The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1916-04-06

portant and decent newspaper. he
opened Offices in Astor court and went
In for following up queer advertise
ments and tracing down fraudulent adj
vertisers. Business doomed.
Not good enough" said Average
Jones.
The ad. says different, sir" Simp-
son raised the paper and read:
FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS - THE
aforesaid sum will be paid without ques-
ton 10 anyone furnishing information
which leads to the discovery OF Roderick
HON, 'twenty-four years old. who left his
homo n Toledo. o.. on April u Commu-
mcaes with DIR. Conrad Hon. Toledo
"Screly Doctor Hoff is good for the
amount"
"oh, he's good for millions. The
point is, from what can discover, Mr..
Roderick Hoff isn't worth retrieving at
any price above one dime"
"Was the information about him that
you wished in the telegram" asked
the confidential clerk.
yes; all wanted. Have the Tole-
do reporter forward his bill"
Left to himself, Average Jones again
ran over the information as to the lost
Toledo youth. At twenty-four, it APP
peared, Roderick Hoff had achieved a
career. Emerging from college, he
had taken a postgraduate course in
the Cigarette ward of a polite retreat
for nervous wrecks, endured two
breach-of-promise suits, broken the
record for speed violation arrests, had
been buncoed and short-carded out of
varying sums, and now was the horror
of the pulpit and the delight of the
city press Bets were even in the
Toledo clubs as to whether delirium
tremens or paresiG would win the
event around young Mr.. Hoffs kite
shaped race track of a brain.
With his tastes the income Of TWEEN
ty-ave thousand dollars per annum
which his father allowed him proved
sadly insufficient to his needs. He
mentioned this fact to his father early
in April, only to be refused with some
acerbity.
"oh, very WELL" said he, "Ill go and
make 1t myself"
To all intents and appearances, Rod
erick Hoff had dropped off the earth
on or about April twelfth. BY April
fifteenth the elder Hoff's fve-thousand-
dollar anxiety became known through
the advertisement.
Simpsons face appeared at the door.
His blond forehead was wrinkled with
excitement.
Doctor Hoff is here, Mr.. Jones. l
told him you"
Following the word, there burst into
Average Jones private sanctum a
gross old man, silk-hatted and bedia-
monded, whose side-whiskers bristled
Whitley with perturbed selfimpor-
lance. In his hand was patchy oun-
die.
They tried to stop mel" he sput-
tered. me! I'm worth ten million dol
lars, an ten-dollar-a-week Office toad
tries to hold me up when come here
myself person1y, from Toledo to see
you"
The Advisor said CURLY: Il can't
take your case. Goodday."
mot take it! Did you read the re-
wardY"
Yes. Get someone else to find your
hopeful"
1T amt no case of findin' now. The
boys dead" His strident voice qua
yered and broke, but rose again to a
snarl. And, by God, I'll spend a mil
jon to get the dogs that murdered
him"
AT the word murdered Average
Jones cieau-cut. agreeable but rather
stolidly neutral face became resolute,
forcefui and quietly alert. The hest
tant drawl signiGed awakened inter
est.
How do - you - know-he's-
dead?"
The other tore open the bundle he
carried, and spread before Average
Jones a white silk shirt stained with
ominous brown splotches.
It's his shirt There's the initials.
Mailed to my house with the note that
come pinned to Il. Here It is"
He produced q bit of coarse wrap
pin paper upou which was this mes
sage In rough capital letters:
TWO DAeoEs SHOT HIM DAssENT
SAY NO MORE
Average Jones examined the wrap
per II was postmarked Cincinnati.
lie next smoothed out the creased silk
and studied minutely the blotches. Ap-
plying a. cup sponge to one of the
spots, he rubbed the wetted portion
vigorously on a sheet Of paper which
lay near 90 hand. He scratched HIS
chin with a slow movement.
II don't see anything so far" ne
observed, "to indicate that your son is
not alive and well 40 this moment
Dried blood rubs off a faint buff color
lie picked up tho sheet OF paper from
his desk A deep brownish streak
showed where he had applied the
moislenod cloth. IT'S the rawest kind
OF blind. Why, the idiot who sent
the shirt didn't even have the sense 20
fake bullet holes Enough 70 make
ono lose all interest In tho case" he
added disgustedly.
Doctor Hon began Juggling at hio
Bido.whlskers. Don't do nothing like
y be pleaded. Come with me 70
g. 'lnnaii N he amt dead they've
kidnapped him for q ransom"
Then Cincinnati is the last place on
the map 70 look Was ke particularly