“No; I tossed it one side when I found I could not read it.”
“I have it with me now—I always carry it with me, for it contains matter of the most vital importance to me, and might possibly interest you considerably.”
He drew it from his pocket as he spoke, and held it so that Mr. Dalton could see the writing in cipher.
He recognized it instantly.
“These hieroglyphics, as you call them, merely tell what the cardboard contains.”
“What it contains!” repeated Mr. Dalton, his curiosity now fully aroused.
To him it appeared only a single piece of rather heavy cardboard.
“Yes; if you had examined it carefully you would have noticed that it is apparently composed of three layers, but the middle one is cut out very near the edge, so as to allow of some closely written sheets of thin paper to be inserted. I remove one end of what appears the middle layer—thus, and you perceive that the papers easily slide out of their pocket.”
He held it upside down, gave it a little shake, and some very thin sheets of paper, upon which there was writing, with another long, narrow slip which was not so thin, fell upon the table.
“This, perhaps, may contain something of interest to you,” Earle said, taking the latter up and holding it before Mr. Dalton.