Average Jones

said Waldemar, scrawling a head on his completed editor

ected, wasn't it?"

he Universal in his heavy bass. "And now

power of the gambling ring d

as he calls Governor Arthur. Says he'll pass the bill over his vet

"What do you suppose," he inquired with an air of philosophic speculation, "tha

itizens; multimillionaire philanthropist, social leader, director of banks, insur

rses,' if you please! To make thieves of men and harlots of women, because Carroll Morrison must have his gam

demar," said an office b

" grunted

ir, and to tell you it's somethi

inner office, will you, Jones? Leave the door

dressed with slap-dash ostentation. His face was bloated and seared with excesses. But it was not intoxication that sweate

of the interrogation stung

ike this. Y-y-yuh see, 's like this.

? Nonsense! You're too late

upon the floor. Before it had stopped bumping, there fluttered down upon the seat of his chair a handful of greenbacks. Anoth

n hundred if there's a dollar. More likely two thou. If that ain't enough, mak

cene in the creature's gibbering flux

h?" he inqu

out jus' one line from an ad an' pay you for the trouble. My own ad, too. I

say Morrison s

u some way. It's important to Misser Morrison, too. But he don't kn

ney back in

ed, he began to sag at the joints. Slowly he slackened down

," ordere

aned the man. "I'll make i

and

uggled, panting, then spun, helpless and headlong from the room, striking heavily against the pa

Waldemar. "Co

Have you no curiosity in y

een reared in the

own on the floor and examined them carefully. "Rather a fine instru

d him now. He has

e of abject funk, it's ten to one he l

was a curious expression on his face as he nodd

asked W

r of a Park

drun

ot-er-dru

d in his chair. "

s his finish, as he said. Th

e finding. Why, counting 'classified,' we're carrying fifteen hund

Jones suavely. "You'll find it

s appearance? Rather f

mention of Carroll Morrison's name, and, princip

te see where

aker's takings. The binocular is a racing-man's glass. Our late friend

him a paper still spicy with t

firm of tipsters who advertised to sell "inside information" on the races to their patrons. As a sp

Average Jones, pointin

's indicatory finger shook a little. Normally, Aver

d," he observed. "I see

t's quite importa

d Britisher, Average," he remarked, "there's

the las

"'One Best Bet,"' he read. "'That th

e, the line becomes absurd at once. How could any one know that a horse would fail to fin

reasing and pulsating through the floor beneath them,

an? Stop the presses... I don't care if we miss every train in the c

ine, column six. Kill the last line, the One Best Bet... Don't ask me how. Chisel it out. Burn it out. Dynami

know how near their idea of removing Governor

said. "And right-side-before. Yet, it tries to tell me that a man, plotting t

ter than you think. Anyway, here's the ad. And down yonder is the

as the sporting editor entered. "Any

e and Gale ad. I saw it in proof. Some

es, laying a hand on the abandoned field g

le and Gale. He puts o

hatever with Mr.

son's confidential man, and lately he's been doing some lob

asked Walde

e white st

caine fiend on a debauch becomes a mental and moral imbecile. It woul

sporting editor had left, "but you don

ty, like Governor Arthur, were no better than anarchists and ought to be handled accordingly. Therefore, I don't think that a plan-a safe one, of course-to put 'Pharisee Phil' away w

e at the Harrisonia Centennial, and unveil the statut

nity," murmured

ght of a hundred

ry core of the opport

, it's a case for th

rol the police, wholly. They wo

ot warn the

't kno

intment to take you to

nor Arthur received them at his hotel, gre

e William Linder out of the mayoralty nomination," sa

racing news to

oof and read it carefully. Characteris

eant for me?" he ask

ne would call popular with the r

miling broadly. "A very polished person, Mr. Morrison. He can make threats of extinction-political, of co

which I fancy you can take care of yourself

winkled again, and his visitor wondered whence had come his reputation as a dry, unhumorous man. "As to assassination," he pursued, "I'm a sort of Christian Scientist. The bes

persuade you against appearing at Har

t think that I'm not appreciative of yo

of the day, Governor?

n family, a lofty old ark, high as a circus wagon, which has been patched up for the occasion. Just before I reach the revie

will look the ground over. Could we ge

up to seve

ce of their passing the bill o

l admit to you, Waldemar, that if I could find any legitimate method of calling Morrison o

o-er-might be done,"

er affair, Mr. Jones," said he, "I would follow you

ade," said Average Jones as he an

coach, to the spot where the civic statue awaited its unveiling at his hands, was about half a mile along Harrison Avenue, the principal street. The walk along this street develop

" explained Waldemar. "On

and the air will be full of light and noise, under cover of which a

ted to a shattered hole in the window. Behind it a bullet swung on a thread from the ceiling, and this ag

LO

to shoot holes

NGE OUR C

rage Jones. "I feel a g

rved by the proprietor. As he was

the bomb

st, some time,"

flected bulle

ot here in the morning and there she was. Wha

r. Normally, a bullet bores a pr

agreed the man w

or, he gazed casually around and finally centered his attention on a telegraph pole standing on the ed

rs, these. Ever

a tin square vaunting the

wouldn't one of those signs lo

ndor, "but it wouldn't look good to the

one, lend me a ladder, an

said. "Go as far as you like." And he go

de of the pole, mount, nail up the sign, drop a plumb-line, improvised from a key and a

u find?" ask

d cover with a silver dol

other shot happen

hat steel wor

of the erection of a new one. The frame had risen three stories, and through the open spaces in the gaunt skeleton the rear of the h

ng in a high coach passes along this avenue between the pole and the gun operator, over yonder to the northward. Every one of

carefully studied the steel joists from end to end. Presently he pointed. Following t

hts were a trifle off at the first shot, an

good," appro

se enough for a trial formula," continued Average Jones. "Now, Walde

h attention. "Well," he said finally, "what

Therefore, suppose you go there and order luncheon for two, while I walk

air opposite his friend, he figured swiftly and briefly on

nce you left me," remarked the editor sardonically. "Mea

ill he comes, can they? Besides, there's plenty of time for them to change their minds. As a result of my little constitutional just

t ho

ow, as yet. We'll se

ped in front of an old-fashioned frame structure, which was built on a different plan of floor level from its smaller neighbors of bric

"could we rent your third f

said she. "

renters off," suggested J

lieve you could get the room from them, for they'

ed, even for him, that Waldemar's interest flamed within him

four o'

ell them that-er-Mr.

, as they regained the pavement, "why did you

o prepare their nerves for a subsequent shock. If you'll meet me here

meant

a sure catch of two hired assassins who don't amo

ng Mor

we'll be able to kill the Personal Liberty bi

tle consideration, "though I can't yet make myself believe

rime with good clothes and a social position!" rem

words on a bit of paper, which, a

the 'phone and tell him, if he'll follow directions, we'll put the personal liberty bill

place reserved for him

Harrisonia Evening Bell, fold it to an advertisement headed 'Offer to Photographers,' and as he passes Carroll Morrison on the stand, hold

Still, you heard what Governor Arthur said about hi

I can get to the office of the Bell. You'll

, I'll look after the revi

y there, accompanied by a messenger boy. The boy wore the cheer

aid Average Jones as Waldemar appr

persuasion, but he'll d

folded newspaper. "The two gentlemen on the third floor re

ay. Five minutes passed. Then the front door opened cautiously and a tall, evil-looking man slunk into the vestibu

ssage from Kar

gasped the

d, sprawled, was up again instantly and speeding up the street, away from Average Jones, tu

ould he follow or wait? He paused, one foot on the step. A loud crash within resolved his doubts. Up he started, when the voice of Average Jones in co

d," said he. "Ha

plied Waldemar, taking the copy extend

O PHOTO

for Special, F

rthur in To-n

ording to Plans a

by the Late

A. JONES,

Temple, Ne

Waldemar with a grin, as

e crowd and reach the reviewing stand," wa

reach of them sat Carroll Morrison, his long, pale, black-bearded face set in that immobility to which he ha

the game!" whispered Averag

f cheering swept toward them and was taken up in the stands. The governor, in his hi

hispered to Average Jones. "We

d the Ad-Visor in the sam

ured with a turn around the wrist. The coach rolled on. The cord tautened; the swathings sundered and fell from the gleami

flash. Now, as the kindlier light returned, he half rose, rubbing his eyes furiously. A half-groan escape

he delusion. He felt, rather than saw, the guest of honor descend from the coach; felt rather tha

his elbow, "Mr. Morrison, here is a paper th

his throat, and the hand with which he took the

" whispered A

verage Jones returned to his seat to watch Carroll Morrison who, sat, with hell-

ernor was spe

r. Waldemar will come along; you know them, perhaps. Please don't prot

mounted to the third floor of an old frame house. The rear room door had been broken in. Inside stood a strange instrument, resembling a large camera, which had once

window, so that a bullet from the barrel would strike that pole way yonder in Harrison

his is a gun, Mr. Jones

h"-he pointed to a cylindrical jacket around part of the rifle barrel-"is a Coulomb silencer, which reduces a small-arm report almost to a whisper. Here is an electric button which was connected with yonder battery before I operated on it with the chair, and distributed its spa

ash-light?" ask

er that they had a new invention to take flash-lights at a distance. Amidst the other

I congratulate you, Mr. Morrison, on thi

m a man in your position," said Morrison venomously, "I

ple mathematical formula." He drew from his pocket an envelope on which

ar on an iron girder at a certain lesser distance, and the length of a block from here to Harrison Avenue-which I paced off while you were skillfully ordering luncheon, Waldemar-an

e been?" retorted Mor

ow," said A

pothesis is as impudent as your company is into

orrow's paper an authorized statement from you to the effect

d all the hectoring I propose to. Men in my posi

. "You speak of men in your position. Do you und

r," he said with with stony di

drew back from Morrison's strong teeth with the snarl o

know Nic

verage Jones. But he did not ans

-hour before he-er-committed suicide-er-Nick Karboe spent in the office o

alth, who had bribed legislatures and bossed judges and browbeaten the public, slobbered, denied and begged. For two disgustful m

with the story, gentleme

sion, Governor Arthur looked from the wrecked camera-gun

my life; you've done the public the service of killing a vic

ly. "But I owed the public something, you know, o

t knowledge must be your reward; that and the consciousne

nt smile. "Why, Governor, you're giving me too much credit. It was worked out by one of