Average Jones

d obliquely out upon the whirl of Fifth Ave

Ad-Visor himself. Two were rather intricate financial lures which Average Jones was able to dispose of by a mere "Don't." The third was a Spiritualist announcement behind which lurked a shrewd plot to entrap

0 reward for

of Brindle

ice of Malcol

nion Square

ge Jones. "Particularly one that hasn't any benc

old building which is the sole survival of the days when the Stengel estate foresaw the upward trend of busi

OLM

AND CONSULT

s 10

d a fat young man, with mild

rr?" he

ng man nervously, "but if

am an expert on advertising, and I w

his chair back and

ave-have found

But I in

d at him i

y fond of do

certainly," said th

e of surprise at him, then looked

e exhibited for some years. Your

es; I be

lldog, with long silky ears, and the slender splayed-out legs that are so highly prized but so seldom

't know they used that kind of d

trousers. His tone, when next he spoke, was that of a youth bored with life. Any of his intimates would have

awled, "who-er-ow

" said the sta

ve him

fri

at-er-friend who-er-

es you th

minute you answered my question as to whether you cared for dogs, I knew you didn't. When you fell for a green ribbon, and a splay-legged, curly-tailed

swung around

ou know?"

indle bull isn't presented to a man who cares nothing for dogs without

ied the other, aft

gone. Don't you think you'd

to my-my legal

to be connected with Judge Elverson. "I may have to ask y

er Elverson, tell him that it is A. V. R. Jones who wants to k

nes was called back from the

whole thing," said the chemis

ho is it that wants

n Pressed M

initesimal speck from his left cuff. "Ah," he commented,

cts used for manufacturing purposes. Several months ago I found they were

at so treated

ing it habitually. I wrote, wa

they

th more than I'd received, his principals, would be glad to take the matter up with me. Shortly af

is straight, but his office is

"I got to the outer air alive, but not much more. A week later there was an explosion in the laboratory. I didn't h

this lab

t a man who was sneaking up behind me as I was going home late one night. The man shot, too, but missed me. I

force in the world' is the biggest sham outside the dime museum. Except in the case of crimes by the

vice man over to live with me. Then I got a commission out in Denver. Wh

wo

gs and T

's Tat

he same roa

your place

here in t

the second button of his coat. Having satisfied hims

en days

e wer

ot his death. I had gone to the wash-room at the

you say

been? There was no woun

evidence

w him snapping at his belly. He ran across the room, lay down and began licking himself. Within fifteen minutes he began to whin

ake any ex

f his stomach, but did not

ut the ot

. We had just come over from Flatbush an

corner where Tatt

terested in something there when I left the

e door a

spring lock whic

Then his glance fell to a huge, old-fashioned keyhole be

r months. The key

igator sighted the hole from t

range," he

thin ten minutes the convulsions came on. The veterinary was here when Rags died, which was within fifteen minutes of the first spasm. He didn't believe it was strych

iscover a

small pustules. He agreed that both dogs probably swallowed something tha

sitively. "A dog doesn't cry out when he s

rosive. I exam

ng down on his knees beside that antiquated contrivan

replied the chemist. "I teste

l influence seems to have emanated from the corner which is the most r

mes. The transom is

any other wi

or yourself th

ome in from the street." Average examined the walls with atte

hew gum?" he a

him. "It isn't a habit

to my sending for some, in satisfacti

nd? I'll phone the

will suit,

p a single stick thoroughly. This he rolled out to an extremely tenuous consistency and

d the chemist, eying the improv

things happen in a room and there's only one opening, it's just as well to keep your ey

indow, and then turned to Average Jones. The rather flabby line

d if I will,"

overspread Ave

't say you aren't right. Since you're going to stick to the sh

ver your little game is, I'll play it. Giv

ighboring city newspapers for recent items concerning dog-poisoning cases. If our unknown has devised a new method of

austed by false clues. Then one morning there arrived, among other data, an article from the Bridgeport Morning Delineator which caused the Ad-Visor to sit up with a jerk. It detailed the poisoning of several

all grown to a point: pointed white nose, eyes that were pin-

nded rancidly, as his

the type. He knew of bu

nding emphasis that the monosyllable

ct suddenly mollified. "Don't bite me. What kind

f Jones. I want to

por

N

ood. Had my reporters on

repo

Bridgeport

bout th

. Chased a rat. Rat ran into a heap of old timber. Dog nosed around. Gave a yelp and came back to me. Had spasm. Died in fifteen minutes. And hang

, you-er-suggest poison?

o the same way i

this l

l on Gol

suspi

ly, young man, certa

ted newspaper proof which h

nestly cautioned against unguarded handling of timber abou

s this p

ator refused it. Thought

offer

e. Frame house on the next corner

long

t a w

you speak of d

es

explanation of th

to the thing. Wouldn't say anything about it. Begged the manager to let him have the weather reports in

rage Jones mused a moment.

e first h

-er-frost since?" dr

N

this M

e," added Mr. Curtis Fleming, with a grin. "Never sociated with any of us neighbors. Rent

" inquired A

. "It got enclosed by mistake with the copy for the advertise

out the enclosure. It was a small slip of paper. The date was stamped on with a rubber stamp. There was no

ress is in Professor

wear t

udge that it was sent by someone who was particularly anxious not to

rest in all this, anyway m

poisoned in something

got my man.

" echoed Av

the story to the last. Professor Mo

Average Jones got to his feet slowly, walked over to the window, returned, picked up the strange proo

ck this morning," pursued the ot

to me for a minute?" sa

invited stripling," cackled the other. "You'

spoke. "There has been a deadly danger loose about here for which Pro

l," declared Mr. Curtis Fl

killed by this thing, whatever it may be, and t

ove

a morni

m the current issu

s studied th

's Alley?" he a

t blocks

olden Hil

es

d th

cted to a paragraph telling of the death of an Italia

omewhat awed. "You ca

where in this affair," said Average Jones with convic

English. They said that four-year-old Pietro had been playing around a woodpile the afternoon before, when he was taken sic

ng anywhere on the hand or

ho had come that very morning asked, a queer, bent little gentlemen, very bald and with b

exclaimed Mr. Curtis Fleming.

rly to do more than guess. Will you t

In the front room they found the recluse's body decently disposed, with an

hat?" ask

ound near the body insisting on its being done.

in charg

tives so far as I know. Come and look

ddressed envelopes bearing New York postmarks, of dates respectively, March 12, March 14 and March 20. Each contained a date-stamped sheet of paper, similar to that which Mr. Curtis Fleming had shown to Average Jones. The one of earliest date bore two red

n went to the conservatory and gazed in upon a ruin of limp leaves and flaccid petals, killed by the powerful gases. Suddenly, with an exclamation of aston

another specimen, a trifle smaller. "The place was crowded wit

s to the desk, measured them and la

," he said. "I have

in attendance, he went to the telegraph

id the operator. "There'

took the lea

his morning when I ar

ore it up, and substituted the fo

TENGEL BUILDING

turn until it has been fumigated tho

New York. If any collectors come chasing to you for luna moths,

y eyes twinkling. "But why, in the name of all that's unhea

ppear in the next number of the National Science Weekly

rough draft of t

o largest kn

na, unmounted

ches spread.

ns from colle

ley, of Con

. Jones, Ro

mple, Ne

ing, as Average Jones bade him good-by. "Would we b

e window. A late season whirl

us Jones, I don't know what you're up to, but you've giv

aboratories in St. Louis, the other to the Department of Agriculture at Washington. On the foll

rth of damage," he said, "and now, I'd like to have a Missouri sign. In oth

didn

re dead, a

cid

d of an a

bystander gets the worst of it.

M

robably have got it

ed over, under and through it minutely. "Nothing there," he observed; and,

d the fumigation. However, t

ame in projective germs

r instance. Wait a few days and I'll have some mail to show you on that subject. In the meantime,

yearning eagerness, and bitter skepticism to Average Jones' advertisement. All of these he put aside, except such as bore a New York postmark. And each day he compared the new names signed to the New Y

med Marcus L. Ross?"

heard o

e Delamater Apartments, where he lives, to tell me so. Also he has an office in this building. Likewise he works fr

replied you

top at this door on his way, down-stairs after quitting work late at night wh

owly. The sharp, clean lines of his face sud

g to do to Mr. Ross," he said,

he is far, far away, having noted, doubtless, the plugged keyhole and suffered a crisis of the nerves. It'

ho

enses; second, I expect to dispatch a costly yacht to unknown seas; and third, I expect to raise the street selling price of the

ditions with glaring red-typed inserts of "special" news. On the front page of each, stretching narrowly across three columns, was a device showing a tiny mapped outline in black marked Bridgeport, Conn., and a large skeleton draft of Manhattan Island showing

E ADVANCE IN

ds of journalism that the "fudge"

their keen business instinct, the urchins saw that they could run the price upward, which they promptly did, in some cases even to a nickel. This edition car

ONWARD SE

look the matter up as news, and commented upon the meaning of the extraordinary advertisement. This t

TURN, I

evening. The dotte

e maps," with the fame of which the city was raging, with an item

outh American

New York. Owner

ue carried a few lines about the "freak ads." which had so sensationally blazed and so suddenly waned from the "yellows." The opinion was offered that they represented the exploitation of some new brand of whisky which would announce itself later. But that announcement never came, and President

pt for a very large keyhole. Some deadly thing is introduced through that keyhole; so much is practically proven by the breaking out of the chewing gum with which I coated it. Probably the scheme was carried out in the evening when the bui

me kind of venomous

perimentalist is the innocent cause of the disaster. Here, too, the peril is somewhat dependent upon warmth, since we know, from Professor Moseley's agonized eagerness for a frost, that cold weather would have put an e

old Moseley a cold-blooded murde

g a connecting link; the secretive red-dot communications from New York City addressed by Moseley to himself on behalf of s

" declared Dorr bluntly. "A moth a foot

eir enormous size showed Professor Moseley's line of work; the selective breeding of certain forms of life to two or three times the normal proportions. Very well; I h

hat it was?"

r branch of research or he never could have devised his murderous scheme. So I constructed the luna moth advertisement to draw him, and when I got a reply from Mr. Ross, who is a fellow-tenant o

ctus?" demanded both

nes took a letter fro

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,

V. R.

Temple, Ne

R S

from a bright red mark upon the back. Rare cases are known where death has been caused by the bite of this insect. Fortunately its fangs are so weak that they c

d be dangerous to life is undoubtedly correct, and selected breeding to that end should be conducted only under adequate scientific safeguards. A Lathrode

of trismus, and agonizing general pains. There are no local symptoms, e

certain affections of the heart. For details, I would refer you to the

would hardly survive a severe frost. It fre

RD, Chief

s which he had got from Professor Moseley through my keyhole, in

ation, too. Vide, the dog

some one kindly explain to me what this Ro

replied Ave

ursing with spiders

the Canned Meat Trust. He possessed information which would have indicted all the officials. T

. Curtis Fleming. "Trusts may be unprinciple

refineries which mysteriously disappeared in fire and smoke at a time when they became annoying to the Combination Oil Trust? Or of the Traction Trust's two plots to murder Prosecutor Henry in San Francisco? I'm just mentioning a few cases from memory. Why, when a

out a method?" aske

It was up to the Trust to put one of its own confidential men on it. Ross is an amateur

r skill, young Jones," declared

s. The coincidence of the escape of the Red Dots from Professor Moseley's breeding cages; the coincidence of the death of the dogs on Golden Hill, followed by the death of the child; the coincidence of poor Moseley's having l

dge Elverson had me insert, really more to scare off further attempts than anything else,

ws open. The cleaning woman wouldn't have been likely to notice them when she swept the bodies out. And, sooner or later, if Ross had continued

life," declared Dorr, "and it's a

said. "Just one little event would have meant the saving of the Italian child, and

t?" asked Mr.

st in Bridgeport," r