am for Mr. Colton, Miss Mabel," he said.

"Give it to me. Tell the man to wait, Johnson. It is from Mr. Davis,"
she exclaimed, turning to me. "I am sure it is. Yes. See!"

She handed me the yellow telegram. I read the following aloud:

"James W. Colton,

"Denboro, Mass.

"Galileo potato soap currency tomato deeds command army alcohol thief
weather family--"

"What on earth--!" I exclaimed.

"That is in the code, Father's private code. Don't you see? The code
book is here somewhere. I must find it."

She was rummaging in the drawer of the desk. With a sigh of relief she
produced a little blue leather-covered book.

"Here it is," she said. "Now read me the telegram and I will write the
translation. Hurry!"

I read again:

"'Galileo'--"

"That means 'Consolidated Pacific'. Go on."

It took us five minutes to translate the telegram. When we had finished
the result was:

"Consolidated Pacific crowd wise situation. Strong buying close market
to-day. Expect worse to-morrow. We are bad shape. Can deliver only part.
Sure big advance opening and more follow. What shall I do? Why do
not you answer private telegraph line? Telephone out order. Wire
instructions immediately. Better still come yourself. Davis."

"Is that all?" asked Miss Colton. "What answer shall we make?"

"Wait. Wait, please, until I dig some sort of sense out of all this.
'Wise situation'--"

"Wise TO situation, I presume that means. The Consolidated Pacific
is wise to the situation. 'Wise' is slang, isn't it? It used to be at
college."

"It is yet, even in Denboro. Humph! let me think. 'Sure big advance
opening.' I suppose that means the market will open with Louisville
and Transcontinental at a higher figure and that the price is sure to
advance during the day."

"Yes. Yes, it must mean that. But why should Mr. Davis be so excited
about it? He said something about 'ruin' over the 'phone. What does 'We
are bad shape' mean? And 'Can deliver only part'?"

"I don't know . . . unless . . . Humph! If we had some particulars. Why
don't you answer on the private telegraph, as he says?"

"Because I can't. Don't you see? I can't. There is no telegraph operator
in the house. When we first came Father had a secretary, who could use
the telegraph; but he sent him back to New York. Said he was sick of the
sight of him. They did not get on well together."

"But your father must have used the telegraph since."

"Yes. Father used it himself. He