The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1917-09-06

keep dark about 1t except to the post
| office authorities. He didn't even tell
the police, for which we're much
obliged"
It was a fact that Aliens name had
not been whispered in connection with
the affair
'.Now, here's a curious circum-
stance" continued Baxter. ''The other
| robbers was seen, too, but not recog-
| nized. He may have been disguised or
he may be stranger At any rate we
have his description, and we know
that he carried large black handbas.
That bag doubtless contained 5000
and more Of Uncle Sans money. He
had sense enough not to run, and Billy
Stern, the letter carrier, who was the
man that saw him, had no idea that
there was anything wrong with the fell
low until after he heard that Allen had
been seen running In the other direc-
ton empty handed Then the meaning
of the man with the big bag flashed
upon Stern's mind, and he told me-
"Does the description fit anybody
hereabouts?" asked Graham.
Except for beard, which might
have been false, Of course said Bax-
ter, ut would at Stuart Farnsworth,
the postmaster's son, fairly well. And
. there's q point: Young Farnsworth
might have known Of the unusual sum
of money in the postoffice safe. But he
seems TO have a fair alibi. He was
calling that evening on a young lazy
named Annie Davenport"
1T lies In my mind that the robbery
was past IT, said Graham, "and the
young man would not be staying al
Miss Davenport's SO late"
1--WE learn that he left about IL" re
sponded Baxter, 'but the thieves were
at work in the postofice by 10 at the
} latest, It was better than q two hours
, Job on that safe. And now, Mr.. Ora
, ham," he continued, will you help me
read this letter? It is in cipher. and
we can't make anything Of It. W.
have reason to assume that Allen hat
, sent several to Miss Davenport since
! the robbery, and we think that we arr
justified in trying to get at the bottom
Of this puzzle. The young lady may o
: entirely innocent, Of course. It's prob
! able that she knows nothing of Aliens
j / connection with the robbery or that h'
a ia suspected. There's doubtless SOM
! trick by which she is made to hand OF
: these letters to the right party"
a "I'd say the same to her II wa
: you." said Graham. 'Then you'll be il
. the way Of learning the insides OF. al
. this
Baxter baked at this suggestion, bu
! we succeeded in persuading him, an
/ he set out for the house where Mis-
| Davenport lived with her widowe
/ mother. gave him note Of intro
j duction to the young lady and som
i rather severe admonitions as to his bt
havior. for could see that he vaguel
| suspected her of some (perhaps uncoi
scious) completely in this affair. II
was gone about two hours and return
| ed both pleased and puzzled.
4 'This is a queer business" said n
"I'I be hanged IL I understand it. Bu
i here's the story: A few days after tn
Il robbery Miss Davenport got q mol
I from Allen. He told her some sort
j a faxed up story about being bothere
Il by his debts and the noble resolve thf
Al he had made to pay them all. It wa
necessary, he wrote, that he shoul
communicate secretly with friend
II this town. Would Miss Davenport r
Il ceive the letters and simply hold the
II until the friend should come and clai
1 them? She need not answer; he woul
] take 1t for granted thnt she would {
j this small service for one whom 81
had once been gracious enough
count among her friends. Since tht
she has received five letters and h,
held them unopened on the theory tn
they were not for her. The friend h;
At not appeared. made her understai
mighty clearly that this was part
the postoffice robbery, and natural
she didn't like the idea. Here are q
~ letters and her written permission
Mr.. Graham to read them II he can"
"Give me tho one that your gill
found on the street." said Grahal
= :. And Baxter laid it before him. 1t "
- brief typewriter note consisting
~ ~ single string Of jumbled letters al
= figures, as follows:
!. 312fqpyle f2vq p n h 1
xg1zfu2m m ggr1rvjfu2
De 1uinf2y yknn3frph.
"You didn't show anything like til
to In your article" said Baxter. GRIMM
OF Il was writing for grown folk"
Joined Graham. This Is child's pls
IN It's mere shift Of the alphabet T
20 figures divide Of the words and al
ys show the extent of the shift, which
different for each word. How simp
W g I'll is the third letter after /: 2
so p VT is the second letter after d, q
- the second after o. The whole rea
~ this way: 4 don't dare to make a me
vet. Keep quiet. Our time will come
e sThat doesn't give US much ligh
said Baxter. 'but we have the oil
letters. and there's no doubt they w
-. intended for Aliens pal II the sa
J cipher is used we've GOT
u He paused as IL stricken with para
IA Sis One of Miss Dayenport's lett
~ was open in his hand. The conte
il. were blank paper!
fo Il was the same with all of them;
an. II strap of writing.