Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-08-24


property. When he registered at the
Annex he found awaiting him tele-
| gram saying that they had been de-
tanned at Denver and must necessari-
| ~ be two days late. Besides the tele-
gram, there had been letter for him
| "a letter from his friend, Jack Bax-
ter, to whom he had written OF his
coming. Jack had left the city on
business, It appeared. but he urged
| Or,ne to make free OF his North side
apartment. So Orme left the Annex
and went to the rather too gorgeous.
| but very luxurious, Pere Marquette.
| where he found that the staff had
been instructed to keep a close eye
on his comfort. All this had hap
pened but three short hours ago.
After getting back to the apartment.
| Orme's first thought was to telephone
| however. to wait till after dinner. He
did not like to appear too eager. So
| he went down to the public dining
room and ate what was placed before
him, and returned to his apartment
| just at dusk.
| In a few moments he got Bessie
Wallingham on the wire.
| "Why, Robert Orme!" she ex-
claimed. wherever did you como
from?"
"The usual place. Are you and
Tom at home this evening""
I'm 80 sorry We're going out with
some new friends Wish knew them
we'll enough to ask you along. Can
you have some golf with us at ARA
dale tomorrow afternoon?"
Delighted! Say, Bessie, do you
| know a girl who runs q black touring
! carp
"What?"
DO you know . tall, dark girl who
has black touring carr"
| II know lots Of tall. dark girls, and
several of them have black touring
cars. Why?"
Who are they?"
There was a pause and a little
chuckle; then: Nov. Bob, that won't
do. You must tell me all about It to-
morrow. Call for US in time to catch
the one-four."
That was all that Orme could get
out of her; and after little banter
and brief exchange Of greetings
with Tom. who was called to the tele-
| phone by his wife, the wire was per-
mitted to rest.
Of the sitting room and smoked lazily.
looking out over the beautiful expanse
OF Lake Michigan. which reflected
from its CLASSY surface the wonderful
opalescence OF early evening. He
seemed to have set forth on a new and
adventurous road. How strangely tho
girl of the car had come into his life!
Then he thought of the dve-dollar
bill, with the curious inscription. He
took it from his pocketbook and ex-
amined 1t by the fading light The
words ran the full length Of the face.
Orme noticed that the writing had .
foreign look. There were fourishes
which seemed distinctly un-Americsn.
He turned the bill over. Apparent
ly there was no writing on the back,
but as he looked more closely he saw
dark blur in the upper left-hand
corner. Even in the dusk he could
make out that this was not q spot Of
dirt: the edges were defined too dis
tfnctiy for smudge; aud Il was not
| black enough for Jan ink,blot.
Moving to the center table. he
switched on the electric lamp. and
looked at the blur again. It stood out
| plainly now. . series Of letters and
numbers:
Evans. 8. R Chi. A. 100 N. 31e ID.
t."
The hryt thought that came to orme
/ bhaA no
ioker would have made tho curious
cryptosram more conspicuous. But
what did Il mean? Was It q secret
formula? Did It give the loc9tion Of
buried treasure! And why in tho
name Of common Ssnse had Il been
written ON a dve-dollar bill?
More likely. Orme reasoned. 1T, con.
cealed information for or about
some person-"s. r. Evans" probably
And who wVs this 9. r. Evans?
Tho betteN to study the mystery.
orme copied she Inscription on . sheet
Of note paper. which he found In the
table drawer. from. the first. he de-
c1ded that there was no cipher. The
letters undoubtedly were abbrevia-
lions. 'Evans", must be, as he had al
ready determined, mans name.
"Chi" might be. probably was. Chi
cago.' 100 N. 210 E." looked Hike
! 100 (feet7 pacesD north, 80 (fset!
Fpaeas7y east"
The "and the ct" bothered him.
"a" might be the place to which "s.
r. Evans" was directed, or 1t which
hA..was to, be found place sufficient
~ Indicated BY the letter. Now a. to
the Twas It "treasure4" Or was
1t elmer" Or "truei" Orme had no
way Of telling. It might even be she
initial of the person who had penAsd
the instructions.
Wthout knowing whore 49, was,
ofme could make nothing Of the
cryptogram. For that matter, he
realized that unless the secret were
criminal It was not his affair. But he
knew that legitimate business In
formation is seldom transmitted by
such mysterious means-
Again and again he went over tho
abbreviatious, but the more closely he
studied them, the moEe bad1ing he
found them. The real meaning ap-