New-York tribune., 1908-08-16
SUNDAY MAGAZINE FOR AUGUST To- 1908

tery over the flame of the match. Here and there
where the paper charred in the heat, letter or a
word stood from the bare wheness OF the paper,
and finally a complete message appeared between
the nnocuous ink written lines. The prisoner read
it greedily:
recovery Shall arrange escape for you, have Ambas-
sador ntercede2 Would advise former the other might
take months, and meeting to sign treaty OF alliance would
be dangerously delayed
Petrozinni permitted the spluttering flame to
ignite the paper and thOughtfully watched the
blaze destroy it The last tiny scrap dropped , on
the floor burned out, and he crushed the ashes
under his heel Then ne began to write;
Ny DEAR Miss THoRNE-Many thanks for Your cour-
teous little deeply gr1eved 70 know that there
IS no Improvement in Senor Alvarez condition had
hoped that my irpulsive act shooting him would
end in tragedy. Please keep me informed OF any
consulting attorney but in the event OF NeTor Alvarez
Respectfully, PIErRo PErRozrvNI.
This done. the secret agent carefully cleaned the
ink from the pen wpng it dry with his handkerchief,
then thrust it into the halfempty glass of milk The
fluid clung to the steel nib thinly He went or
writing with II, between the lines OF ink:
am in no danger. credentials United
Government which when presented Will make me respon-
sibe only the Italian Government special envoy,
week from tonight Use any money nece5Ty ATTalge
must this matter reach Italian Ambassador
Again the prisoner cleaned the steel nib after
which he put II back in the bottle of ink, leaving
there. He waved the sheet of paper back and forth
dry it. and last scrutinized it minutely, stand
ing under the light from the hgh-up window of his
cell Letter by letter the thin white writing fluid
evaporated. leaving the sheet perfectly clean and
white except for the ink written message. This
sheet he folded placed in envelOp and addressed
Later the guard passed along the corridor, and
Petrozinni thrust the letter out to him.
Be good enough post that please, he
quested. 1t isn't sealed. ! don't know if Your
prison rules require YOU read the letters that 90
ont If So read It, or have it read. then seal II.
For answer the guard dampened the flap of the
envelop, sealed It, thrust it into his pocket and
passed The secret agent sat down again and
slipped his milk meditatively.
ONE hour later Mr., Grimm came out of pho
~ tographer's dark Pennsylvania-4ve.
with developed negative which he set rack
to dry. At the end of another hour he was sitting
at his desk studying. under a magnifying glass
finished print of the negative. Word by word he
writing slip of paper what his nagnifying glass
gave him; and Curiously enough, II came 10 pass
that My Lady of Mystery and Chief Campbell of the
Secret Service were reading the hidden milk written
message at almost the identical moment
Il got Petrozinni's letter from the rostnan."
Mr. Grimm was explaining modestlv Il opened II.
photographed it, sealed it again. and remaled il
There not more than half hours DELAY; and
Miss ThOrne possibly know of it He paused
a moment % 1t odd thing that writing such as
that is absolutely invisible to the naked eve and
yet when photographed becomes decipherabe in the
negative
What do you make of it?" asked Mr. Campbell
We'll, he's right of course about not being in