Martinsburg W Va evening journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1913-1920, 1916-11-11

with his W o 7 x.
Lisuessly he glanced at the pages of the
register and sighed
what's eatin' you, Tom % asked the
clerk genlally.
on, Brophy, the police commissioner,
10 sore on me-" mourned that young man.
Won't let me see the blotter, and l gotta
dig UP my own news. Nice, what7 Guess
l got under his skin with yesterday
write-up, Know anything2" As he spoke
Grants eyes were rowing around the lob
by. Suddenly he started.
why, nothln' much-' the clerk was
beginning, when Grant interrupted
hos that tall. dark guy there read
ing a letter." he demanded with care
fully feigned Indifference, though his
handsome, clean-cut face was tense.
"Him2 Oh. that's Baron Won Lichtfeld.
Just got in with raft Of baggage" As
he spoke the Baron moved toward the
lounge room.
With a careless word to his friend the
clerk Grant followed, tingling like hunt
Ing dog that has Just raised q coyey of
partridges. He was not quite certain, but
the Baron bore a strong resemblance to a
certain notorious international crook whom
Grant had once seen in the Bertillon room
at headquarters.
The Baron found seat at a desk and
began figuring on a bit of paper, while
Grant watched him from behind q news
paper. Presently the man rose tossed
some scraps Of paper IN a waste basket
and sauntered out. Promptly Grant shift
ed his place and retrieved the scraps
They looked to be the remains Of letter
In which the Baron had been so engrossed.
Now, I've got to make good" thought
Grant. Maybe that's an honest-to-good-
ness Baron, and maybe Anyhow, here
goes" a
He borrowed a mucnage-pot from the
clerk and began carefully fitting the torn
bits Of paper together, like Chinese puz-
zle, only worse. o After half an hour of
hard work, during which his busy mind
reviewed the recent outbreak of crime in
tie city which tho police seemed unable
to check, and decided more firmly than
ever that the Baron would bear watching
he had completed his task. He stared at
the result with dropping Jaw.
For the letter, written in email, fem
mine hand. said:
Flirting alive hive plenty. squirting
alive. (feel. sitting be delve lifting we
heaven. done plenty, Cbun be hive go)
flirting done door fine bun-flne sitting
counting, gun Peterborough alive court
Ing plenty-done hive. MAIN"
We'll Of all the crazy" gaspsd the re-
porter, then a sudden thought struck him.
The Baron had done some figuring In con-
aeetlon With this letter; therefore It must
be a code of some kinda cryptogram.
There was method in this madness IN
doubtedly; but what? And at the game
time the thing was tantalizingly sug-
gestive OF something that he couldn't Just
put his finger on.
The last word IN g letters generally
the signature" he thought. In this case
the last word was main" Nance
Mamie the Rose Then the Baron was
really that crook, Four Finger Sam, whom
he'd seen at headquarters some three
Years ago; for Mamie tho Rose was
sam wife, BY George, here was a story.
He simply must WORK out the cipher.
Sowing ferociously, Grant bent over
the queer letter racking his brains for
solution &c Il. Hs tried first 70 PICK out
c s from the!r frequency, but that led
nowhere He tried the alphabet back
wards and forwards and doubled back on
itself Then suddenly his eyes lighted and
he s-late TIA desa resoarGi1g thuap
I've got X he whispered. Practically
he scrubbed on piece ot the hotel paper
paus.ug cree CT twice win wrirEle5
br0ws; then he leare5 for the nearest tete-
phone bo0ta, ssaet!as tee paper n his
pocket as Ire ver..
Thirty seconds la.er Grants friend
C46ogan, CHIEF . detectives, was r-icks1s
up his ears a. headquarters a. tas news
tina: came siz-..1c - HIN ever the wire
And Listen, C1togs-, cd man" Grant
ended. 7 Simply sc. % &c. T. q this,
Me-; re Al the corner Ike 7 sad with &
couple Q; COPS, az- Ven maze tia p.lca