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　be　the　oftenest
  used　initial　letter；　with　the　exception　of　'm。'　Assuming
  'r'　to　mean　'e'；　the　most　frequently　used　vowel；　we
  transpose　the　letters　　so。〃
  Scott　worked　rapidly　with　his　pencil　for　two　minutes；
  and　then　showed　the　first　word　according　to　his　reading
  the　word　〃Scejtzez。〃
  〃Great！〃　　cried　Boyd。　　〃It's　a　charade。　　My　first
  is　a　Russian　general。　　Go　on；　Scott。〃
  〃No；　that　won't　work；〃　said　the　city　editor。　　〃It's
  undoubtedly　a　code。　　It's　impossible　to　read　it　without
  the　key。　　Has　the　office　ever　used　a　cipher　code？〃
  〃Just　what　I　was　asking；〃　said　the　m。e。　　〃Hustle
  everybody　up　that　ought　to　know。　　We　must　get　at　it
  some　way。　　Calloway　has　evidently　got　hold　of　some…
  thing　big；　and　the　censor　has　put　the　screws　on；　or　he
  wouldn't　have　cabled　in　a　lot　of　chop　suey　like　this。〃
  Throughout　the　office　of　the　Enterprise　a　dragnet
  was　sent；　hauling　in　such　members　of　the　staff　as　would
  be　likely　to　know　of　a　code；　past　or　present；　by　reason
  of　their　wisdom；　information；　natural　intelligence；　or
  length　of　servitude。　　They　got　together　in　a　group　in
  the　city　room；　with　the　m。　e。　in　the　centre。　　No　one　had
  heard　of　a　code。　　All　began　to　explain　to　the　head　investi…
  gator　that　newspapers　never　use　a　code；　anyhow　　that
  is；　a　cipher　code。　　Of　course　the　Associated　Press　stuff
  is　a　sort　of　code　　an　abbreviation；　rather　　but
  The　m。　e。　knew　all　that；　and　said　so。　　He　asked　each　man
  how　long　he　had　worked　on　the　paper。　　Not　one　of　them
  had　drawn　pay　from　an　Enterprise　envelope　for　longer　than
  six　years。　　Calloway　had　been　on　the　paper　twelve　years。
  〃Try　old　Heffelbauer；〃　said　the　m。　e。　〃He　was　here
  when　Park　Row　was　a　potato　patch。〃
  Heffelbauer　was　an　institution。　　He　was　half　janitor；
  half　handy…man　about　the　office；　and　half　watchman
  thus　becoming　the　peer　of　thirteen　and　one…half　tailors。
  Sent　for；　he　came；　radiating　his　nationality。
  〃Heffelbauer；〃　said　the　m。　e。；　〃did　you　ever　hear　of　a
  code　belonging　to　the　office　a　long　time　ago　…　a　private
  code？　　You　know　what　a　code　is；　don't　you？〃
  〃Yah；〃　said　Heffelbauer。　　〃Sure　I　know　vat　a　code　is。
  Yah；　apout　dwelf　or　fifteen　year　ago　der　office　had　a　code。
  Der　reborters　in　der　city…room　haf　it　here。〃
  〃Ah！〃　　said　the　m。　e。　〃We're　getting　on　the　trail　now。
  Where　was　it　kept；　Heffelbauer？　　What　do　you　know
  about　it？〃
  〃Somedimes；〃　said　the　retainer；　〃dey　keep　it　in　der
  little　room　behind　der　library　room。〃
  〃Can　you　find　it　asked　the　m。　e。　eagerly。　　〃Do　you
  know　where　it　is？〃
  〃Mein　Gott！〃　　said　Heffelbauer。　　〃How　long　you
  dink　a　code　live？　　Der　reborters　call　him　a　maskeet。
  But　von　day　he　butt　mit　his　head　der　editor；
  und　　〃
  〃Oh；　he's　talking　about　a　goat；〃　said　Boyd。　　〃Get
  out；　Heffelbauer。〃
  Again　discomfited；　the　concerted　wit　and　resource　of
  the　Enterprise　huddled　around　Calloway's　puzzle；　con…
  sidering　its　mysterious　words　in　vain。
  Then　Vesey　came　in。
  Vesey　was　the　youngest　reporter。　　He　had　a　thirty…
  two…inch　chest　and　wore　a　number　fourteen　collar；　but
  his　bright　Scotch　plaid　suit　gave　him　presence　and　con…
  ferred　no　obscurity　upon　his　whereabouts。　　He　wore　his
  hat　in　such　a　position　that　people　followed　him　about　to
  see　him　take　it　off；　convinced　that　it　must　be　hung　upon
  a　peg　driven　into　the　back　of　his　head。　　He　was　never
  without　an　immense；　knotted；　hard…wood　cane　with　a
  German…silver　tip　on　its　crooked　handle。　　Vesey　was
  the　best　photograph　hustler　in　the　office。　　Scott　said　it
  was　because　no　living　human　being　could　resist　the　per…
  sonal　triumph　it　was　to　hand　his　picture　over　to　Vesey。
  Vesey　always　wrote　his　own　news　stories；　except　the　big
  ones；　which　were　sent　to　the　rewrite　men。　　Add　to　this
  fact　that　among　all　the　inhabitants；　temples；　and　groves
  of　the　earth　nothing　existed　that　could　abash　Vesey；　and
  his　dim　sketch　is　concluded。
  Vesey　butted　into　the　circle　of　cipher　readers　very　much
  as　Heffelbauer's　〃code〃　would　have　done；　and　asked
  what　was　up。　　Some　one　explained；　with　the　touch　of
  half…familiar　condescension　that　they　always　used　toward
  him。　　Vesey　reached　out　and　took　the　cablegram　from
  the　m。　e。's　hand。　　Under　the　protection　of　some　special
  Providence；　he　was　always　doing　appalling　things　like
  that；　and　coming；　off　unscathed。
  〃It's　a　code；〃　said　Vesey。　　〃Anybody　got　the　key？〃
  〃The　office　has　no　code；〃　said　Boyd；　reaching　for　the
  message。　　Vesey　held　to　it。
  〃Then　old　Callowav　expects　us　to　read　it；　anyhow；〃
  said　he。　　〃He's　up　a　tree；　or　something；　and　he's　made
  this　up　so　as　to　get　it　by；　the　censor。　　It's　up　to　us。　　Gee！
  I　wish　they　had　sell；　me；　too。　　Say　　we　can't　afford　to
  fall　down　on　our　end　of　it。　　'Foregone；　preconcerted
  rash；　witching'　　h'm。〃
  Vesey　sat　down　on　a　table　corner　and　began　to　whistle
  softly；　frowning　at　the　cablegram。
  〃Let's　have　it；　please；〃　said　the　m。　e。　〃We've　got　to
  get　to　work　on　it。〃
  〃I　believe　I've　got　a　line　on　it；〃　said　Vesey。　　〃Give
  me　ten　minutes。〃
  He　walked　to　his　desk；　threw　his　hat　into　a　waste…basket；
  spread　out　flat　on　his　chest　like　a　gorgeous　lizard；　and
  started　his　pencil　going。　　The　wit　and　wisdom　of　the
  Enterprise　remained　in　a　loose　group；　and　smiled　at　one
  another；　nodding　their　heads　toward　Vesey。　　Then　they
  began　to　exchange　their　theories　about　the　cipher。
  It　took　Vesey　exactly　fifteen　minutes。　　He　brought　to
  the　m。　e。　a　pad　with　the　code…key　written　on　it。
  〃I　felt　the　swing　of　it　as　soon　as　I　saw　it；〃　said　Vesey。
  〃Hurrah　for　old　Calloway！　　He's　done　the　Japs　and
  every　paper　in　town　that　prints　literature　instead　of　news。
  Take　a　look　at　that。〃
  Thus　had　Vesey　set　forth　the　reading　of　the　code：
  Foregone　…　conclusion
  Preconcerted　…　arrangement
  Rash　…　act
  Witching　…　hour　of　midnight
  Goes　…　without　saying
  Muffled　…　report
  Rumour　…　hath　it
  Mine　…　host
  Dark　…　horse
  Silent　…　majority
  Unfortunate　…　pedestrians
  Richmond　…　in　the　field
  Existing　…　conditions
  Great…White　Way
  Hotly　…　contested
  Brute　…　force
  Select　…　few
  Mooted　…　question
  Parlous　…　times
  Beggars　…　description
  Ye　…　correspondent
  Angel　…　unawares
  Incontrovertible　…　fact
  *Mr。　Vesey　afterward　explained　that　the　logical　journalistic　complement　of　the
  word　〃unfortunate〃　was　once　the　word　〃victim。〃　　But；　since　the　automobile　be…
  came　so　popular；　the　correct　following　word　is　now　pedestrians。　　Of　course；　in
  Calloway's　code　it　meant　infantry。
  〃It's　simply　newspaper　English；〃　explained　Vesey。
  〃I've　been　reporting　on　the　Enterprise　long　enough　to
  know　it　by　heart。　　Old　Calloway　gives　us　the　cue　word；
  and　we　use　the　word　that　naturally　follows　it　just　as　we
  em　in　the　paper。　　Read　it　over；　and　you'll　see　how
  pat　they　drop　into　their　places。　　Now；　here's　the　message
  he　intended　us　to　get。〃
  Vesey　handed　out　another　sheet　of　paper。
  Concluded　arrangement　to　act　at　hour　of　midnight
  without　saying。　　Report　hath　it　that　a　large　body　of
  cavalry　and　an　overwhelming　force　of　infantry　will　be
  thrown　into　the　field。　　Conditions　white。　　Way　con…
  tested　by　only　a　small　force。　　Question　the　Times　descrip…
  tion。　　Its　correspondent　is　unaware　of　the　facts。
  〃Great　stuff！〃　　cried　Boyd　excitedly。　　〃Kuroki　crosses
  the　Yalu　to…night　and　attacks。　　Oh；　we　won't　do　a　thing
  to　the　sheets　that　make　up　with　Addison's　essays；　real
  estate　transfers；　and　bowling　scores！〃
  〃Mr。　Vesey；〃　said　the　m。　e。；　with　his　jollying　…　which　…
  you　…　should　…　regard　…　as　…　a　…　favour　manner；　〃you　have
  cast　a　serious　reflection　upon　the　literary　standards　of
  the　paper　that　employs　you。　　You　have　also　assisted
  materially　in　giving　us　the　biggest　'beat'　of　the　year。　　I
  will　let　you　know　in　a　day　or　two　whether　you　are　to　be
  discharged　or　retained　at　a　larger　salary。　　Somebody
  send　Ames　to　me。〃
  Ames　was　the　king…pin；　the　snowy…petalled　Marguerite；
  the　star…bright　looloo　of　the　rewrite　men。　　He　saw
  attempted　murder　in　the　pains　of　green…apple　colic；
  cyclones　in　the　summer　zephyr；　lost　children　in　every　top…
  spinning　urchin；　an　uprising　of　the　down…trodden　masses　in
  every　hurling　of　a　derelict　potato　at　a　passing　automobile。
  When　not　rewriting；　Ames　sat　on　the　porch　of　his　Brooklyn
  villa　playing　checkers　with　his　ten…year…old　son。
  Ames　and　the　〃war　editor〃　shut　themselves　in　a　room。
  There　was　a　map　in　there　stuck　full　of　little　pins　that
  represented　armies　and　divisions。　　Their　fingers　had
  been　itching　for　days　to　move　those　pins　along　the　crooked
  line　of　the　Yalu。　　They　did　so　no