The Tomahawk., 1916-04-06

son. '....,s
mistake Number One. Elverson is
straight, but his Office is fuller of leaks
| than a sieve"
That's probably why found my
private laboratory reeking of cyanide
fumes a fortnight later" remarked
Dorr dryly. 81 got to the outer ali
| alive, but not much MORE
Where is this laboratory"
"Over in Flatbush, where I live-or
did live. Within month after that
| a 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
Judge Elverson. He gave me the two
dogs"
'"Two?"
yes. Rags and Tatters.s 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.
II was here when Tatters got his
death. had gone to the Mushroom 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
ters was attacked?"
Eyes; near the radiator. He seemed
to be interested in something there
when left the room. I was gone not
more than two minutes"
Lock the door after your"
1T has special spring lock which
1 had put on myself"
Average Jones crossed over and
looked at the contrivance. Then his
glance fell to a huge, old-fashioned
keyhole below the new fastening.
You didn't use that larger LOCKE"
"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
CAS- l reached the door on my re-
turn, I heard Rags yelp. He was paw
ing wildly at his nose. The veterinary
didn't believe it was strychnine. Said
the attacks were different. Whatever
it was, I 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 circle
CT 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"
1T was no corrosive. I examined
the mouth"
What about the radiator?' asked
Average Jones, getting down on his
knees beside that antiquated contriv-
ance. 1T seems to have been the
center of Disturbance
IF you're thinking Of fumes" re-
piled the chemist, II tested for that.
It isn't possible" ...
"No; l suppose not. And yet, there's
the curious feature that the fatal in
fluence seems to have emanated from
the corner which is the most remote
from both windows and door. There's
no fire-cscape 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 deftly 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.
LAS l may do. l am going to hire
a press-clipping bureau on special or
der to dig through the files Of the
local and neighboring city newspapers
for recent items concerning dog-pofs-
oning cases.
Dog poisoning seemed to Average