New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-10-01
REVElA
OF A WIFE
What Lillian Asked of Madge's Father
When He Requested Nfadge to Re
peat from Memory the Secret
Figures

| Figures
| 'fBless my soul!' my father said
fussily-another change from the
/ poised courtly manof- the world 1 had
| known i've never said q, word
! about the most important thing of all.
Have you got that paper safe? Drake
said he gave it back to you for safe
keeping"
[ made a mental note of the fact
I that Allen Drake had been in COM
! munrcation with my father recently,
! before I answered,
The paper is securely hidden"
! '-Where?" .--.
! Lillian's face registered a distinct
warning. I wondered if I interpreted it
correctly. 7 gained the impression that
| she didn't wish me to utter the real
! hiding place of the paper.
! In my strong box that enclosed in
] the bottom of my locked w l g etaOi
! Tn my strong box, that enclosed in
| another locked box, and that in the
bottom of my locked trunk" I return
| ed, treasured for the falsehood by Lii
| lians approval flashed covertly to me.
eff that isn't just like a wonan!"
my father exploded. That's exactly
| the place an expert thief would look.
and the picking of the locks would be
a mere detail. thought You had more
| ingenuity than that, my dear, especial
| ly after brakes eulogy of you"
| His criticism hurt, but 1 found, to
| my irritation, that I was more inter
| ested in what Allen Drake had said
| than in my fathers objections to my
trite choice of hiding place.
) Not for worlds, however, would T
have betrayed any curiosity as to Mr.
! brakes words. But Lillian had no
| such qualms.
do tell us what Mr.. Drake said of
| Madge," she said coaxingly.
ooh, it wasn't anything to speak
! OFF, my father replied teasing1y. *'He
said my daughter had the most re-
sourcefulness and the quickest wit of
any woman he had ever known, and
| he added that never in man or woman
| had he discovered the wizard like
feats of memory that were hers - I
can't remember much OF anything else
| he said,' he finished, smiling.
s'Grant Me q Favor
| Praise especially of the fulsone va
| riety such as I had just heard, always
| Expresses me, gives me a choky, en-
| barrassed feeling. [ couldn't have an
| swcred him to save my life. Presently
| he spoke again, this time in an entire
| ly altered tone.
You may thank God for your
| memory, Madge. It can serve your
country royalty just now. Can you re-
member the figures in their sequence
which Drake set down that night"
| 81 can" T returned, soberly, for
| there was something brooding, vital,
almost ominous, in my fathers man
| ner.
''Will you repeat them for nre
MOVE" He took 81 little book from
| his pocket and turned to the middle of
it. A pencil was poised lightly in the
! fingers of his other hand, ready to
| check off the figures as + should utter
| them.
| Lillian started to her feet, her ia ce
| tense, excited. She came up close to
my father, her face almost thrust into
! him.
Mr. Gordon!' she said in a, tone so
| low it was almost Il whisper, 81 know
! I'm being horribly rude, but l am OF
! the service, too, you know, and want
you to grant me a favor before Madge
| does this for YOU
Iiilian'S Strange Move.
''Name it, said my father gracious
! ~. [ shall be most glad to oblige
| you"
IT warn you it will be an ineXplic-
| able request, but truly there is method
I behind my seeming madness. Will you
allow Madge first to repeat to you
| any set of figures save the right ones,
! but in a loud, clear tone and with ex-
actly the manner she would use in re
| citing the originate"
my fathers brow darkened. Flo
| saw her meaning instantly, knew that
| she suspected Kato of listening and
| meant to trap him. But he had given
| her his word and he would abide by
| it.
| ~ Will do as YOU wish, certainly"
he said with courtly mien. 81 hope you