Evening star., 1927-11-10
THE BLACK JOKER
BY ISABEL OSTRANDER.

1T was you. Lord Kingsmere. who
as John Padmore' managed to join
Norman's band and took the treaty
from Mr. Afford when he layt in that
house by the willows after they shot
him DOWN." Janet asked.
"Yes. 1 hid 1t in the wall. but never
had an opportunity to go back for 1t,
for 1 was sent here to join the mas
queraders," Lord Kingsmere replied.
''They were very clever, after ALL
"Yes". Janet shuddered. ITO think
that terrible old creature who ran
through the patio by the swimming
pool when we were hiding there the
day came home should have been
Mrs. Madison! never recognized
her. l can scarcely believe that she
and the rest were such notorious crea'
lures. / do realize now, however. how
they came to know the signal of the
watch; 1t was through the mereSt CO.
incidence. 1t happened to be actually
7 o'clock when / went downstairs to
receive Duncan Burt, Daddy's sup.
posed secretary. and without knowing
its significance he actually repeated
the first words of the formula. Are
you sure it's O'clock? When re-
piled he realized it was a sort or pass.
word and still unconsciously supplied
the final sentence. OF course trusted
him. even though didn't like him.
Fathers lawyer thought he was de-
ceiving them also. You see. recog.
nized him as the man on the train
the day before who had marked this
paragraph in his newspaper. l kept
the corresponding cutting from my
own paper and think I've succeeded
in finding the message hidden in 1t
which he must have sent to some one. y
Janet took the clipping from the
other papers on her lap and read:
ga prize Great Dane belonging to
James Kelly OF AZ Upper Parkway,
hitherto a household pet, has disap
peared after attacking Daisy, 5.year
old daughter Of Mr.. and Mrs. Frank
Schmidt next door. Several children
escaped, but Daisy was fearfully bit
ten and may die. The police have sen,
a warning That is all l need
read. I had noticed that the mar
marked Just eight words; he had evi
dent,y been out of touch with Nor
man and did not know, nor did May
Carlin then. that my father had been
captured, for here is the message
Dane disappeared after daughter es
capped. May sent warming
"What was the first message, Jane,
dear?" Her father stroked her hand
gently. 1.-THE one the Carlin woman
marked in the book she gave you or
the steamer"
II don't remember the paragraph
| for / threw the book out Of the port
hole"
II caught itr Philip Marriott smiled
Here It is. and this is the message
He produced the Undiscovered Lure
of Gold" and read: "'Give me what
you are hiding or you will never leave
this room" Lord Erskine thundered
reaching for the letter. Your father
will not long be alive and l will take
| the proof Of it to him now"
""rake the letter. but my door will
be closed to you henceforth, my lord.
the proud beauty declared and after
he had left her she unfastened her hail
and glanced at the clock. 1t was mid
night. The words and portion o.
them which were darkened are these
Give me what you are hiding or yo,
will never reach your fathel
alive will take 1t t.
him. My door will be un
fastened at . midnight.
l. There was silence for minute ant
then Frederick Afford asked:
miss Dane, please tell us how yol
1 hit upon the Key 10 LnS COQG UleSSuB'
managed to throw in at your win
dow here? / could think Of no other
but I hardly dared hope that yol
would solve it."
IT won't tell you how long / tried.
Janet laughed as she searched amon
her papers and handed ont to His ES
cellency. He gazed with frank bewi
, derment on 1t.
ZEE. o.v.t.t.. .l.s.u. %. .u.r.
o.t.y.o.a.o o. .c.e. .u.c.o.s. ..s. ..r. %.
e.e. ..l.n.c.y.a.c.. So. &C. e.. .skke..
n.n.e. &C. "a. tue. my"
Really. Miss Dane!'
. IT wrote down the first phrase Q
the watch code, Are you sure it's
o'clock?' Above "a placed a. abov
r. put b. above e. c. and so o.
till I had exhausted the phrase an
, reached the letter * In the alphabet.
, Janet explained. "'E' ! took for tn
. first 'e' in the code. which gave me e
. --'e.. gave me the third e whic
was correspondingly o. ST. was N
, and o. was e. I had the wor
/ come ana the rest Of the me'
! sage reads: 'ploughed field eas
of Tennis court dawn tomorrow. A
, ford The last cryptogram hav
here was not so difficult and it's meal
: ing was unmistakable. IL shoul
be only too glad - believe there wa