The Bourbon news., 1911-04-18
A CIPHER
TELEGRAM
BY F. A. Mitchell
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.

|, he was made secretary Of the Ameri-
can legation at Berlin.
Hornby was very popular in socie.
ty, though, not having a fortune. he
was rather sought by married women
\ cOveting attention than young girls
: angling for husband. Among these
\ wives who interested themselves in
the young diplomat was Mime. Ber-
thalOw, the wife of a Partisan fnan-
cier. At that time the world was
stirred by the Morocco affair. and it
was feared there would be war be-
tween France and Germany. NJ. Ber-
thalOw was in Berlin endeavoring to
perOr decided to go to war for specu-
I lative purposes.
One evening Mt q court ball Mime.
Berthalow. seeing HOrnby pass her
called him to her on some preteXt and
: later. while hanging on his arm, said
= to him:
"Mr Hornby. do you think there will
be war;"
81 don't think about such things"
= dil SuiC IL wal IL GU yOu
will know it before il is made spub-
lic"
"Why do you think that
Because | have been told that be.
fore going to war the emperor must
know how the other powers will act
: and your government is now one of
the powers The American minister
will be able to judge if there is to be
war and will inform his government
: What he knows you know
Hornby smiled without making any
reply. The lady spoke of other mat
ters' and finally said:
\ 81 presume all important dispatches
are in cipher"
"They are
7 "What is the word for war in your
\ cipher code:"
"Oh. it wouldn't do for me to tell
\ you that"
please tell me that one word. I'll
) not divulge it,
"Well. on your promise, I'll tell you.
1t is woman"
Good gracious. Why was that
word chOsen?'
! Il don't know. didn't make the
. code"
And what is the word for peace?
: MAN"
Upon my word should have sup
posed those two words would have
. been reversed
! Perhaps that's the reason of their
J use as they are. They are not so
easily deciphered."
Nine. Berthalow looked up into
the young mans face. 1t was as guile
less as a May morning She continued
\ her investigations.
Our family have an old claim
! against the United States. dating back
hundred years or more. for Il vessel
\ owned by my great-grandfather, de-
stroyed by an American privateer. I
& should like you to advise me concern
1 ing it."
Il shall be happy to do so. 1 am ut
my office from II to 6 every day,
where it will be proper for you to
CALI
This was not satisfactory to Nine.
4 Berthalow She would have pre-
ferred to have the young man call
upon her where she could talk with
him in secret. but on second thought
she considered that there would be an
j advantage in going to his Office. She
4 might light on some information not
intended for her. The next day at II
o'clock she appeared at the legation.
) "Ah. madame" Horribly said, 1--WE are
very busy today, and l fear l shall
have to keep you waiting. If you will
go into my private office for awhile
shall be happy to advise you presently
concerning your claim"
| He ushered her into coy room in
the center of which stood table with
writing materials and papers scattered
about. Nine. Berthalow. being alone
in the room, made a hurried eXamina-
ton Of the papers. One of them bore
evidence Of having just been written.
1t was marked to be sent by cable to
! the secretary of state at Washington
eye over it. There was a tumble Of
words the meaning of which was un-
. ineligible to her, but she noticed scat
tered throughout the dispatch the word
Z woman" 1t occurred five times. She
had all the time she needed for the eX-
: aminatiOn-indeed, more than she
wished. for she was anxious to get
away that she might impart the infor-
nation to her husband that there was
to be war.
, Presently HOrnby came in and in
formed her that he was ready to listen
to the matter of her claim. She told
him she had left home without hav-
ing locked up the jewels she had worn
the night before and must return ut
once. Horribly gave her one of his en-
gaging smiles and saw her to her car
riage.
When Hornby returned to his office