Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1905-12-14
A Message in
Cipher
BY JOHN ScHoLFIELD

| ooooooooooooooooooooocOooo
% II OF will deliver this packet into
the hands Of the Japanese am
bassador. London. without a moments
unnecessary delay" said Sir Jasper
Hale TO Harold Malvern, an attache of
the British embassy, Paris You are to
cross from Calais. but do not entrain az
Paris. Drive, walk. or ride 70 one OF the
outlying suburbs. and entrain there.
Return with the answer as soon as you
can, and be prepared to start tonight.
So saying. Sir Jasper handed Malvern
a small packet and dismissed him.
Hurriedly bidding his man pack up
his valise, the young attache descended
TO the drawing room, where a few
guests We're assembled. among them be-
ing the beautiful daughter OF Paul
Ivanovitch, chief secretary to the Rus
sian embassy Malvern at once ap-
preached her, for he had formed a great
liking for the lovely girl
"Ah," said the girl Immediately
Frightening as he approached = have
you have been busy. and have been un-
able to call?'
War has far reaching Influences, &"
he returned, with a bright smile, "and
even touches a humble attache Like my
self. War is doubly cruel when the de-
mands It makes upon my time keep me
from you, he added, in a whisper.
You English have not lost he art Of
paying pretty compliments, returned
Vera Iyanovitch, with an appreciatiye
little laugh.
AT this moment two Russians entered
the room, and, after greeting their host
ess, came towards Vera and Malvern.
The girl shrank back almost impercept-
IDLY, and half frightened look showed
momentarily in her face
Malvern at once noticed it. and won.
dered at the cause. The next moment
the two Russians had exchanged greet
ings with Vera herself. The younger
he Immediately identified as a rich and
welIlmown st, Petersburg man Of fash.
ion, who moved in the best Of diplomatic
circles, but whose record was not alto.
gether an enviable one. No one knew
how he became possessed of his money
II was he from whom Vera had shruuk
on seeing him approach.
His companion Malvern did not re-
member having seen before. Elk.
actly why Malvern couldn't tell. but he
was suddenly seized with sort of
premonition OF mischief.
He endeayored to attract Vera's at.
tention by every conceivable means. but
no, she would not meet his gaze. What,
power had the handsome young Russian
over her?
20 by the way, Mr. Malvern. " she said
presently-as the attache thought. with
assumed indifference-"you recollect I
wanted you to read my mothers poems?
| have brought the book with me and
have marked my fayorites."
Thank you" he said; its good OF
you. Will take every care of the book %
and he commenced turning over the
leaves, pausing at certain pages which
Vera had marked.
AS he read he suddenly noticed that
some of the letters had a tiny dot no
bigger than a pins head. penciled over
the top, He paused for moment
vaguely wondering if there were any
hidden meaning in those mystic dots.
What did those dots over the letters
mean? Did they come by accident or
design? Was Vera endeavoring to con-
vey to him a silent message? His at
tention became riveted on them. He
began slowly to read:
by perfumed meadows and purlipg
streams.
The cows are browsing lazilv:
Far off the sound Of joyful song"
Then he stopped With quick fash
Of Intuition he singled out the dotted
letters. There was b-e-c-a-r-e-f-u-l An
dotted. In a moment he had fl. "Be
CAREFUL These were words thai star
tied ham. II was indeed a message from
Vera message of warning. God bless
her. She was as loyal and as true as
steel Other letters were dotted over
the leaf. but just as he was about TO
try to decipher the rest his hostess led
the way to dinner. and, Offering his arm
70 Vera, he followed the others into the
drawing
Save Tor a gentle pressure on his arm
the girl gave no indication Of any mes
sage or sign, so Malvern merely returned
the pressure
He viii knew that Russia was the CEN
ter Of Mot and counfernlot and tbat -