The Cook County news-herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Cook County, Minn.) 1909-current, 1916-04-13

~'Ae'AAS eaSI1'1tleS VI 1ll0. Al the Sug'
gestion of Waldemar, owner of an i'm.
portant and decent newspaper, he
opened offices in Astor court and went
IN for following up queer advertise.
ments and tracing down fraudulent ad.
vertisers. Business doomed.
mot 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 TO anyone furnishing information
which leads to the discovery of Roderick
Hotf. twenty-four years old, who left his
home in Toledo, O.. on April u. Commu-
n1cate with DR.. Conrad Hoff, Toledo.
Surely Doctor Hotf is good for the
amount"
ooh, 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 ap.
peared, Roderick Hoff had achieved a
career. Emerging from college, he
ta1 -,
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 paresis would win the
event around young Mr.. Hoff's kite.
shaped race track of brain.
With his tastes the income Of TWEEN.
ty-fve 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
8 acerbity. .. -
ooh, very WE'LL" said he, iii go and
make it 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 five.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.
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 self-impor
lance. In his hand was patchy bun.
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 personly, from Toledo to see
you"
The Advisor said CURLY: Il can't
take your case. Good-day."
"Not take it! Did you read the re-
ward?"
Yes. Get someone else to find your
hopeful"
1T amt no case of findin' now. The
boys dead" His strident voice qua
vered and broke, but rose again to a
snarl. And, by God, I'll spend mil
lion to get the dogs that murdered
him"
At the word murdered" Average
Jones' clean-cut, agreeable, but rather
stolidly neutral face became resolute,
Norceful and quietly alert. The hest
tant drawl signified awakened inter
cGt
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 MS shirt. There's the Initials.
Mailed to my house with the note that
come pinned to it. Here it is"
He produced bit of coarse wrap
ping paper upou which was this mes
sage in rough capital letters:
rWo DAGoEs SHOT HIM DAssENT
SAY NO MORE
Average Jones examined the wrap
per. 1t was postmarked Cincinnati.
He next smoothed out the creased silk
and studied infinitely the blotches. Ap-
plying cup sponge to one of the
spots, he rubbed the wetted portion
vigorously on sheet of paper which
lay near at hand. He scratched his
chin with slow movement
Il don't see anything so far he
observed. ITO indicate that your son is
fnot alive and we'll at this moment.
Dried blood rubs of faint buff color. -
He picked. up the sheet Of paper from
his desk.ss A deep brownish streak
showAd where he had applied the
moistened cloth. TITS the rawest kind