New Britain herald., 1918-04-23
How Madgc Safcruardcd thc Codc
 Message.

Message.
 Life seemed drah indeed 10 me upon the day following Dicky's de- narturo from home. | could have endured his going better. l fancy. if there had been no change in the rather strained relations we had borne toward each other for some time.
 But DicI1y had redeemed his tcn- tatVc promise to come back 10 tho Fcranda when he had finished pack ing. And in the fragrant spring evening we had one of our golden hours, one unshadowed by any doubt or each other, unspoiled by rccriru- ipations.
 Inc memory of my husbands arms, of bis CQrcStcS, his murmUred words Of cndearmont. made the prospect of weeks, perhaps months, without him dreary indeed.
 ThoHc was a pUzzljoc note i3 my memories, also, one that vaguely ,rDlnod 1nr a~ looked back upon those last hours with my husband, for our farewclls the next day when he had left for the city had bccn of the bricfost. There had been an elusive something in Dicly's manner that seemed to presagc Q longer part ing than the several weeks" of which he spoke.
 l t"i"d to rid myself ot the idea 10 persuade myself that my imagination had Do"n "Wori1ipg ovcrtine," as Dichy h;IHscif would have expressed il But ] could bnnish neither it nor another imp mprcS&ion-that my hus- band had more than once been on the brink of confidence to mo. one that he had reDrcssed by sheer will power.
 sheer fancies. thcsc," I told my self, &tcrnly. Yet so strong were they that they troubled mo sorely. 1 tried iii vain to argue myself out of my depression. and finally, in dcspera- ron, resolved to take a long tramp Iu order to get the cobwcbs out of ul< brain.
 ! Disquciirg Thought.
 l put on stout walking boots, a short skirt and comfortable gloves, %nd the lightesf. smallest hat I had. ] detest carrying a wrap, but l have found out by experience that Long Island temperatures are exceedingly variable, so I threw lightweight sweater over my arm. I also took my handbag, for 1 was resolved to lunch at SOmc one Of tho WIEsidc inns with which the roads around nll homo are dotted
 There remained but ono thing to be done. I took the important secret rcdc which was trusted to mo first j.y my father and then by Allen Drake from it's hiding place in my clothing and put it securely atW;>% in the old Chinese E&se of my mothers. which seemed almost to have been de signed for such q hiding place. SD well ada Dtod was ,it for it's purpose Then | fastened all the windows sc- curclN resolving the while that now D1cky was away and l was free to do things without his questioning would lose no time n having stout il on. bars put on my window.
 Under the prctcnCc of the lock of my door being broken l had. a few days before. engaged a IOcksmith t0 put special combination lock upon l. There were two keys, which here toforc | had kept. But as I shut my dcor behind me a sudden thought made me draw my breath quickly.
 Fire,
 toc; or Fma gination?
 This menace had never before CT o&sed my mind, My brain had beon #o obse&aed hy the possibility Of thc D.; p"rS beinG stolen that I had en- .ire'N overlooked this cuual;v prob 2hle danger.
 Monrai!N calling down a0athcmas Hpon my head for mv stupidity .' ossrd the hall 10 mr motncr-in iN''.. room IrXtCrt r<,. tl,,, r...;,,r-,,,