Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1916-10-19

the newsboy were forgotten, and tho
young man felt his self respect rising.
His heart vas beginning to get into
normal action again and he could con-
troll his thoughts. Then suddenly, the
crisis arrived.
The soup and fish courses had been
disposed OF. and the table was being
prepared for the entree. The host
n back genially in his chair and
said. by the way, MIR. Burnham, did
you know l had an ak to grind in ask
ing YOU here this evening? That sounds
inhospitaole, doesn't it? But I'm sure
were all grateful to the AK that has
given us the opportunity Of meeting
you. We are delighted at having dis
covered YOU
Gordon bowed, smiling at the COM
pliment, n the murmurs of hearty
assent around the table showed him
that he had begun well. II only he
could keep 1t up! But how, how, was
he to get possession OF that magic bit
of paper and take it ava with him?
Mr.. Burnham, l was delighted to
learn through a friend that you are an
expert in code reading. l wonder, did
the message that my friend Mr.. Burns
sent o this morning give you any in
timation that | wanted you to do me a
favor?"
Gordon bowed again. Yes: 1t was
AAliAiolc0 I " Iue llal you nau SOME
message you would like deciphered, and
! have also a letter of introduction
from Mr.. Burns
Here Gordon tool the letter Of in
PRODUCTION from his pocket and handed
1t across the table to his host, who
opened it Genially, as if it were hardly
necessary to e what was written
llghtfully the ma whom 1t introduced.
The duplicate cipher writing in Cor
don's pocket cracked knowingly when
he settled his coat about him again., as
If it would say. My time is coming!
1t Is almost here now"
The young man wondered how he
was to get 1t out without being seen,
in case he should want to use it, but he
smiled pleasantly at his host with no
sign of the perturbation he was feel
ing.
You see went on Mr.. Holman, I'VE
have an important message which we
cannot read, and our expert who I'M
derstands all these matters is out of
town and cannot return for some time.
1t is necessary that we know as soon
as possible the import Of this writing"
While he was speaking Mr.. Holman
drew from his pocket a long, soft leath-
Ell wallet and took therefrom a folded
paper which Gordon at once recognized
as the duplicate of the one he carried
in his pocket. His head seemed to reel,
and all the lights go dark before him
as he reached a cold hand out for the
paper. He saw in it his own advance
ment coming to his eager grasp, yet
when he got it would he be able to
old it? Something of the GOODNESS of
a man facing a terrible danger came
to him now. By sheer force of will
he held his trembling fingers steady
as he took the bit OF paper and opened
1t carelessly, as if he had never heard
of 1t before, saying as he did so:
II will do my best"
There was q sudden silence as every
eye was fixed upon him while he M
folded the paper. He gave one swift
glance about the table before he
dropped his eyes to the task. Every
face held the intensity of almost ter
r1ble eagerness, and on every one but
that of the gentle hostess sat cunning
craft that would stop at nothing to
serve its own ends. 1t was a
of almost awful import.
The XXI instant Gordon's glance
went down to the paper in his hand,
and his brain n neart We're seized in
the grip of fright. There was no other
word to describe his feeling. The mes
sage before him was clearly written in
the code of the home office, and the
words stared at him plainly without
the necessity Of study. The import of
them was the revelation of one of the
most momentous questions that had
to do with the secret service work, a
question the answer to which had
puzzled the entire department for
weeks That answer he now held In
his hand, and he knew that If it should
come to the knowledge OF those ut
side before it had done its work
through the department it would result
in dire calamity to the cause Of right
~eousness in the country, and inciden-
tally crush the inefficient messenger
who allowed 1t to become known. For
the instant Gordon felt unequal to the
task before him. How could he keep
these bloodhounds at baylor such
they We're, he perceived from the i'm
port of the message, bloodhounds who
were getting Ill gotten gains from in
nocent and unsupecting victims-some
Of them little children.
But the old chief had picked his man
well. Only for an instant the glittering
lights darkened before his eyes and the
old perspiration started. Then he
rallied his forces and looked up. The
welfare Of a nations honor was in his
hands, and he would be true. It was
a matter Of life and death, and he
Would save 1t or lose his own life IL
need be.
He summoned his ready smile.
Il shall be glad to serve you If I
cam he said. "Of course I'd like to
look this over q few minutes before
attempting to read it. Codes are diff
ferent. you know, from one another,
but there is q key to them all if one
can just find 1t out. This looks as IL
1t might be very simple"