The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1914-01-09
AN INVENTION
LOS1''
By DOROIHEA HALE

ANth CA'y a. 'HP t'N ''h ~ ''
ventor who had not the business capac-
ity to reap the profit on his inventions.
Perhaps it would be nearer the mark
10 say that the elder ForsytIlc had not
tho capital to put the novelties he pro.
dnccd on the market. At any rate, lc
died. leaving his widow and her only
child, Ned. IN poverty. as they had al
ways been.
But Ned understood that just before
his death his father had invented an
explosive that would prove far more
valuable than any that had yet been
produced, being especially available in
gunncry. He had offered his inven-
ton to the government, had given an
exhibition Of It's working and had re
ceiyed an order for "A large supply. to
be followed by other orders ut a price
that would make him rich. Further
more, Il company with an established
plant capable of manufacturing the
STUFF had the contract to produce the
goods, Nothing remained but to pass
over the recipe for the explosive when
the inventor fell on the floor of his
laboratory and died without speaking
Il word.
After his fathers death Ned hunted
high and low for the formula. He
first went through the laboratory.
searching every nook ana granny. OK
amining every scrap Of paper, but
without success. Then he looked
through the house in which the family
lived. II little frame dwelling on the
outskirts Of Il city. with no better sue
cess. There was no other place to look.
and Ned and his mother. frolI Il pros
pect of stepping from poverty into af
flnence. found themselves worse Oh
than they had ever been befo,c.
But Ned did not give the matter up
He had heard his father tell bis moth
er that he was puzzled how to keep his
secret till he had made all bis con
tracts and must give It to the manu-
facturer.
Forsythc knew that should he be
suddenly taken away his wife and
child would be cut of from tile benefits
with the secret Of an invention and
thereby made another person rich
without renping any benefit himself.
He had then vowed that he would nev-
or part with another such secret until
the last moment. He told his wife
shortly before his death that he had
decided to put the recipe for the
manufacture Of his explosive into ci-
plIer. But ~ to what he was to do
with the cipher or the key he said
nothing.
A month passed after the inventors
death when Mrs. Forsythe received a
letter addressed to her in the we'll
known hand of her late husband. On
the envelope was written Via San
Francisco. Hongkong. Alden. Naples,
New York" The letter bore the post
marks Of these cities and had evidently
been around. the world. The recipient
tore of the envelope. and there. on the
payer incloScd. was written n tumble Of
words. Below was written:
Before you receive this | SHAH ave told
YOU where the key is to be found.
The poor woman had received an
Other disappointment. Her husband
had. under fear OF losing his secret.
deprived his wife ot that which he
desired her to possess. What was
there in these incohcrent words Of any
value without the key? The letter.
however. had n different effect upon
her son He vowed that he would de
cipher the recipe if he spent his
whole life in doing so.
Srvcrai months passed. ana 1t seem
cd that the receipt OF the letter had
been for worse instead Of better. Ned
made no Roadway in deciphering the
word puzzle. Having his fathers fear
OF giving away the secret. he would
not intrust any one else with il and
spent SO much of his time on it that he
was useless ut anything else. He aud
his mother We're near the point OF
starvation when n brother of the late
Inventor was summoned ana asked for
Tux ucItN iliiul ~ DulNlIi>t s,O9iitttlili-
To eat.
He WAS told about the invention and
the cipher recipe. Having asked to
see the latter. IL was shown to him.
As soon rs he looked ut il his eyes
lighted with interest.
Your father" he said 90 Ned. was
daring the war for the Union II mem
Der of the staff OF Il general officer.
This you know as well rs l. but you
may moi know what your father told
me-that when kilograms We're sem by
his commander ii was his duty to put
them into cipher and when they were
received to decipher them. He kept
some Of these dispatches for awhile
after the war and showed them to me
AID tie principle on which they were
built. | think he has used that prin-
ci,,lp in tbs ease. The recipe has. |
believe. been written IN 4 certain num-
her OF columns. down one. up another.
proceeding till every column is filed.
Here are check words having no mean
lux. thrown in doubriess 10 make the
untter more cOmplicated."