Of her lovers
condition. She did not know whether
he had died of his wound or would live
TO suffer Il worse fate for sending sur
rcptitiously n telegraph message that
only the government might send. She
sank rapidly under the strain. Those
who attended her dared not speak Of
anything that had happened IN cOnnec-
ton with the matter, and Lisa did not
even know how her own father, who
was with the army in the Crlmea,
stood toward her.
One afternoon there was sound Of
horses hoofs and the clatter Of sabers
In the court. Thinking that her father
Ind returned from the war, q sudden
thrill Of hope passed through Lisa that
ne would bring her news of Dimiti.
Then she heard her fathers voice and
looked for him to rush upstairs as he
was used to doing when he came home,
but when he did not she supposed that
he had not forgiven her for her part In
the deceit Presently she heard several
people coming up the stairway very
slowly. Then her door opened and her
father entered, followed by the order
lies supporting the wasted figure OF her
lover.
You are forgiven, my daughter" +"
listened TO my prayer In your behalf.
Vladimir won his own forgiveness by
gallantry in the action of which he
sent you the news"
The father embraced his daughter;
then her pale soldier lover limped to
her and they were locked in one an
sthCr's arms.
The telegraph operator was not so
fortunate. The message was traced to
him, and ne was sent to Siberia. This
was the only cloud upon the lovers
happiness, and Lisa, few years later,
while at court, persuaded the emperor
to grant the man Il pardon.
HELEN w. STOCKARD.
A LAW Unto Herself
She-Hou know woman has n right