whirligigs-第9节
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dicker down in Susanville。 I'd do anything I could to
free the lady； but it out…sizes my pile。〃
〃Could you stand one thousand two hundred dollars？〃
asked the lawyer； insinuatingly。
〃Five hundred is my limit； I tell you。 Guess I'll
have to hunt up a cheaper lawyer。〃 The client put on
his hat。
〃Out this way； please；〃 said Lawyer Gooch； opening
the door that led into the hallway。
As the gentleman flowed out of the compartment and
down the stairs； Lawyer Gooch smiled to himself。 〃Exit
Mr。 Jessup；〃 he murmured； as he fingered the Henry
Clay tuft of hair at his ear。 〃And now for the forsaken
husband。〃 He returned to the middle office； and assumed
a businesslike manner。
〃I understand；〃 he said to client number three； 〃that
you agree to pay one thousand dollars if I bring about；
or am instrumental in bringing about； the return of Mrs。
Billings to her home； and her abandonment of her infatu…
ated pursuit of the man for whom she has conceived such
a violent fancy。 Also that the case is now unreservedly in
my hands on that basis。 Is that correct？〃
〃Entirely〃； said the other； eagerly。 And I can
produce the cash any time at two hours' notice。〃
Lawyer Gooch stood up at his full height。 His thin
figure seemed to expand。 His thumbs sought the arm…
holes of his vest。 Upon his face was a look of sym…
pathetic benignity that he always wore during such
undertakings。
〃Then； sir；〃 he said； in kindly tones； 〃I think I can
promise you an early relief from your troubles。 I have
that much confidence in my powers of argument and
persuasion； in the natural impulses of the human heart
toward good； and in the strong influence of a husband's
unfaltering love。 Mrs。 Billinos； sir； is here in that
room the lawyer's long arm pointed to the door。
〃I will call her in at once； and our united pleadings 〃
Lawyer Gooch paused； for client number three had
leaped from his chair as if propelled by steel springs； and
clutched his satchel。
〃What the devil；〃 he exclaimed； harshly； 〃do vou
mean？ That woman in there！ I thought I shook her
off forty miles back。〃
He ran to the open window； looked out below； and threw
one leg over the sill。
〃Stop！〃 cried Lawyer Gooch； in amazement。 〃What
would you do？ Come； Mr。 Billings； and face your
erring but innocent wife。 Our combined entreaties cannot
fail to 〃
〃Billings！〃 shouted the now thoroughly moved client。
〃I'll Billings you； you old idiot！〃
Turning； he hurled his satchel with fury at the lawyer's
head。 It struck that astounded peacemaker between
the eyes； causing him to stagger backward a pace or two。
When Lawyer Gooch recovered his wits he saw that his
client had disappeared。 Rushing to the window； he
leaned out； and saw the recreant gathering himself up from
the top of a shed upon which he had dropped from the
second…story window。 Without stopping to collect his
hat he then plunged downward the remaining ten feet
to the alley； up which he flew with prodigious celerity
until the surrounding building swallowed him up from
view。
Lawyer Gooch passed his hand tremblingly across his
brow。 It was a habitual act with him； serving to clear
his thoughts。 Perhaps also it now seemed to soothe the
spot where a very hard alligator…hide satchel had struck。
The satchel lay upon the floor； wide open； with its con…
tents spilled about。 Mechanically； Lawyer Gooch stooped
to gather up the articles。 The first was a collar； and
the omniscient eye of the man of law perceived； wonder…
ingly； the initials H。K。J。 marked upon it。 Then came
a comb； a brush； a folded map； and a piece of soap。
lastly； a handful of old business letters； addressed
every one of them to 〃Henry K。 Jessup； Esq。〃
Lawyer Gooch closed the satchel； and set it upon the
table。 He hesitated for a moment； and then put on his hat
and walked into the office boy's anteroom。
〃Archibald；〃 he said mildly； as he opened the hall door；
〃I am going around to the Supreme Court rooms。 In five
minutes you may step into the inner office； and inform the
lady who is waiting there that〃 here Lawyer Gooch
made use of the vernacular 〃that there's nothing
doing。〃
CALLOWAY'S CODE
The New York Enterprise sent H。 B。 Calloway as
special correspondent to the Russo…Japanese…Portsmouth
war。
For two months Calloway hung about Yokohama
and Tokio； shaking dice with the other correspondents
for drinks of 'rickshaws oh； no； that's something to
ride in； anyhow； he wasn't earning the salary that his
paper was paying him。 But that was not Calloway's
fault。 The little brown men who held the strings of
Fate between their fingers were not ready for the readers
of the Enterprise to season their breakfast bacon and
eggs with the battles of the descendants of the gods。
But soon the column of correspondents that were to
go out with the First Army tightened their field…glass
belts and went down to the Yalu with Kuroki。 Calloway
was one of these。
Now； this is no history of the battle of the Yalu River。
That has been told in detail by the correspondents who
gazed at the shrapnel smoke rings from a distance of
three miles。 But； for justice's sake； let it be understood
that the Japanese commander prohibited a nearer view。
Calloway's feat was accomplished before the battle。
What he did was to furnish the Enterprise with the
biggest beat of the war。 That paper published exclu…
sively and in detail the news of the attack on the lines of
the Russian General on the same day that it
was made。 No other paper printed a word about it for
two days afterward； except a London paper； whose
account was absolutely incorrect and untrue。
Calloway did this in face of the fact that General Kuroki
was making； his moves and living his plans with the pro…
foundest secrecy； as far as the world outside his camps was
concerned。 The correspondents were forbidden to send out
any news whatever of his plans； and every message that
was allowed on the wires was censored with rigid severity。
The correspondent for the London paper handed in
a cablegram describing； Kuroki's plans； but as it was
wrong from beginning to end the censor grinned and let
it go through。
So； there they were Kuroki on one side of the Yalu
with forty…two thousand infantry； five thousand cavalry；
and one hundred and twenty…four guns。 On the other
side； Zassulitch waited for him with only twenty…three
thousand men； and with a long stretch of river to guard。
And Calloway had got hold of some important inside
information that he knew would bring the Enterprise
staff around a cablegram as thick as flies around a Park
Row lemonade stand。 If he could only get that message
past the censor the new censor who had arrived and
taken his post that day！
Calloway did the obviously proper thing。 He lit his pipe
and sat down on a gun carriage to think it over。 And
there we must leave him； for the rest of the story belongs
to Vesey； a sixteen…dollar…a…week reporter on the Enterprise。
Calloway's cablegram was handed to the managing editor
at four o'clock in the afternoon。 He read it three times； and
then drew a pocket mirror from a pigeon…hole in his desk；
and looked at his reflection carefully。 Then he went over to
the desk of Boyd； his assistant （he usually called Boyd when
he wanted him）； and laid the cablegram before him。
〃It's from Calloway；〃 he said。 〃See what you make
of it。〃
The message was dated at Wi…ju； and these were the
words of it：
Foregone preconcerted rash witching goes muffled
rumour mine dark silent unfortunate richmond existing
great hotly brute select mooted parlous beggars ye angel
incontrovertible。
Boyd read it twice。
〃It's either a cipher or a sunstroke；〃 said he。
〃Ever hear of anything like a code in the office a
secret code？〃 asked the m。 e。； who had held his desk
for only two years。 Managing editors come and go。
〃None except the vernacular that the lady specials write
in；〃 said Boyd。 〃Couldn't be an acrostic； could it？〃
〃I thought of that；〃 said the m。 e。； 〃but the beginning
letters contain only four vowels。 It must be a code of
some sort。〃
〃Try em in groups；〃 suggested Boyd。 〃Let's see
'Rash witching goes' not with me it doesn't。 'Muf…
fled rumour mine' must have an underground wire。
'Dark silent unfortunate richmond' no reason why he
should knock that town so hard。 'Existing great hotly'
no it doesn't pan out I'll call Scott。〃
The city editor came in a hurry； and tried his luck。
A city editor must know something about everything；
so Scott knew a little about cipher…writing。
〃It may be what is called an inverted alphabet cipher；〃
said he。 〃I'll try that。 'R' seems to b
