Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1911-07-27

imp, uO you ISu6IuD6T my say
ing what a contempt you must have
for the world that didn't know how to
fly? Do you remember that, and the
answer you made to it,"
He nodded.
Philip, is that still there? Your
contempt. l mean, for the world?"
Il don't believe" he said, that you
can even ask that seriously-you, who
gave me first my soul back again and
then, in these last weeks, my life.
For it's been your life that has lived
in me these last days-they must be a
good many-just as 1t was your
warmth and faith and fragrance that
gave me back my soul, long ago" He
paused a moment; then, when ne went
on his voice had a somewhat different
quality. But the other contempt,
Jeanne, that still exists, or would ex-
list If gave it the chance, the worlds
contempt for me. Not ever your faith
could shake that"
She had been ~half-reclining beside
him, but now she sat erect %purposeful-
ly, like one who has taken a resolu-
ton.
I'm not so sure of that" she said,
in a matter-of-fact tone, though there
was an undercurrent of excitement in
it. Philip. l have been trying to
solve a puzzle since you were ill. l
hoped l could solve it by myself. II
I were intelligent enough I'm sure /
could; but I'll have to ask you to help
me It's a string of letters written
around a picture, in a locket."
"A locket Of yours?" he asked, sur.
prised.
Never mind about that just now"
She spoke hastily and the undercur.
rent of excitement was growing
stronger in her voice.
do you want me to try it now" he
asked. "If you'll make a light and
show me the thing I'll see what l
can do"
Perhaps you won't need that" she
said. II can remember the letters.
They are divided up into words, but
I'm sure they are not any foreign Ian
guage; they are in a code of some
sort"
She did not turn to look at him, but
she felt him stir a little, with sudden
ly aroused attention, and heard his
breath come a little quicker.
The first letter was all by ITSELF"
she said, trying to keep her voice
steady. 1t was N. And then, in
n word, came the letters p-b-j-n-e-q."
That means "A coward" he said.
His voice was unsteady, and he
clutched suddenly at her hand. She
could feel that his was trembling. so
she took 1t in both OF hers and held
1t tight.
Its a code" he said, "a boyish code
of my own | remember that for a
long time after l invented it | be-
lieved it to be utterly insoluble; yet it
was childishly simple. 1t consists
simply of splitting the alphabet in
two and using the last half for the
first, and vice versa. 1t must have oc.
Cured to hundreds Of boys, at lone
time and another, and yet" his voice
faltered. "Yet, it's a little odd that
you should have stumbled upon an
other example of it."
The next word was o-~r-g-e-n-l-r-q."
That means betrayed he said,
almost instantly. "Was-was there any
more"
"One little word, three letters,
'u-v-z.' But l know already what they
mean, Philip" There was a moment
airy silence, then she repeated the
whole phase-"A coward betrayed
him." She was trembling all over
now, herself. Il knew" she said, ~
knew it was something like that"
Then she dropped down beside him
and clasped him tight in her arms.
Philip, that was written around your
picture, an old picture of you it must
have been, which fell out of your
pocket when l was undressing you
that night after your fight with Ros.
coe. recognized the locket it was en-
closed in as Mr.. Hunters. l had often
seen 1t on his watch fob, and it's en-
graved with his initials"
1T fell out of my pocket" said
Philip, incredulously,
Yes" she said, that puzzled me,
too, for awhile; and finally l figured
it out. You must have found it"
That night in Roscoe's cave, when
was waiting for him. | had forgot
ten 1t until this moment"
Il knew it must be like that" she
said, something like that. And wasn't
1t . she began
Hunters code as we'll as mine?
Yes. We made 1t up together when
we were boys" he said, and we used
1t occasionally even after we left the
Point. We wrote in ii, both of us, as
easily as in English; and read 1t the
same way"
Ter young arms still held him fast.
Philip, he must have been sorry
a long time-almost since 1t happened.
it's an old, old picture of you,
dear, and the ink of the letters Is
faded. He's carried 1t with him ever
since, Us a reminder of the wrong he
did you, and of his c~owardlce in let
ting you suffer under It,"
Il suppose 1t was that from the
first"
Il don't believe he ever meant"
She let the sentence break of there,
md thnra waa q Innn lnnr silannn