The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1912-09-26


deliver into such fascinating subjects
Still, something must be done, and
done in a hurry"
Hurry is the proper word" assent.
ed Pinkwell. You will have to get
busy as rapidly as your sffairs will
let you"
Wilkins turned, opened a desk
drawer. and began to tumble inside.
Il was experimenting on a cipher
this morning" he explained. Moth
ing complete. and nothing elaborate.
Penciled 1t out, for a half hours d.
version. Here-see IL you can read
It,"
Pinkwell took the sheet, inspected
1t for an instant, and then turned 1t
over. Il don't think / can read your
h~ieroglyphs on short notice, john"
he remarked. suavely. still, | think
the person who took this sheet from
your desk, placed a carbon beneath IL,
and then traced your writing with a
No. 8 pencil will be able to do SO, or
Will find some one who can"
The chief seized the paper, held 1t
to the light, and stared through a
magnifying glass. ~Crumpling up the
sheet, he flung 1t into the waste bas-
ket, only to have the detective fish
1t out, smooth 1t neatly, and tuck 1t
into his pocketbook. The chief, al
most ~inarticulate with wrath, exam
ined the desk, the drawer, the key
hole. and finally sat down disguised
and disgruntled.
Forget 1t, John" admonished Pink.
well. Forget it absolutely. Don't let
a clerk or stenographer in the Office
see you with as much as a scowl upon
your lovely countenance. Send some
one-somc n you think you can talk
pleasantly to at this annoying mo-
ment-to the esteemed secretaries.
Don't use the phone"
A push-button buzzed shrilly. The
door OF the private office opened, and
a tall young fellow, with a much
tanned face and a shock of tangled
brown hair. stepped in.
Did you call me, Mr.. Wilkins ?" he
asked, respectfully.
The chief looked him over rapidly.
Are you the only clerk remaining
this afternoonT
Yes, sir. Everyone else went away
at four"
"Uh huh. Gone to the ball park
as usual, / presume?"
Yes, sir. Good game today. The
White Sox are here, and"
Never mind about the White Sox,
or the Pink Ear-Muffs either" growled
the chief. you are as bad as the
!: rest of them-how does it happen you
!, are not going u to the gamer"
|! The boy grinned, and iicked a red
cap against his knee, in some little
confusion.
Fact is, Mr.. wilkins, l expected to
meet a few friends, and have a little
practice OF our own this afternoon"
"Uh huh. / might have known there
was some earth-shaking reason for
ybur not disappearing with the resi-.
Well, car you forego a few minutes
of your valuable time, even If 1t is
after office hours?"
The boy bobbed an asserting head.
tried to thrust the red cap into a
pocket, and dislodged some folded pa
pers, which fell rustling to the floor.
As he bent for the papers, Pinkwell
anticipated his hurried grasp, and
caught them up. The detective calmly
embodied the papers, finding them COW
cred with some freakish ~letterings,
while the boy turned red, and the
chief looked oufzzically on
Il beg your pardon. spoke up Pink
well. Il earnestly beg your pardon
yer such rudeness. MIMI"
"Brockett, sir. Harry Brockett." an
swered the youngster.
IL apologize once more, Mr.. Brock
EFT. ! have grown SO suspicious OF
everything and eryon in my old
age that | really imagined these pa
pers were plans of a Pacific fort, or
the details OF the new rife. Transla-
ton of an Aztec scroll, sonf"
WELL. hardly, sir" laughed young
Brockett, self-confidence returning. II
was amusing myself with building a
cipher5something that would be rath-
err hard for anyone who wasn't EN-.
gagged in the building OF 1t to make
out"
The grim face OF the chief relaxed
into a semi-smiie.
"How did the experiment work out?"
Brockett grinned frankly. "Im no
expert practitioners in such subjects.
Mr.. wilkins. Still. / think 1t would
take a pretty capable scientist to pick
1t apart and put it together again. He'd
have to be an American. too-or pos
sibly a Cuban"
why so?" questioned Pinkwell. "Is
the cipher written in Spanish"
mo, sir. Plain English. Would you
like to 60 over 1t, some time when
YOU have q little ~leisure?"
Always glad to encourage youth
FIJI talent" smilingly responded Pink
well LET me look through It to-