Page:The achievements of Luther Trant - Balmer and MacHarg - 1910.djvu/169

Rh been in doubt as to the meaning of the annoyances; but, finding those scraps, after the breaking open of his old desk, left him in no doubt, as he warned you."

"I see! I see!" Howell nodded, intently.

"The symbols made no word upon the typewriters here in your office. Before I could be sure, I had to see the cashier's old machine, which Gordon—beginning to fear his secret was discovered—had taken home. When I saw that machine, '43$=80,' by the mere change of the shift key, gave me 'reship,' and '35=8?$' gave me 'ethics,' two words of six letters, as I had expected; but, to my surprise, I found that young Gordon, as well as the fellow still in the bank, was concerning himself strangely with his father's cipher, and I had him here this morning when I made my test to find out, first, who it was here in the bank that was after the combination; and, second, who, if anyone, had taken the missing bills on September 29th.

"Modern psychology gave me an easy method of detecting these two persons. Before coming here this morning I made up a list of words which must necessarily connect themselves with their crimes in the minds of the man who had plotted against the safe and the one who had taken the bills. 'Reship' and 'ethics' were the combination words of the safe for the last two weeks. 'Remington' suggested 'typewriter'; 'shift key,' 'combination,' 'secret writing,' and 'waste-basket' all were words which would directly connect themselves with the attempt upon the safe. 'Ten thousand,' 'five hundred,' 'September 29th' referred to the stealing of the bills. 'Arrest,'