Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1915-12-02

to get in touch with man who could
translate Dalmatian writing; that /
was willing to pay for the work; that
it must be done, if possible, that very
night.
TITS very unusual dialect" came
back over the phone, after the speaker
had scolded me for venturing to dis
turb him. Then came good news.
"There's man named Giddings-
quite an old man-who is the author
of several monographs on the Slavish
languages. He spent several years in
Montenegro and Dalmatia. l happen
to know that he spends most all of his
time in the reading~room of the new
Astor Library. He's probably just
gone home. If you can get him to
do the work, you'll find him perfectly
reliable"
"His address," l asked, hoping
against hope that I'd be able to reach
the savant that night.
"Just a moment" came over the
wire.
heard the rustic of paper, foot
step on a polished floor, then all was
silent for a few moments Then fol-
lowed an anxious period as / heard
the footsteps approach the instrument
miles north of me.
"Giddings lives at one-five-three
Washington Square, South" finally
came the welcome words. "He has
several degrees from various col
leges," followed the kindly tip, $50
you'd better call him doctor when
you speak to him."
In an old fashioned building on the
questionable side of the square /
found my man.
An open fire burned at his elbow.
Before him, piled up on black wal
nut table, were books-closed books
and open books. The walls of the
room were lined with books. The
very floor was dotted with unrolled
charts, manuscripts, and open refer
ence books. ,....
A scholarly-looking old man in
rusty black sat beneath students
lamp, his silvery head bowed over an
open volume before him. The frowzy
maid servant of the lodging-house-
for such it was-slipped away and
loft with tho cauanf
as this DR.. Giddings?" l inquired,
lingering the rim of my derby.
The old man failed to stir at the
sound of my voice. Calmly he went
on with his reading; finished the para
graph in which his mind was buried
and then carefully marked the spot
with slip of paper.
Then pair of mild blue eyes eyed
me over horn-rimmed spectacles.
Speaking briefly, passing over the
happenings in Surgical 13 and the
murders in Greenwich Street, / ex-
planned that wanted five page doc
ument translated, and was willing to
pay fair price for the work, par
ticularly if it could be done that night
'Let me see the paper" directed the
scholar.
unfolded the message and handed
it over.
A glance at the first page seemed
to awaken the old mans interest. He
nodded to himself.
"Sit down." he invited me, at the
same-time indicating leather-cushion-
ed chair before the CHEEKY fire. But
he did not look up from the writing.
Halfway through the first sheet of
the strange writing, the old scholar
murmured to himself. A moment
later he looked up at me, enthusiasm
and emotion pictured upon his fine
old face.
young man." he declared, "this
is wonderful document. | thank
you for bringing it to me-"
His voice quivered as he went on:
"The contents of these sheets will
make history! 1t will go far toward
solving mystery of che pasta dis
appearance involving the succession to
one of the royal thrones of Europe"
With tingling pulses l fidgeted
about in my comfortable seat, wonder
ing what manner of man John Doe
was, and thankful that l was on
the point of taking my assistant sup
erintendent "a royal story"
Skipping hastily over the last page
or two, DR.. Giddings fattened out
the missive and laid a paper-weight
over it.
Then from a drawer he produced
blank sheets of paper, and began his
translation. He worked rapidly, his
pen scratching along the ruled lines
with almost the speed of typist.
An hour nassed hv-an hour which