The Tomahawk., 1916-04-06
club, where he offered an explanation

ends. At the New York terminus we
had two deaths in the office of man
with powerful and subtle enemies.
Some deadly thing is introduced
through that keyhole. The killing in
fuence reaches corner far out of the
direct line of the keyhole. Being near
the radiator, that corner represents
the attraction of warmth. Therefore,
the invading force was some sentient
creature.
"Now, at the Bridgeport end we have
a deadly influence loosed. Here, too,
the peril is somewhat dependent up
on warmth, we know, from Professor
Moseley's agonized eagerness for a
frost. Dogs are killed. Finally a
child falls victim, and on that child is
found a circular mark, similar to the
mark on Mr.. DORIS dogs lip. You
see the striking points of analogy?"
do you mean us to believe poor
old Moseley cold FLOODED murderer"
demanded Mr.. Curtis Fleming.
Far from it. At worst an unhappy
victim of his own carelessness in
loosing a peril upon his neighborhood.
You're forgetting a connecting link;
the secretive red-dot communications
from New York city addressed by
Moseley to himself on behalf of some
customer who ordered simply by code
of inkdots. He was the man had to
find. The giant luna moths helped to
do it,
II don't see where they come in at
ALL" declared Dorr bluntly. "A moth
foot wide couldn't crawl through a
keyhole."
mo; nor do any damage if it did.
The luna is harmless. The moths
were important only as clues-and
bait. Their enormous size showed
Professor Moseley's line of work; the
selective breeding Of certain forms Of
life to two or three times the normal
proportions. Very we'll; I had to as
certain some creature which, if magni-
fed several times, would be deadly,
and which would still be capable of
entering large keyhole. Having de-
termined that" -.
"You found what it was?" cried
Dorr.
Zone moment. Having determined
that, had still to get in touch with
Professor Moseley's mysterious New
York correspondent. I figured that
he must be interested in Professor
Moseley's particular branch. of re-
search or he never could have devised
his murderous scheme. So con-
the luna moth advertisement
to draw him. and when I got reply
from Mr.. Ross, who is a fellow-ten-
ant Of Mr.. DORIS, the chain was COM
plete. Now, you see where the luna
moths were useful. If i had adver-
tised, instead of them, the lathrodec-
tus, he might have suspected and re-
Trained from answering
whats the lathrodectus demand
ed both the hearers at once.
For answer Average Jones stooke
letter from his pocket and read:
Bureau of Entomology,
u. S. Department of Agriculture,
Washington, D. c., April 7.
Mr.. A. " r. Jones,
Aston Court Temple, New York City.
quiry, the only insect answering your
specifications is small spider Lathrodec-
tus mactans, sometimes popularity called
the Red Dot, from bright red mark upon
the back. Rare cases are known where
death has been caused by the bite of this
insect.
This bureau knows nothing of any ex-
periments in breeding the Lathrodectus
for size. Your surnise that specimens Of
two or three times the normal size would
be dangerous to life is undoubtedly cor
rect, and selected breeding to that end
should be conducted only under adequate
scientific safeguards. A Lathrodectus
with fangs large enough to pene-
trate the skin Of the hand, and a double
or triple supply of venom, would be, per-
haps, more deadly than a cobra.
The species is very susceptible to cold.
and would hardly survive severe frost.
1t frequents woodpiles and outhouses.
Yours truly,
L. o. HOWARD.
Chief of Bureau.
Then Ross was sneaking down
here at night and putting the spiders
which he had got from Professor Nose
ley through my keyhole, in the hope
that sooner or later one Of them would
get me-" said Dorr.
"A very reasonable expectation, too.
Vide, the dogs" returned Average
Jones.
And now" said Mr.. Curtis Fleming,
will someone kindly explain to me
what this Ross fiend had against our
friend, Mr.. Dorr?"
Nothing" replied Average Jones.
you see Mr.. Dorr was interfering
with the machinery of one of our rul-
ing institutions, the Canned Meat
Trust
Nonsense! Socialistic nonsense!"
snapped Mr.. Curtis Fleming. Trusts
may be unprincipled, but they don't
commit individual crimes"
Don't they?" returned Average
Jones, smiling amiably at his own
boot tip.
"But why so roundabout a meth.
od?" asked Dorr specifically.
We'll, they tried the ordinary meth
DDS Of murder on you through agents.