The log cabin Democrat., 1916-04-27

bertram. He slumped heavily into a chair. and scowled at Average Jones' well-littered desk, whereon he had just tossed sheet of paper.
 CA fake," he reiterated I've spent a night of pseudointellectual riot and ruin over it'
 You would have it," returned Aver age Jones with a smile And I seem to recall lofty intimation on your part that there never was cipher so tough but you could rope and tie in record time."
 Cipher, yes," returned the other bitterly. That thing isn't cipher It's an alphabetical riot. Maybe" he added hopefully, there was some mis- take in my copy"
 Look for yourself said Average Jones, handing him the original
 It was singular document, this problem in letters which had come to light up the gloom of November day for Average Jones; a stiffish sheet of paper, ornamented on one side with color prints of alluring "spinners," and on the other inscribed with an appeal, in print. Its original vehicle was an envelope, bearing one-cent stamp, and addressed in typewriting:
 Mir. William H. Robinson,
 The Caronia,
 Broadway and Evenside Ave-,
 New York City.
 The advertisement on the reverse of the sheet ran as follows ANGLERS-WHEN YOU ARE LOOK ing for "Baits That Catch Fish" do you see these splnners in the store where twelve baits, every one of which has record and has literally caught tons of fish. We call them "rhe F Surety Baits." We want you to try them for casting and all varieties Of bass are particularly sav- age in striking these baits late in the season.
 DEALERS-YOU WANT YOUR GUS toners to have these 12 Shoemaker Surety Baits' that catch fish. This case will sell itself empty and over again, for every bait is a record breaker and they catch fish. We want you to put in one of these cases so that the anglers Will not be disappointed and have to wait for baits to be ordered. It will be furnished TREE. charges postpaid. with your order for He dozen baits 1t contains.
 
 municaton was that 1t was profusely be-pimpied with tiny projections, evil dently made by thrusting a pin through. from the side which bore the illustrations. These perforations were literally scattered.
 "Yes, the copys all right" growled Bertram. Tell me again how you came by it."
 Robinson came here twice and missed me Yesterday I got the note from him which you've seen, with the tnclosure which has so threatened your reason. You know the rest. Per haps you'd have done we'll to study the note for clues to the other docu- ments"
 Something in his friends tone made Bertram glance up suspiciously. Let me see the note," he demanded.
 Average Jones handed it to him. Bertram read the message. Of course the man is rattled. That's ob- vfous in his handwriting. Also, he has inverted one sentence in his haste and said read through it, instead of read it through Otherwise, it's or dinary enough"
 Tt must be vanity that keeps you from eyeglasses, Bert" Average Jones observed with a sigh Well I'm afraid I set you on the wrong track, myself"
 Bertram lifted an eyebrow with an effort Meaning, l suppose, that you're on the right one and have solved the cipher
 Cipher be jiggered. There isn't any cipher. If you'd had the advan- tage of working on the original of the bait advertisement as I have, you'd undoubtedly have noticed at once" Thank you." murmured Bertram.
 that fully one-third of the pin bricks don't touch any letters at all" Then we should have taken the let ters which lie between the holes?"
 No. The letters don't count. It's the punctures. Force your eyes to consider those alone, and you will see that the holes themselves form let ters and words. Read through it care fully, as Robinson directed"
 He held the paper up to the light. Bertram made out in struggling char acters, formed in skeleton by the per forations, this legend:
 ALL POINTS TO YOU TAKE THE SHORT CUT. DEATH IS EASIER THAN SOME THINGS.
 "Whew! That's cheery little greeting" remarked Bertram. But why didn't friend Robinson point it out definitely in his letter."
 Wanted to test my capacity per haps. Or, it may have been simply that he was too frightened and rattled to know just what he was writing"
 Know anything of him?"