The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1905-08-18
A Mes in
Cipher
BY JOHN S~CHOLFiELD

4 o
ooooooooooooooo oooooooooo
nNOU will deliver this packet into
the hands of the japanese am
bassador. London, without a moments
unnecessary delay said Sir Jasper
Hale to Harold Malver- an attache Of
the British embassy, Paris. You are to
cross from Calais, but do not entrain at
Paris. Drive. walk, or ride to n Of the
outlying suburbs, and entrain there.
Return with the answer as soon as you
can, aud be prepared to start tonight. -
SO saying, Sir Jasper handed Malvern
a small packet. and dismissed him.
Hurriedly bidding his nan pack up
his yalise, the young attache descended
10 the drawing-roOm. where a few
guests were assembled, among them be-
Ing the beautiful daughter OF Paul
t~vanovitch, 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. 81 have
not seen you for some time. Doubtless
You have been busy, and have been I'm
able to call?'
War has far reaching influences, -
he returned, with a bright smile, and
even touches a humble attaehe 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 the art of
paying pretty compliments" returned
Vera Iyanovitch, with an appraCiative
little laugh.
AT this moment two Russians entered
the room, and, after greeting their host
ess. came towards Vera and Malvern
The gifl shrank back almost impercept-
IDLY. and a half frightened look showed
momentarily in her face.
Malvern at once noticed it. and won.
dered al the cause. The next moment
the two Russians had exchanged greet
Ings with Vera herself. The younger
he Immediately Identified as a rich and
welI.known st. Petersburg mar of fash.
ion, who moved in the best of diplomatic
circles, but whose record was not alto.
gether an enytable one. No one knew
how he became possessed of his money,
It was he from whom Vera had shrunk
on seeing him approach.
His companion Malvern did not re-
member having seen before. Elk.
actiy why Malvern couldn't tell, but he
was suddenly seized with a sort Of
p]remonition of mischief.
He endeayored to attract Vera's at
tentiou 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 |
wanted you to read my mothers poems?
| have brought the book with me and
have marked my favorites."
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 be 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 a 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 ~endeayoring to con-
vey to him a silent message? His at
tention became riveted on them. He
began slowly to read:
by perfumed meadows and purling
streams.
Fhe cows are browsing lazily;
Far off the sound Of joyful song"
Then he stopped, With a quick flash
of intuition he singled out the dotted
letters. There was b-e-c-a-r-e-f-u-l all
dotted. In a moment he had It. BE
CAREFUL These were words that star
tied him. 1t was indeed a message from
Vera-a message of warning. God bless
herl 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
to Vera, he followed the Others into the
drawing-room,
Save for a gentle pressure on his arm
tha girl gave no indication of any mes
sage or sign, so Malvern merely returned
tho pressure.
He will knew that Russia was the cen.
ter OF plot and counterplot, and that her