Martinsburg W Va evening journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1913-1920, 1918-02-14

"A Cipher" Said the Concierge Short
Iy. at Tells Nothing" Il.
/ That blond devil interferes, and now
this letter speaks but Of blankets and
| lowest
| The bell rang, and, taking care to
| thrust.the letter out Of sight, the con-
cierge disappeared. Then ensued. in
the hall, a short colloquy, followed by
n humping on the staircase. The
concierge returned.
sold Adelbert. from the opera" he
said "He has lost his position, and
would have spent the night airing bis
grievance. But sent him of p
[ Now, as between the two. Black
Humbert furnished evil and strength,
but it was the pallid clerk who fur
nished the cunning. And now he made
Q suggestion.
at is possible" he said, shat he
upstairs--could help"
s'Adelbert? Are You madf"
1.-THE other. He knows codes. It
was by means of one we caught him.
I have heard that all these things have
one basis, and simple one"
1 The concierge considered. Then he
rose ut is worth trying" he OBJ
served.
| He thrust the letter into his pocket,
and the two conspirators went out into
the gloomy hall. There, on ledge,
lay white tapers, and one he lighted,
shielding it from the draft in the hol-
low of his great hand. Then he led
| the way to the top of the house.
Here were three rooms. One, the
best, was Herman Spier's, a poor
thing at that. Next to it was old A del.
berts. At the extreme end of the MARI
row corridor, in passage almost
blocked by old furniture, was another
room, sort Of attic, with slanting
roof. &s
| Making sure that old Adelbert did
not hear them, they went back to this
door, which the concierge unlocked.
Inside the room was dark. The taper
showed little. AS their eyes became
accustomed to the darkness, the out
lines OF the attic stood revealed, junk
room, piled high with old trunks, and
in one corner asbed.
Black Humbert, taper in hand, APP
Z preached the bed. Herman remained
near the door. Now, with the candle
near, the bed revealed a man lying
ON it, and tied with knotted ropes;a
young man, with sunken cheeks and
weary, desperate eyes. Beside him.
on chair, were the fragments of q
meal. bit of broken bread. some cold
soup, on which grease had formed .
firm coating.
i Lying there, sleeping and waking
and sleeping again, young Haeckel,
one time of his majesty's secret serv-
ice and student In the university, had
lost track of the days.. He knew not
how long he had been prisoner, ex-
cept that 1t had been eternities. Twice
!. day, morning and evening, came his
jailer and loosened his bonds, brought
food, OF sort, and allowed him, not
out Of mercy, but because 1t was the
committees pleasure that for time
he should live, to move about the room
and bring blood again to his numbed
limbs.
:. The concierge united him, and stood
back. snow" he said.
But the boy--he was no more-lay
still. He made one effort to rise and
fell back.
\ up with your said the concierge.
!, and jerked him to his feet. He caught
the rail OF the bed, or he would hare
fallen. 'Now-stand like man"
He stood then, facing his captorU
, without defiance. lie had worn ala
that out in the first days Of his Inn
prisonment. AZ
'sWellf" he said at last. II th0ugh&
you've been here once tonight"
4 Right. my cuckoo. But tonight 3
, do you double honor"
But seeing that Haeckel was sway.
, tng. he turned to Herman Spier. Go
down." he said, "and bring up some
i brandy. He can do nothing for US IN
, this state"
i He drank the brandy eagerly when
! 1t came. and the concierge poured him
! second quantity. What with weak
, ness and slow starvation, 1t did what
no threat of personal danger would
have done. It broke down his resist
ancc. Not Immediately. He fought
| hard, when the matter was first
preached to him. But In the end no
} took the letter and. holding 1t close to
the candle, he examined 1t closely.
/ His hands shook, his eyes burned.
The two terrorists watched him.
, Brandy or no brandy. however, he
! had not lost his wits. He glanced up
!. suddenly. TELL me something about
this" he said. "And what v II you 40
FOR me II dec0de itsp