The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1912-03-16

4 pFOulcm uc1Onu thSit lthisSN
powers. With the release of the
German musician. who was found
to be simple-minded to the verge
of half-wittedness, public interest
waned, and the case faded out of
current print.
Average Jones, who was much
occupied with a pair of black
mailers operating through faxed
photographs, about that time, had
almost forgotten. the Under case,
when, one day, month after the
explosion. Waldemar dropped in
at the Astor Court office. He
found a changed Jones; much
thinner and finer" than when,
eight weeks before, he had en-
barked on his new career, at the
newspaper owners instance. The
young mans color was less pro-
nounced, and his eyes. though
alert and eager, showed rings I'M
der them.
You have found the work in
teresting, 1 take it" remarked the
visitor.
"Ra-ather," drawled Average
Jones appreciatively.
THAT was a good initial effort,
running down the opium pill mail
order enterprise"
ut was simple enough as soon
as l saw the catch-word in the
Wanted line"
Anything is easy to man who
sees" returned the older man
/ sententiously. "The open eye of
the open mind-that has more to
do with real detective work than
all the deduction and induction
and analysis ever devised"
at is the detective part that
interests me most in the game,
but l haven't much of it yet. You
haven't run across any promising
ads. lately, have your"
Waldemar's wide, florid brow
wrinkled.
II haven't thought or dreamed
of anything for a month but this
internal bomb explosion"
ooh, the Under case. You're
personally Interested"
Politically. 1t makes Linder's
nomination certain. Persecution.
Attempted assassination. He be-
comes a near-martyr. I'm almost
ready to believe that he planted a
fake bomb himself"
"And fell out of a third story
window to carry out the idea?
That's pushing realism rather far,
isn't it?"
Waldemar laughed. "The/e's
the weakness. Unless we suppose
that he under-reckoned the charge
of explosive.
"They let the musician go, did
they not?'
Eyes. There was absolutely no
proof against him, except that he
was in the street below. Besides,
he seems quite lacking mentally"
"Mightn't that have been a
sham +"
"Alienists of good standing ex-
amined him. They reported him
Just shade better than half-wit
ted. He was like one-ideaed
child, his whole being comprised
in his ability and ambition to play
his B-flat trombone"
| well, if | needed an accom-
plice"said Average Jones thought
fully, 81 wouldn't want any bet
ter one than half-witted man.
Did he play well "
"Atrociously. And if you know
what a soul-shattering blair ex-
udes from a B-flat trombone"
Mr.. Waldemar lifted expressive
| hands.
Within Average Jones' over
stocked mind something stirred
at the repetition of the words ''B
had attracted his notice in print;
and somehow they were connect
ed with Waldemar. Then from
amidst the hundreds of advertise
ments with which, in the past
weeks, he had crowded his brain,
one stood out clear 1t voiced
the desire of an unknown gentle
man on the near border of Harlem
| for the services of a performer
upon that semi-exotic instrument.
One among several, it had been
cut from the columns of the Uni
versal, on the evening which had
launched him upon his new enter
prise. Average Jones made two
ISJ6pS 10 DOOhCdSSs tOOh dOWu a
huge scrapbook from an alphabet
icized row, and turning the leaves
rapidly.
"Three Hundred East One Hun
dredth Street." said he, slamming
the book shut again. ''Three
Hundred East One Hundredth.
You won't mind. will you"-to
Waldemar-'if l leave you I'M
tremendously"
Recalled a forgotten engage
ment?" asked the other, rising.
Yes. No. l mean I'm going
to Harlem to hear some music.
Thirty-fourth' the nearest sta
ton, isn't it? Thanks. So long"
Waldemar rubbed his head
thoughtfully as the door slam
med behind the speeding Ad-Vis-
or.
Now, what kind of tune is
he on the track of, / wonder?"
he unused. Il wish it hadn't
struck him until I'd had time to
go over the Under business with
him."
But while Waldemar rubbed his
head in cogitatation and the Hon
orable William Under, in his
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