“Maybe he owns it,” suggested Carter.

“Perhaps,” said Fleck, as he began studying the advertisements, “but it would not surprise me if these advertisements contained some sort of code messages.”

“Messages in advertisements,” exclaimed Carter incredulously.

“Why not?  The Germans have hundreds of spies at work here in this city and all over the country.  What would be an easier method of communicating orders to them than by code messages concealed in advertising.  They have done it before.  When the German armies got into France they found their way placarded in advance with much useful information in harmless looking posters advertising a certain brand of chocolate.  I’d be willing to bet that every one of these advertisements carries a code message.  I’ve noticed that these advertisements, all peculiarly worded, have been running for some time.  I never thought of hooking them up with German propaganda, but, see, it is a German firm that inserts them.”

Carefully he cut out the two advertisements and laid them side by side on his desk.  Turning to Carter he said: 

“Go at once to see Mr. Sprague, the publisher of this paper.  Get him to give you a copy of each paper that has contained an advertisement of this sort in the last six months.  Find out what agency places the advertising.  Tell him I want to know.  He’ll understand.  We have worked together before.”

Alone in his office, Fleck bent with wrinkled brow over the first of the two advertisements, which read: 

     Remember

Please, that our new paste, Dento, will stop decay of your teeth.  Sound teeth are passports to good health and comfort.  Now, no business man can risk ill health.  It is closely allied with failure.  The teeth if not watched are quickly gone.

     Use Dento

     A genuine, safe, pleasing paste for the
     teeth, prepared and sold only by the
     Auer Dental Company, New York.

He tried all the methods of solving cipher letters that he thought of.  He drew diagonals this way and that across the advertisement.  He tried reading it backward.  He tried reading every other word, every third word, both backward and forward.  Nothing that he did revealed any combination of words that made sense.

“Passports,” he muttered to himself, “that’s it.  If there is a message there it must be something about passports.”

In despair he turned to the other advertisement.  It read: 

     Don’t

     Forget it is imperative for one and all to
     use cleansing agents on teeth that leave
     no bad results.

“Ship more of that wonder-working paste immediately.  Workers, employers, wives, all ready to commend it.  Friday’s supply gone,” writes a druggist to whom a big shipment was made last week.

     Use Dento