Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1911-04-06
A CIPHER
TELEGRAM
By F. A. Mitchell
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911

1OIuDy was Dut tNCA'J wv '-
he was made secretary Of the Amerl-
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 q husband. Among these
wives who interested themselves in
the young diplomat was Nine. Ber-
thalow. the wife of a Partisan fnan-
cier. At that time the world was
stirred by the Morocco affair, and 1t
was feared there would be war be-
tween France and Germany. NJ. Ber-
thalow was in Berlin endeavorlng to
secure the first news in case the en-
peror decided to go to war for specu-
lative purposes.
One evening at a court ball Nine.
Berthalow, seeing Horribly pass her
called him to her on some preteXt and
later, while hanging on his arm, said
to him:
"AIr. Hornby, do you think there will
be WARP"
81 don't think about such things
81 am sure if war is declared you
will know it before it is made pub
lie"
"Why do you think that?"
Because l 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"
Horribly smiled without making any
reply The lady spoke of other mat
tiers and finally said:
II presume all important dispatches
are in cipher"
"They are"
"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"
81 don't know. 1 didn't make the
code"
"And what is the word for 'peace?"
"'NIan'"
upon my word! should have sup
posed those two words would have
been reversed"
perhaps that's the reason of their
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 May morning. She continued
her investigations.
"Our family have an old claim
against the United States, dating back
a hundred years or more, for a vessel
owned by my great-grandfather, de
stroyed by an American privateer. I
should like you to advise me concern
ing it."
81 shall be happy to do so. I am at
my office from II to 6 every day,
where it will be proper for you to
call"
This was not satisfactory to Nine.
| 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
advantage in going to his office She
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, ''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 I
shall be happy to advise you presently
concerning your claim"
He ushered her into coy room in
| the center of which stood a 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.
The lady eagerly seized it and ran her
eve over it. There was a tumble of
words the meaning of which was I'M
ineligible to her, but she noticed scat
tered throughout the dispatch the word
woman" 1t occurred five times. She
had all the time she needed for the ex-
mination-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 at
once. Horribly gave her one of his en-
gaging smiles and saw her to her car
riage.
When Horribly returned to his office
he threw the cipher telegram into the
wastebasket and wrote one to a broker
in Paris announcing that a prominent
financier would probably "sell the
market" If so it would break, and the
broker was to buy largely for Horn
by's account.
Horribly by the operation made for
tune. Some time after this Nine. Ber-
thalow said to him:
Are you sure that in your cipher
code woman stands for ware"