Average Jones

ally impeccable hair was tousled. His trousers evinced a distinct tendency to bag at the knees, and his coat was undeniably wrinkled. That the elegant and flawless dilettante o

lectual riot and ruin over it. You've almost destroyed a you

a lofty intimation on your part that there never was a cipher so tough but wha

g isn't a cipher. It's an alphabetical riot. Maybe," h

aid Average Jones, han

nes; a stiffish sheet of paper, ornamented on one side with color prints of alluring "spinners," and on the other inscrib

he Caronia, Broadway and E

the reverse of the

en you are

Catch Fish

rs in the st

You will fin

one of whic

rally caught

m "The 12 S

o try them fo

e next two mo

s of bass ar

riking these

se

ant your cust

emaker "Sure

This case wi

d over again,

reaker and th

put in one of

s will not be d

for baits to

ed FREE, charge

the dozen bai

in from the side which bore the illustrations. The perforations were liberally scattered. Most, though not all of them, transfixed cer

two punctures) t-y-w-u-s-o-m-e-r-s h-a-s 1 S-k-t-s-a-s-e-l-e-v-a-h (twice) W-y-o-u (doubtful) h-c-s-e-v-t-l-t-f-r (perforated twice) c-a-o-u-c-e-o-c

" growled Bertram. "Tell me

ce and missed me. Yeste

with the enclosure whic

est. Perhaps you'd hav

es to the ot

d's tone made Bertram

the note,"

to him. There was no s

was addressed, in rathe

Ad-Visor,

ONIA, N

urt Temple: I have tri

u will find the reason

re you will see and hel

l to-morro

ectf

M H. R

ut of the ordinary in

inquired Av

n his handwriting. Also, he has inverted one sentence in his haste and said 're

Bert," Average Jones observed with a sigh. "Well,

rt. "Meaning, I suppose, that you're o

f you read Mr. Robinson's note correctly, and if you'd had the advantage of working o

," murmure

f the pin-pricks don't t

aken the letters which

consider those alone, and you will see that the holes themselves fo

made out in straggling characters, formed

THE SHORT CUT DEATH IS

marked Bertram. "But why didn't friend Robi

y have been simply that he was too frightened

nything

who lives at the Caronia appears to be a commission merchant on Pearl Street. As the Caronia is one of the most elegant and quite the most enormous of those small cities withi

temperately cool he was sweating profusely, and that, despite the fact that his light overcoat was on his arm. Not polite perspiration, be it noted, such as would have been excusable in a gentleman of his pale and sleek plumpness,

ate interview," he said

my friend and bu

You-you ha

es

snarl of exasperation, he dragged violently at the lapel, tearing the button outright from the cloth. "Look what I have done," he said, star

his thanks, and, mastering himself after a moment's effort, drew a paper from his inner pocket wh

thousand ready, if yo

prospective beneficiary. "Sit tight u

"I'm ashamed of myself, gentlemen, but the stra

errupted Average Jones, "let

like," return

t is it that p

ow any more

e things' that are

ad. "I haven't the slight

cut' which you ar

ey can't drive me to that-unless they drive me crazy firs

are t

next question the interrogator's ton

alled in a docto

. That was when my nerve

or, is it your habit to con

u my word of honor, as I hope to be saved from this persec

ging on excitement, "that a simple blind threat like this-er-without any backing from your own conscience-e

hanged and fell. "I believe I am going crazy,"

ut a packet of letters which he placed on

hose!"

ach bore the imprint of some firm name made familiar by extensive advertising. All the

irst of the ser

ately it was lost, by a stupid

in

I cut open t

ll these, being one-cent postage, must hav

ope. There was a pin bent over the fold of the letter so you couldn't help but notice it. Its head was stuck throu

member the

of the paper. It said: 'Make the most of your freedom. Your time is

went

next

fou

in pinpricks connected by pencil lines.

at did it

blank to an

whisked from his coat sleeve an imaginary speck of dust, and

murmured. "Was-er-th

there was a specification of dementia fr

ened the way to Bertram, who, in wide range of experience an

in gently, "has there ever bee

far as

icidal

tably in their beds," declared

nture. Have you ever be

er,

ation, "will you tell me of any enemy w

an enemy in

ut surely, some time in your career-business rival

re mostly dead. I have no friends and no enemies. My wife and I live alone, and all we

packet of letters. "You haven't comp

city?" returned Rob

, and I may want to 'phone you presently

ller's plump back disappeared, "this looks pretty

aight," was Ber

a look at the material. We've already got the op

't a case of somebody in the apartm

earing one was. Therefore, our mysterious persecutor says: 'I'll just have Robinson prove it to me, if he did get the first message, by calling for the seco

ugh all the mailed ads with a fine-tooth comb, after th

a fairly effec

dress the envelop

nd, if he'd addressed all his envelopes by pinpricks filled in with pencil lines, the post-office

e, like a fine young methodical business gent. Here we are: 'Rec'd July 14. Card from Goshorn & Co., Oriental Goods.' Mes

't that-that through the letters 'one inc

e Croiset Line tours to the Orient. Listen here, Bert: '

n in the part of guilt," m

a lecture on Japanese Feudalism. Date, August seventeenth. Inscription

climactic, do

in the commitment blank. It's a testimonial booklet of one of the poisonous headache dopes, Lem

power of sug

tisement of Shackleton's Safeguard Revolvers. Date, September t

tram. "The man at the other end

od himself hates you.' After that there's a three-weeks respite, for there's October twenty-second on this one, Kirkby and Dunn's offering of five percent water bonds. 'The commission has its spies watching you constantly.' Ca

d sono

, vagula

comesque

abibis

his own parting spirit. 'Guest and companion of my body; into what places will you now go?' Average, it's un

ted the quatrain. "'Ghostpale, stark, and rigid.' He's got a grisly im

commonplace, twentieth-century, cutaway-wearing, flat-inhabit

ouncement, received November ninth. No; it doesn't give any clue to the Latinity.

did fall," confirmed Bert

e of the problem, the fish-bait circular which Robinson had mailed him. So long after, that

fact,-er-Eureka, or words to that effec

st, hereabout

ises the use of the baits for 'these next two months.' Queer time to be using b

ars! For heave

how. I ought to have guessed it at first glance, from the fact that the ad

y n

to the retail trade. Don't you remember: it offers a showcase, free. What does a man living in

Average Jones held the envelope. The stamp curled tip and dropped of

," murmured A

" exclaime

is friend. "I expect we'll

Each of them, as the stamp was peeled off, exhibited mo

cover what little was left, by shifting it a bit toward the center of the envelope. Look; you can see on this one where the original

Bertram. "Or has some one be

it was done at longer range. As for the question of our friend's faking in his

William H. Robinson, for two unhappy minutes, profoundly feared that at last he had

n? This is Mr. A. J

Jones. W

tae, sceler

g your

auris jacul

obinson: Mr. W

o! Central, don't cut off! Mr.

ows, I

e Jones in a swift aside to Bertram, "he certainly would

l your acquaintance, any person who never goes ou

silence. From the depths of the silence he presently exhumed the following: "I di

re's no

m quite

all. G

eaven! G

ant?" inquired Bertram, as his

he sender of those messages d

? It does rather look l

Average Jones appeared to be smiling

I've also a hunch that our man Robinson is

nd pathetically. "There's been enough of that without yo

a pad, considered, amended, and hande

ssional enve

s from used

ssential. Ap

sor, Astor C

that in every New York and Brooklyn pa

a gli

more roundabout measures. As soon as I have heard from it I'll dro

wh

know yet. When I d

b, with that twinkling up-turn of the mouth corners w

ng out his languid friend, in the

sers there are in four millions of population. Only seven pe

didn't get

e fifth applicant.

a pearl fro

bold, inevitable sort of letter

a sheet of, paper with the pin,

tered. "Here, Bert, you're cleverer with your

failures, they produced a

ion to the post-office authorities or calling at 3:30 P.

nty-fourth Street, City, afterward pin-pricking the letters in outline. "Just for moral effect," he explained. "

man with unwonted emphasis. "Bu

nson, of the Caronia. Note that '

of his right palm. Bertram lounged gracefully in the big chair. Mr. Robinson fidgeted. There was an atmosphere of tension in the room. At three-forty there came a tap-tapping across the floor of th

f the widely separate eyes gave an impression of intellectual power and balance. But the lower part of the face was mere wreckage; the chin quivering and fallen, from self-indulgence, the fine lines of the nose coarsened by the spreading nostrils; the mouth showing both the

ice had refin

uce you to Mr. Wi

owly to his right shoulder the

!" burst out Mr. Robi

ertram. "Did you

led to Mr. Robinson at the General Delivery, which, if y

ortune," said Honeywell patiently, "perhaps you will

"And do you be good enough to tell me why

inson's voice!" said the

m H. Ro

m Honeywell

am Hunter

am I bro

on in to-morrow morning's newspape

this a yellow

'll explain. How long have you li

eight m

ywell. He is a cousin, and an object of great solicitude to this gentleman here. In fact, he is, or will be, the chief witness against M

lied the blind

h habits do, in insanity. He was confined two years, suffering from psychasthenia, with suicidal melanch

him out of his mind again," said Bertram

x-lunatic returned from Europe a year ago, our friend Honeywell here, in some way located him at the Caronia. He matured his little scheme. Through a letter broker who deals with the rag and refuse collectors, he got all the second-hand mail fro

wouldn't they have done to one whose mind was

d," said Bertram, "how could he

Presumably he'd get some stranger to do it. That's why I advertised for a professional eras

as a professional envelop

ut to be an unimaginative young woman who has told me all about her former employment with Mr. Honeywell, apparently with no thought that there was anything strange in e

ves with some degree of acumen, Mr.-er

ses easily if you had not made one rathe

loated lips shook. His evil pri

d hastily. "I do

atement, which I shall read to you before these witnesses, announcing fo

f I de

he United States postal authorities. But not before giving them to the newspapers. H

ht," he assented. "You seem to have a singular faculty f

age Jones. "Now you will l

re the blind man, and set a pin between hi

ed as he prick

said. "Am I to assign no cause to

ce appeared in Av

waning mental a

is feet. "That is the second time you have ta

d him to the doo

into the grasp of a waiting attendant, "was-er-in not re