The times-herald. [volume] (Burns, Harney County, Or.) 1896-1929, 1920-02-21

detective of the snowy type. Results
had justified his methods, but he was
perfectly aware that young Mr.. Oakes
looked on him az a dull old man who
had been miraculously favored by luck.
Mr.. Snyder had selected Oakes Tor
the case in hand principally because
II was one where incxperIence cou'o
do no harm, and where the brilliant
guesswork which the latter cnlied MS
lnductive reasoning might achieve nm
unexpected success.
II was one Of those bizarre cases
which call for the dnshing. amateur
rather than the doggcd rule-of.thuinp
professional.
Mr.. Snyder had. moreover. kind
Of superstitious faith In the luck OF
the beginner.
Another motive actuated Mr.. sny'
der In his choice. He had q strong
suspicion that the conduct of this case
was going 10 have the beneficial result
OF lowering Oakes' seIf.esteem.
II failure achieved this end, MT
SNYDER felt that failure. though u
would not help the agency, would not
be an uimIxed III.
The door opened and oakcs en-
tered tensely. lie did everything tense
~, partly from n natural nervous
energy, and partly Ms n pose. lie
was lean young man, with dark eyes
and thiu.lIppcd mouth. ana looked
as like q typical detective ms Mr.
Snyder looked like comfortably pros
porous stock broker.
Mr.. Snyder had never bothered him
self about the extcrnals NJ his profes-
siep. One could Imagine Mr.. Snyder
iu his moments of leisure watching
bali game or bowling. Oakes gave the
impression OF having. no moments OF
leisure.
"sit down, Oakcs." said Mr.. Sny.
der. eve got job for YOU"
Oakes sank into chair IKE
crouchlng leopard and placed the tips
| of his fingers together. He nodded
curtly. II was part OF his pose TO be
keen and silent.
II want you 10 go 10 this address
he handed him nm cnvelopc-"and
look around. Whether you VIII ma
out anything. or whether there's amy
thing 10 find out. II more than ! can
say. When the old lady was telling
me the story own was carried away
She made Il convincing. She thinks
II was murder. don't know what 10
think"
"The factsf" said oakcs briefly.
Mr.. Snyder smiled. quietly TO him
self.
"rhc address on that envelope N
Of n boarding house on the water
front. down In Long Island. You know
! the sort of placc--retired sea-capiains
and 30 on.
"All most respectable. Don't run
away with the Idea that I'm sending
you 10 some meiodrnmatic helrs-kitch-
en- where the guests are drugged and
shanghaied on the day Of their arrival
AS far as I can gather. this place
In a sort OF male Martha Washington.
In all its history nothing more sensa.
tional has happened than case of
suspected cheating at pinocle. Well, a
man has died there"
"Aiurderedf"
"I don't know. That's for you 10
nnd out. The coroner left II open. j
don't see how II could hQve been muir
der. The door was locked; nobody
could have got In"
The windowi"
"The window was open. But the
room liz on the first floor. And, any
way, you may dismiss the window.
remember the old lady saying there
was n bar across n, and TINT nobody
could have squeezed through"
Cakes eyes glistened. He was In
| terested
"what was the cause Of deathT
Mr.. Snyder coughed.
"snake-bite." he said.
Cakes careful calm deserted him.
He uttered n cry OF astonishment.
what"
"It's the literal truth. The medical
examination proved that the fellow
had been killed by snake poison. To
be exact, the poison Of snake known
as the kraft. In this Long Island
boarding house. In room with a
locked door. this man was stung by a
kraft. It's a small snake, found prin'
cipally In India.
"To add O little mystification Ia the
iimpid simplicity OF the affair, when
the door was opened there was no
sign OF any snake.
Ut couldn't have got ont through
the door. because the door was locked.
II couldn't have got mp the chimney,
because there was no chimney. Aud
| II couldn't have got out of The window,
because the window was too high UP,
and snakes can't jump. So there YOU
have H."
lie looked at Oakes with a certain
quiet satisfaction. II had come To his
ears that Oakes had been heard 10
complain Of the infantile simplicity.
unworthy of man Of his attainments,
OF the last two cases 10 which he had
been assigned, and had said that he