The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1916-03-30

son.
Mistake Number One. Elverson is
straight but his office is fuller of leaks
| than sieve"
| That's probably why l found my
private laboratory reeking of cyanide
fumes fortnight later" remarked
Dorr dryly. Il got to the outer air
alive, but not much more"
Where is this laboratory"
"Over in FIatbush, where / live-or
did live. Within month after that
man sneaked up behind me and shot
at me. The police told me to be sure
and not let the newspapers know.
Then they forgot it,"
Average Jones laughed. "Of course
they did. Didn't you take any other
precautions?"
ooh, yes. reported the attempt to
dogs"
"Two?"
Eyes. Rags and Tatters. Both
killed right here in this room"
Average Jones became suddenly
very much worried about the second
button of his coat. 'Er-where were
your" he drawled. ~s-
II was here when Tatters got his
death. had gone to the washroom at
the farther end of the hall when Rags
was poisoned"
WAS there evidence of poison?"
Pathological only. In Tatters' case
it was very marked. He was doing
in a corner near the radiator when
heard him yelp and saw him swapping
at his belly. 1t was like strychnine
poisoning. Before I could get vet
Urinary here he was dead"
What about the other dog"
rags? That was the day before
yesterday. We had just come over
from Flatbush and Rags was nosing
around in the corner"
"Was it the same corner where Tat
tiers was attacked"
"Yes; near the radiator. He seemed
to be interested in something there
when left the room. was gone not
more IMAM TWO uluutcS.
Lock the door after you?"
"It has a special spring lock which
had put on myself"
Average Jones crossed over and
looked at the contrivance. Then his
glance fell to huge, old-fashioned
keyhole below the new fastening.
you didn't use that larger lock?"
"No. l haven't for months. The
key is lost, I think"
Retracing his steps the investigator
sighted the hole from the radiator,
and shook his head
cts not in range, he said. go on"
"As reached the door on my re-
turn, heard Rags yelp. He was paw
ing wildly at his nose. The veterinary
didn't believe 1t was strychnine. Said
the attacks were different Whatever
it was, / couldn't find any trace Of it
In the stomach. The veterinary took
the body away and made complete
autopsy"
did he discover anything?"
Eyes, The blood was coagulated
and on the upper lip he found a circle
of small pustules. He agreed that both
dogs probably swallowed something
that was left in my Office, though /
don't see how it could have got there
"That won't do" returned Average
Jones positively. "a dog doesn't cry
out when he swallows poison, unless
it's some corrosive"
"It was no corrosive. examined
the mouth"
What about the radiator" asked
Average Jones, getting down on his
knees beside that antiquated contriv-
ance. ut seems to have been the
center of disturbance"
eff you're thinking Of fumes" re-
piled the chemist, II tested for that.
1t isn't possible"
mo; suppose not. And yet, there's
the curious feature that the fatal in
fuence seems to have emanated from
the corner which is the most remote
from both windows and door. There's
no fire-escape and it's too far up for
ANYTHING to come in from the street.
Average Jones examined the walls
with attention and returned to the
big keyhole, through which he peeped.
After politely offering some chewing
gum to his host, he chewed up sim
gle stick thoroughly. This he rolled
out to an extremely tenuous consisten-
cy and spread it deity across the I'M
used keyhole, which it completely
though thinly yelled.
''Now, what's that for?" inquired the
chemist, eying the improvised closure
with some contempt.
Don't know, exactly yet replied
the deviser cheerfully.
"All right" agreed young Mr.. Dorr-
Whatever your little game is, I'll play
it. Give me your address in case you
leave town. IS
"As / may do. / am going to hire
press-clipping bureau on special or
der to dig through the files OF the
wm<x