"Put up or shut up!" cried McArdle.
The upshot was that we each deposited a dollar with old Tom the
door-keeper, and I took the paper home.
It was the most ingenious and difficult cryptogram I ever tackled. The
sun was up before I got it. It was a richer prize than I had hoped
for. Here it is:
"disposed of and your share of the money is here whenever you want to
get it.
I strongly advise you not to leave the company. You say she has not
discovered her loss. All right. But these phony pearls soon lose
their lustre. She might get on to it the same night you hand in your
resignation. Then good-night. I'll be back Monday. J."*
* For the benefit of those of curious minds I will give the key to the
cryptogram. The simplest form of this kind of puzzle is that in which
every letter has a certain other letter to stand for it. It may be the
one before it, the one after it, or a purely arbitrary substitution.
In any case the same letter always has the same alias. That is child's
play to solve. I soon discovered that I was faced by something more
complex. Observe that in one place "night" appears as EA&BO, whereas
in the next line it is FBACP. "Company" masqueraded in this
extraordinary form: &MW&M&L. Here was a jawbreaker! To make a long
story short I discovered after hundreds of experiments that the first
letter of the first word of each sentence was ten letters in advance of
the one set down; the second letter eleven letters ahead, and so on up
to twenty-five, then begin over from ten. With each sentence however
short the writer began afresh from ten. He added to the complications
by including the character & as the twenty-seventh letter of the
alphabet. The fragmentary sentence at the top of the page held me up
for a long time until I discovered that the first letter was
twenty-three numbers in advance of the right one. Several mistakes on
the part of the writer added to my difficulties.
5
In my experience I have found in adopting a disguise that it is no less
important to change the character than the personal appearance. As the
new member of Miss Hamerton's company I called myself William Faxon. I
appeared as a shabby, genteel little fellow with lanky hair and
glasses. The glasses were removed only when I went on the stage in the
dark scene. On top of my bald spot I wore a kind of transformation
that my friend Oscar Nilson furnished. It combed into my own hair, was
sprinkled with grey and made me look like a man on the shady side of
forty somewhat in need of a barber. The character I assumed was that
of a gentle, friendly little party who agreed with everybody. The
people of the company mostly despised me and made me a receptacle for
their egotistical outpourings. They little guessed how they bored me.
When I joined the company it had been agreed between Miss Hamerton and
I that thereafter she had better come to the office to hear my reports.
It was her custom to call nearly every afternoon about five. She
insisted on hearing every detail of my activities, and listened to the
story from day to day with the same anxious interest.
Since she had first broken out in my presence she seemed not to mind to
show her feelings to me. Indeed I guessed that it was a kind of relief
to the high-strung woman who was always in the limelight, to let
herself go a little. Her implied confidence was very gratifying to me.
She never gave me the key to her anxiety in so many words, but by this
time I was beginning to guess the explanation, as I suppose you are,
too.
When I had deciphered the cryptogram I went to bed in high
satisfaction. I knew then that I was on the right track. The man (or
woman) I was after was in Miss Hamerton's company. I slept until
afternoon. Miss Hamerton had expected not to come that day so I called
her up to say I had news. She said she couldn't come, but the coast
was clear, and could I come to her?
I found her pale and distrait. "Not bad news?" she asked
apprehensively. "I'm not equal to it!"
"But how do I know what is bad and good to you?" I objected.
She ignored the complaint.
When I explained the circumstances of the finding of the cryptogram,
and showed her my translation I received another surprise. A sigh
escaped her; an expression of beatific relief and gladness came into
her face. The roses returned to her cheeks. She jumped up.
"You're a welcome messenger!" she cried. "Oh, I'm happy now! I won't
worry any more! I know!"
I suppose I looked blank. She laughed at me. "Don't mind me!" she
begged. "You're on the right track! You'll soon know everything!"
She moved around the room humming to herself like a happy girl. She
buried her face in a bowl of roses and caressed them tenderly. "If I
knew who had sent them," I thought, "perhaps it would give me a clue."
But what had the cryptogram to do with it?
Suddenly to my surprise she said: "Stay and have dinner with me here,
Mr. Enderby. I was going to a party, but I will send regrets. I don't
want to be with any of them! I'm so happy! I would either have to
hide it, or explain it. I want to be myself for a while."
I did not require much persuasion. It was like dining in Fairyland!
By tacit consent we avoided any reference to the case. I shall never
forget that hour as long as I live. We were alone, for the unpleasant
Mrs. Bleecker thinking that Miss Hamerton was dining out, had gone off
to some friends of hers.
Afterwards I went home to disguise myself, and then proceeded to the
theatre. I had already photographed the cryptogram, and put the
negative in my safe. McArdle was lying in wait for me, and I allowed
him to drag it out of me, that I had not been able to translate it. He
collected the stakes in high glee.
The paper was passed from hand to hand until it literally fell to
pieces. No one could make anything of it of course. I encouraged the
talk and helped circulate the paper, and watched from behind my
innocent pieces of window-glass for some one to betray himself. But I
saw nothing. The conviction was forced on me that I had a mighty
clever one to deal with.
During my long waits I loitered from dressing-room to dressing-room,
and let them talk. As opportunities presented themselves I quietly
searched for the first page of that letter, though I supposed it had
been destroyed.
Eighteen actors and actresses and a working force of six comprised the
field of my explorations. However, the fact that punctuation played a
part in the cryptogram, not to speak of the choice of words, convinced
me that both the writer and reader of it must be persons of a certain
education, so I eliminated the illiterates. This reduced me at one
stroke to five men and four women. Of these two of the men were
obviously too silly and vain to have carried out such a nervy piece of
work, while one of the women was a dear old lady who had been on the
stage for half a century, and another was a bit of dandelion fluff.
These exclusions left me with five, to wit: Roland Quarles, George
Casanova, Kenton Milbourne, Beulah Maddox and Mary Gray.
Roland Quarles I have already mentioned. Both he and Casanova were
actors of established reputations who had been in receipt of handsome
salaries for some seasons. I scarcely considered them. Milbourne was
my dark horse. He was a hatchet-faced individual, homely,
uninteresting, unhealthy-looking. His fancy name sat on him strangely.
He looked like a John Doe or a Joe Williams. Miss Maddox was a large
woman of the gushing-hysterical type; Miss Gray a quiet well-bred girl
who kept to herself.
While I concentrated on those named, I did not, however, overlook the
doings of the others. With all the men I was soon on excellent terms
but the women baffled me. Women naturally despise a man of the kind I
made out to be. You can't win a woman's confidence without making love
to her, and that was out of my line.
On Thursday night of the week after I joined, Miss Beauchamp, who
played a maid's part, spoiled a scene of Miss Hamerton's by missing her
cue. It was not the first offense, and she was fired on the spot.
This girl was the bit of fluff I have mentioned. The occasion
suggested an opportunity to me. There was no time to be lost so I went
to Miss Hamerton at once. In my humble, shabby character I meekly
bespoke the part for a "friend." Miss Hamerton was startled. She said
she would consider it.
I had no sooner got home that night than she called me up to ask what I
had meant. I did not want to argue with her over the telephone, so I
asked her to see me next morning. She said she would come to my office
as soon as she had breakfasted.
Using all my powers of persuasion it took me more than an hour to win
her consent to my putting a woman operative in the vacant part. Not
only did I have to have a woman in the company, I told her, but I
needed an assistant outside. Not by working twenty-four hours a day
could I track down all the clues that opened up. She would never have
given in, I believe, had it not been for the mysterious comfort she had
found in the cryptogram.
The rehearsal was called for three and I had barely time to get hold of
my girl.
This brings me to Sadie Farrell, a very important character in my story.
I had been keeping company with her for a short while. At least I
considered that I did, though she denied it. She scorned me. That was
her way. Sadie had always lived at home. Her father and mother were
dead now, and she lived with her sister. Like all home girls she was
crazy to see a bit of life. Her heart was set on being a high-class
detective. That was the only hold I had over her. I had promised her
that the first time I had occasion to engage a woman operative, I would
take her.
Moreover, Sadie was full of curiosity concerning Miss Hamerton, whose
praises I was always singing. She was never jealous though. Sadie had
a wise little head, and she knew the difference between the feeling I
had for that wonderful woman, and for her darling self.
Sadie was at home when I got there. "What, _you_!" she said, making
out to be bored to death. "I thought I was going to have a peaceful
afternoon."
I couldn't resist teasing her a little. "Cheer up," I said. "I'm
going right away again. I thought maybe you'd like to come out with
me."
"On a week day!" she said scornfully. "Run along with you, man, I've
got something better to do."
"I bet I can make you come," I said.
She tossed her head. "You know very well you can't make me do
anything."
"I bet you a dollar I can make you come."
She smelled a mouse. "What are you getting at?" she demanded.
"I wanted to take you to the theatre."
"It's too late for a matinee."
"How about a rehearsal?"
Her eyes sparkled. "A rehearsal! Wouldn't that be wonderful! Oh,
you're only fooling me."
"Not at all," I said, "Miss Hamerton herself invited you."
"Miss Hamerton! Shall I see her?"
"Sure. And what's more, you are the person to be rehearsed."
She simply stared at me.
"She offers you a small part in her company," I drawled.
"_Me!_" said the amazed Sadie. "Why--how--how did it happen?"
"Well you see, I have come to the point where I need an operative in
the company, and I got her to take you."
"When is it?" she gasped.
"Three o'clock," I said. It was then twenty minutes to.
Sadie rushed to me and gave my arms a little squeeze. "Oh, Ben, you
darling fool!" she cried, and ran for her hat before I could follow up
my advantage.
On the way down town I coached her in what she must do. She mustn't
let it be suspected that she had never acted before. She must tell the
stage manager she had been sent by Mrs. Mendoza, the agent. She must
ask forty dollars a week and come down to thirty. She must make out
that the part was much inferior to those she had been playing. After
the rehearsal she was to come to my office, where Miss Hamerton would
meet us, and give her a lesson in making up.
Sadie simply nodded her wise little head like a bird and said nothing.
Only at the prospect of receiving instruction from the wonderful Irma
Hamerton herself, did her eyes gleam again. I didn't have time then to
tell her what she had to know about the case. I let her get out at the
station nearest the theatre, while I went on to my office. It was
safer, of course, for me not to appear at the rehearsal as Sadie's
sponsor.
I had no doubt of Sadie's acquitting herself creditably. If I had had,
no matter what my personal feelings were, I would not have employed her
in this case. But she was as wise as she was pretty. Under those
scornful airs she was as true as steel, and she had the rare faculty of
keeping a close tongue in her head.
Sadie had a sort of Frenchy look, long, narrow eyes and pointed chin.
This just happened to suit the part of the maid in the play. If I had
looked a month I could not have found a better girl, not to speak of
the pleasure I anticipated in working side by side with my own girl.
Moreover, I was hoping by my conduct of the case to force Sadie to
admit that I was not quite such a bonehead as she liked to make out.
Everything went off as planned. Sadie I heard, made a good impression
at rehearsal, and at a nod from Miss Hamerton, the stage manager
engaged her. Miss Hamerton told me afterwards that Sadie went through
the rehearsal like an old stager. They arrived at my office
separately, and the lesson in making up was given. Miss Hamerton laid
herself out to be kind to Sadie. I think she scented a romance.
Anyhow, inside five minutes Sadie was hers body and soul. Like me, she
would have stopped at nothing to serve her.
After that I told Sadie all the facts in the case. In her woman's way
of reasoning she arrived at the same conclusion that I had reached
after my style.
"It's the work of a clever gang," she said. "They have put a member,
perhaps more than one in the company."
"But what a lot of trouble to take," I objected, "since the necklace
was not known to be of any great value."
"Somebody knew."
"If they knew about blue pearls they must also have known that Mount
was the only buyer."
"Maybe they were shipped to India," she said. "I suspect that East
Indians have forgotten more about pearls than Mr. Mount ever knew."
The very first time she appeared on the stage, Sadie justified my
confidence in her powers. Notwithstanding the excitement of making her
debut, she managed to keep her wits about her. Women are wonderful
that way. During her only scene on the stage she had to wait at one
side for a few minutes. While she stood there close to the canvas
scene she heard a bit of a conversation on the other side of it.
Unfortunately she had not been in the company long enough to recognise
the voices.