[Illustration: Design for Peacock Lodge. For Col. George Fabyan.] CIPHER CODE a a a a a = A a a a a b = B a a a b a = C a a a b b = D a a b a a = E a a b a b = F a a b b a = G a a b b b = H a b a a a = I-J a b a a b = K a b a b a = L a b a b b = M a b b a a = N a b b a b = O a b b b a = P a b b b b = Q b a a a a = R b a a a b = S b a a b a = T b a a b b = U-V b a b a a = W b a b a b = X b a b b a = Y b a b b b = Z Explanation This architect's sketch presents an interesting method of making use of the Biliteral Cipher. The white bricks are supposed to represent the _a_ form letters, the shaded bricks the _b_ form. Begin with the top of the wall, at the left-hand, below the tower, read the lines from left to right, and assign an _a_ or _b_ to each brick on that principle, dividing off the resultant _a_'s and _b_'s into groups of five. Then refer to the accompanying cipher code which will show you for which letter of the alphabet each group stands. The result will be amusing as well as interesting and instructive. The Origin, History and Designing of the Alphabet By HELEN LOUISE RICKETTS THE STORY OF THE ALPHABET CHAPTER I I want to tell you a story about something you use every day, something you could not get along without, and yet that you never think about or are glad to have. I do not believe that even after I tell you several things about it you can guess what it is. It is one of the oldest things in the world, so old that no one knows when it was first used. It is a more wonderful thing, a great many people think, than the invention of steamboats and steamcars, or of airships and submarines. It is so important that you could not have any books without it, and if there were no books, you would not go to school, and then how could you learn all the things you want to know? It is so common that you see it and hear it and use it almost every minute of the day. It is made of twenty-six different parts. You can make me know what these are with a pencil or crayon. With them you speak and write and read. There are machines which hold these parts separately or form them in groups, and then leaving their likeness on paper give us books and stories to read. Now I am afraid that I have told you too much! Have you guessed what these twenty-six little tools are called? We call them, and so did your grandfather and greatgrandfather and all the people that lived hundreds and hundreds of years ago--the _Alphabet_. You never knew before that the Alphabet was such a wonderful thing, did you? Would you like now to hear the story about it?