Norwich bulletin., 1915-01-12

taining an address. I stumbled on the envelope containing the advertisement and noticed that it was addressed in 9 feminine hand. I thought nothing or this, since girls are usually employed to address advertising matter, and was hunting for my .1aper when raked up the advertisement. It gave a. list of articles that would alone interest q woman This set me to thinking why it should have been addressed to a.
 man. While meditating on this l mo- ticed some lead pencil marks on the booklet. They were s. 16. 1-2.
 Now, had it not been for what have said about Jim and his mysteries it would not have occurred to me that these figures were not merely some thing put there by some unknown person for some very ordinary purpose, but intended tor cIHner. First, advertisements of especial in- terest to women are not usually mailed to men. This suggested that the book let had been received by a woman and had been used for cipher purposes by the recipent. What better method for communication could there be?
 Whether the figures had 9 meaning or not, l resolved that if l ever got a girl whose parents would not permit
 me to visit her I would use this plan of communication.
 I tried hard not to pry Jim's af- fairs, but the puzzle was too faScinat- ing for me to let alone. Besides, there was the temptation to beat Jim at his own game. What 8, 16, ' l-2 meant haunted me till hit upon the fact that the present month was August, the eighth month in the year. The present day was the 18th. Did not the
 figures contain an appointment? If
 so, it was for Aug. Is at half past :
 (probably in the eveningD
 l could not quite bring myself to
 shadow my friend on that evening, but
 6lIT~ I1n oz-%N h [ RGA
 that he received 9 number of adver-
 tisements on which there were lead pencil marks. l did not try to decipher any of them. Indeed, l had not de-
 lfberately tried to decipher the first one. 1 had come upon it by accident, it had got into my head and I couldn't
 get 1t out till I had solved it. What did was to buy a wedding present and leave 1t where Jim could see 1t. He
 was above asking me what it was for, so I told him that it was for friend
 who was about to be married, adding
 that l could not name the person since
 the engagement was a secret.
 The reason why I coun ed on JiTn's coming narriage was that 1t is difficult if not impossible for two men to live together one of whom is engaged with . out the other knowing 1t.
 Jim never told me of his engagement till a couple of weeks before the we'd ding. There had been no reason what ever for the secrecy a tending the af- 1 fair except such as influences young couples in similar cases and Jim s idiosyrcrasy. The girls parents were much pleased with the match, and Jim's parents were not living Jin probably would have kept the secret l from me longer, but he wished me tC be his best man. and it was proper that he should give me timely ro- 1 tice.
 The evening before the wedding l >arried the wedding gift I had pro. l cured to the brides home. Jim wa. 1 here, and when I opened the box 1T i which 1t was contained Jim started as 1 if he had been shot. 1 laughed. ex. 1 plained the joke to the bride. and W. all laughed together. But l kept then wondering for many months before
 told them how I had got on to theil 1 secret.
 That cured my friend of making mysteries out of very er7aIT thi. es ever afterward he was frankness {, l perfection. A. for his wife, I cub 1 if she had ever been so troubled i Boston Record.