The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1911-05-09
A CIPHER
& NOTE
BY MARGARET BARR
Copyright by American Press Asso-
ciatinn. 1911

band" said Mrs. Ackley to Mrs. Brad
shaw, "and the reason why / have
confidence in him is because he's so
careless. If he had occasion to keep
anything from me he couldn't do it.
For instance, IL he should receive
| love letter from any illegitimate source
he would be sure to have it in his
pocket"
! "But how would that give him
away?" asked Mrs. Bradshaw.
"Why, my dear woman, there's not
a night when he is in bed and asleep
that don't go through his pockets"
"It's the only safe way with men"
Time came when Mrs. Ackley in 60
ing through her husbands pockets re-
ceived n shock. She came upon bit
of paper on one side Of which was her
husbands name written in woman's
hand, on the other certain mysterious
figures-1, IL, o, 3, 3.
Mrs. Ackley turned pale. She loved
her husband notwithstanding the fact
that she thought 1t necessary to watch
him. She had gone through his pock-
cts for years dreading that she would
find something to convince her of his
Inconsistency, and Mt last the blow had
fallen She almost wished she had
remained in ignorance. Possibly she
would have burned the message had
not curiosity lnterposed to prevent her
doing so. She wiped tear from her
eye and looked at the paper again.
|
Doubtless every figure stood for some
loving word.
Getting her feelings under control,
she began to puzzle over the figures
with view to their Interpretation.
It was the first day Of May; there
fore the figure I might refer to the
day of the month, But 12 came next,
and the twelfth month IL December.
BY beginning at the other end the
theory fitted better. May was the
fifth month. The figure 5 coincided
with the month exactly. The next
figure, 3, might stand for the day Of
! the month, . possibly marking the
hour. The figures indicated that the
{ sender wished Mr.. Ackley to meet her
.
but one) at o'clock Twelve might
mean the termination OF the meeting,
the hour 1t would be necessary for the
: woman to leave him. But was 1t not
from to II in the morning or to IL
In the evening. 'I have It," she ex'
claimed. "The figure l indicates that
It is the first . to IL of the hour In the
, day or In the morning. or course Il
wouldn't do for them to meet In the
evening. might have something tC
say about that In the morning, wher
he is at his office. am supposed to bt
: poworless. We shall see
Having doubts about the correctness
: OF this deciphering Of the message
+ she tried another theory. Possibly the
figures might spell n word that woult
mean a whole sentence. She tried
several plans and at last hit upon on'
making the figures represent letters
The first figure was 1, and A Is thu
: first letter OF the alphabet.
e Eureka" she exclaimed.
: Then she read, I, A; II, l.; 0, I; 3, G
l. 3, d Alice.
@ aha" she cried, $50 the name Il
a Alicer'
She thought over all the women sh,
knew, but none was named Alice
: Her rival could not. therefore, he on
OF her friends OF ncqualntunccs. Sh
must he SOME one her husband hat
met whom she, his wife, knew moth
Ing about. She would unearth thi
# plot, but she would not spoil 1t by let
4 ting II he known that she possessed
the secret.
When Ackley came home for Dime
VI and gave his wife the usual MARTA
y kiss he noticed that her lips We're cold
d Don't feel very well, dear" he ash
e ed
q Mrs. Ackley declared that she wa
Il perfectly well. Nevertheless, thoug
she tried TO appear ns usual, she failed
The next dny Mrs Ackley, nfte
breakfast, went to her mothers to rt
main for the day, She could not bea
q 10 remain in the house with the ma
y who was he Giving her She telephone
Il him during the day that she woul
is remain away all night Mr.. Ackle
IA passed the evening at his club, wen
d, home mt and the next morning, hay
" Ing brcukfasted, went to his Office
" There he found q note from n ma
'e with whom hc had an important bus
At ness deal asking him to be Mt n certai
n place nt 0;3G u. IN, NJ. Acklcy left h
le office without saying where he wa
In going Tie did not return TIL half pas
10.
when he did return he found h
wife in the Office looking like thur
dercloud She had been there thrC
- hours nursing her wrath TO keep
o., warm" and an accumulation of vii
20 dlctiycness had placed her in col
VI dilon frlghtful 10 behold. Those
= the Office We're waiting an explosion
is When Mr.. Acklcy entered he looked I
nd his wife astonished Without n wol
n. she took from her portemonnaie Il
es sipher message and handed II to him.
NJ "AIlss Qulmby" said the gentlem0