The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1912-03-30
q .MeAdEmf0ras OF
Gentleman Dekecf1Ne
'6I|lR||DGABySAhUl HOPMNSADAlD


mot interest me. Get some one
else. to find your young hopeful
i 1T amt no case of findin' now
The boys dead. His strideR'
voice quivered and broke. but II
rose again to a snarl. And, by
God, I'll spend million to gei
dogs that murdered him."
At the word murdered" Aver
age Jones clean-cut, agreeable
but rather stolidly neutral face
underwent a subtitle transforma
ton. Another personality looked
lout from the deep-set, somnolent
gray eyes; personality resolute
forceful and quietly alert. Ii was
apparently belied by the hesitant
drawl, which, as all who had ever
seen the Advisor at his chosen
pursuits well knew, signified an
awakened or intensified interest
In the matter in hand.
i "Where-er--is the -er -
body?"
II don't know. 1t amt been
found"
Then how do you know he's
dead?"
The other tore open the bundle
he carried, and spread before Av-
erage Jones a white silk shirt
stained with ominous brown
splotches.
TITS his shirt. There's the in
itials. Mailed to my house and
got there just after I left. My
secretary brought It on, with the
mote that come pinned to 1t. Here
1t is"
He. produced bit OF coarse
wrapping-paper upon which was
this message in rough capital let
tiers:
TWO DAGOEs SHOT HIM DAS-
SENT SAY NO MORE FROM A
FRIEND IN CINCINNATI
Average Jones examined the
wrapper. 1t was postmarked Gin
cinnati. He next smoothed out
the creased silk and studied min
utely the blotches, which were
heaviest about the left breast and
shoulder.
To the surprise of Doctor Hoff,
the young mans glance roved the
big desk before him, settling with
satisfaction upon sponge-cup for
moistening stamps. Applying this
to one of the spots on the shirt,
he rubbed the wetted portion Wig
orously on a sheet of paper which
lay near at hand. His lips pursed.
He whistled very softly and med
itatively. He scratched his chin
with a slow movement.
rs that all?" he shot out sud
denly at the older man.
"Alli Amt it enough? He's
been murdered; murdered, / tell
you, an you set there an whis-
tle!"
Average Jones directed a
dreamy smile toward far corner
of the room.
II don't see anything so far, :"
he observed, to indicate that your
son Is not alive and we'll at this
moment"
Doctor Hoff struck his fist
down heavily on the desk. "What
is this you're giving me? Cant
you read? Look at that note
there, an the blood on the shirt. J"
Would you mind moderating
your voice? My outside office is
full of more or less excitablc
clients" said Average Jones mild
ly. Moreover, it's not blood
anyway"
What is it, then -
That's beside the question.
Dried blood rubs off a faint buff
color" He picked up the sheet
of paper from his desk. A deep
brownish streak showed where he
had applied the moistened cloth.
TITS the rawest kind of blind.
Why, the idiot who sent the shirt
didn't even have the sense to fake
bullet holes. Enough to make
one lose all interest in the case"
he added disgustedly.
Doctor Hoff began Juggling at
his side-whiskers. Don't do moth
ing like that" he pleaded. Come
with me to Cincinnati. If he amt
dead they've kidnapped him for a
ransom"
"Then Cincinnati is the last
place on the map to look, because
there's where they want you to
think he is. But it doesn't look
like a case of ransom to me. Let's
see. Was he particularly drunk
the day before he disappeared?"
mo. He was SOBER"
Unusually sober, maybe?"
suggested the other.
Eyes, he was. Been sober forl
a week. An he was studyin', too
''Ah! Studying what?"
Spanish"
Spanish, Ell? Ever exhibit any
interest In foreign tongues be-
fore?"
mot enough to get him through
one term in college," returned the
other grimly.
"How did you know about his
studying?"
''Seen the professor in the
house."
x-N.,