The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1916-10-19

tthe newsboy were forgotten. and the
young man felt his self respect rising.
His heart was beginning to get into
knormal action again and he could con-
ktrol his thoughts. Then suddenly, the
kcrisis arrived.
The soup and fish courses had been
I disposed of, and the table was being
prepared for the entree. The host
leaned back genially In his chair and
you know / had an ak to grind In ask
ing you here this evening? That sounds
inhospitaule, doesn't It? But I'm sure
we're all grateful to the ak that n
given US the opportunity OF meeting
fyou. We are delighted at having dis
covered YOU"
Gordon bowed, smiling at the COM
pliment, and the murmurs OF hearty
tassent o h table showed him
THAT he a begun well. II only he
tcould keep 1t up! But how, how, was
he to get possession Of that magic bit
5of paper and take 1t away with him2
Mr.. Burnham, ! was delighted TO
learn through q friend that you are an
fexpert in code reading. i wonder, lie
1.-THE message that my friend Mr.. Burns
sent you this morning give you n In
timation that I wanted you to do me a
favor?"
Gordon bowed again. YES: 1t was
illibldOGo " ne TIA you u SoIiO
message you would like deciphered, and
have also a letter Of Introduction
from Mr.. Burns"
Here Gordon took the letter Of in
PRODUCTION from his pocket n handed
1t across the table to his host, who
opened 1t genially, as IL 1t were hardly
necessary to read what was written
within since they already knew so de-
lightfully the man whom 1t introduced.
The duplicate cipher writing in Cor
don's pocket cracked knowingly when
he settled his coat about him again, as
IL 1t 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 van to use 1t, but he
smiled pleasantly at his host with no
sign Of the perturbation he was feel
ing;
have an important message which we
cannot read, and our expert who un-
d~erstands all these matters is out of
town and annot 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-
err 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 II his own advance
ment coming to his eager grasp, yet
when he got 1t would he be able 10
hold 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 IL he had never heard
Il nj ~ hnfnEn nm xNNno me- he Il1
II will do my best"
There was q sudden silence as every
BYE was fixed pon him while he an
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
rtble .eagerness, and OF every one but
craft that would stop at nothing to
serve its own ends. It was a moment
Of almost awful import.
The next instant Gordon's glance
went down to the paper In his hand,
and his brain and heart were 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 HON 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 1t should
come to the knowledge OF those out
side before 1t had lone its work
through the department 1t 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 WERE, 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
cold 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
q matter Of life and death, and he
would saw It or lose his own life II
need be.
He summoned his ready smile.
II shall be glad to serve you II I
can," he said. "Of course I'd like to
look this over q few minutes before
attempting to read Il. Codes are diff
ferent, you know, from one another,
but there Is q key to them all II n
can just find II out. This looks as II
It might be very simple"