Show I r 1 lY d. dIv l JV 1 HOPKIN i ADAMS The MILLION NILLION- DOLLAR OLLAR po DOG To this day Average Jones maintains main main- talus that he felt a distinct thrill at first sight eight of ot the advertisement Yet fate might well weil have chosen a a. more appropriate ambush in anyone of a hundred of the strange clippings which mill mUI Out were grist to the Visors Visor's of a bulky pile pUe of ot the days day's paragraphs however it was this one that leaped significant to his eye WANTED WANTED TEN TEN THOUSAND LOATHLY leaseholder who leaseholder who contracted contracted con con- contracted black beetles by a to leave leavo a a. house In the same condition con con- 03 ns he ho found It Ackroyd con W. W Sixteenth St. St New York Black beetles eh 0 observed Average Average Average Aver Aver- age Jones This Ackroyd person seems to be bo a merry little Jester Well Im I'm feeling rather Jocular myself this morning How does one collect black beetles I t wonder When in doubt inquire of the resourceful Simpson He pressed a button and his confidential confidential confidential con con- clerk entered Good morning Simpson said A Av Average Av- Av v- v Jones Are you acquainted with that shy but pervasive animal the domestic black beetle Yes sir I board Simpson simply I 1 suppose there arent aren't ten thousand black beetles in your boarding house though inquired Average Jones Simpson took it under advisement Hardly he decided Ive got to have em to fill an or or- der At least Ive I've got to have an installment installment in in- of em and tomorrow Ramson down on Fulton street will have them if anyone has Simpson Simpson Simp Simp- r son said presently Returning to his routine work A Av Average Average Av- Av v- v Jones found himself unable to dislodge the advertisement from his mind So presently he gave wa way to temptation called up Bertram at the Cosmic club and asked him to come cometo cometo cometo to the Astor Court temple offices at athis athis athis his convenience Scenting more adventure ad ad- venture Bertram found It convenient to come promptly Average Jones handed him the clipping Bertram read it with ascending eyebrows at One Hundred West Sixteenth Sixteenth Sixteenth Six Six- street demanded Jones One Hundred West Sixteenth let me see Why of ot course its it's the old Feltner mansion You must know it It has a walled garden at the side the only one left in the city city- south of ot Central Park Parke 4 Anyone named Ackroyd there That must be Hawley Ackroyd I remember now hearing that he had rented it Judge Ackroyd you O know better known as Oily Ackroyd Hes He's a a. smooth old rascal Ever hear of ot his collecting insects insects insects in in- sects I I Never heard of his collecting any any- anything thing g but graft In fact hed he'd have been in jail years ago but for his family tam tam- fam family ily connections He married marled a Van Yan Haltern You remember the famous Van yan Haltern Haltem will case surely the million-dollar million dog The papers fairly reeked of ot it a year ago Sylvia Graham Graham Graham Gra Gra- ham had to take the dog and leave the country to escape the notoriety She's back now I believe Ive heard of Miss Graham remarked remarked remarked re re- marked Average Jones Well if it youve you've only heard of her herand herand herand and not seen her returned Bertram with something as nearly resembling enthusiasm as his habitual languor permitted youve got something to look forward to Sylvia Graham is a I distinct asset to the Scheme of ot Crea Crea- I tion tio An asset with assets of her own I believe said Average Jones The liThe million dollars left leCt by her grandmother er cr old Mrs Van Haltern goes to her doesn't eventually it Provided she carries out the terms of ot the will keeps the rho dog In proper luxury and buries him in the grave on the family estate at Schuylkill designated designated designated des des- by the testator If these terms are not rigidly carried out the fortune fortune for fox tune is to be divided most of it going goIng going go- go go go- ing to Mrs Hawley Ackroyd which would mean the judge himself Hm What about Mrs Ackroyd Poor sickly frightened lady Sh She's s 's svery very fond cf of Sylvia Graham who is her niece But she's completely dominated dominated domi domi- n by her husband Information is your our long suit Bert f t Now if it you only had intelligence to jt correspond correspond- Average Jones broke off oft an and d grinned mildly first at his r friend then at the advertisement Bertram caught up the paper paper and Well studied it Well what does it mean 7 t he demanded It means that Ackroyd yd being about r- r to give up his rented house intends fr to saddle it with a bad name name lilt It It would be Just like Oily Ackroyd Ackroyd Ack Ack- f r royd royd remarked Bertram Hes Hos a if vindictive scoundrel Only a few days 6 ago he nearly killed a poor devil of a drug clerk over some Bome trl trilling trifling ing dispute z l I J JJ J J W t j Ho He managed to keep it out of at tho the newspapers but ho he had to pay a stiff fUn line fine That might be worth looking ip sip Jones too ruminated Average thoughtfully lie le turned to his telephone In answer answer an an- to a ring All right come como In n said Simpson Simps m ho lie The confidential clerk appeared a Ramson says that regular black beetles beetles beetles bee bee- sir he lie re re- aro out of season ported But he can send Bend t to the tho country and dig up plenty of red-and- red black ones That will wUl do returned the Ole AdVisor Ad- Ad Visor Tell him to have havo two or three hundred hero here tomorrow morning Thus is was that on the mor morning ing after this dialogue a clean built young fellow tellow walked along West Yest Sixteenth Sixteenth Sixteenth Six Six- street He was rather shabby- shabby looking On tho the evidence of the tho bandbox bandbox bandbox band band- box which ho he carried his mission should havo have been menial but ho he bore himself wholly unlike one subdued to petty employments His steady grayeyes gray grayeyes grayeyes eyes showed a glint of anticipation ashe as ashe ashe he turned in at nt the gate of the tho high broad brown house standing b back ck aloof aloot and indignant from the roaring encroachments of trade He Ho set his burden down and amI pulled the tho bell The door opened promptly to the deep far-away far clangor A flashing impression of girlish freshness vigor and grace was disclosed to the caller against a background of Interior gloom The girl glanced not at him but at the box and spoke a trifle impatiently Im im- patiently If It its it's my hat its it's very late It isn't miss Its It's the Insects Tho The what The bugs miss He Ho extracted from his pocket a slip of paper looked from it to the numbered numbered num num- door as one verifying an address address address ad ad- dress and handed it to her From yesterdays yesterday's copy of the Banner Banner Banner Ban Ban- ner miss Your Youre not going back on that surely he he said somewhat re re- She read and as she read her eyes widened to lakes of limpid brown Then they crinkled at the corners and her laugh arose from the mid- mid tone contralto to a high birdlike trill of ot joyousness It must have been uncle she gasped finally He said hed he'd be quits with the real estate agent before belore he left How perfectly absurd And Andare Andare Andare are those the creatures in that box The first couple of hundred of ot em Miss 1 Ackroyd The Tho girl looked at hiI him with suspicion suspicion suspicion cion but his face was blankly innocent innocent inno inno- cent Im not Miss Ackroyd she began with emphasis when a querulous voice from an inner room called out Whom are you talking to Sylvia A young man with a boxful of ot beetles returned the girl Average J Jones nes mutely mutely held held up the box in one hand and the advertisement advertisement advertise advertise- m ment mt in the other Very well said the girl in demure tones though lambent mirth still flickered flickered flick flick- ered golden in the depth of the brown eyes If It you persist I can only suggest that you come back when Judge Ackroyd Is here You wont won't find him particularly amenable to humor humor humor hu hu- mor particularly when perpetrated by bya a a. practical Joker in masquerade Discovered e d murmured Average JonesI Jones I dont don't ask any real reason for your extraordinary call pursued the girl with a glint of ot mischief in her eyes but auntie thinks youve you've cometo come cometo cometo to steal my dog She thinks that of ot everyone lately Auntie Your d dog g Then youre you're Sylvia Graham I might have known it I dont don't know how y you u might have known it But I am Sylvia Graham Graham- if it you insist on introducing me to yourself Miss Graham said the visitor promptly and gravely let me present A. A V V. V Ii R. R E E. E Jones a friend friend- Not the famous Average Jones cried the girl That is why your face seemed so familiar Ive I've seen your picture at Edna Hales Halos You got gother gother her ber blue fires' fires back for tor her But really that hardly explains your being being being be be- ing here in this way you know Nothing simpler Once upon a time there lived a crack-brained crack young Don Quixote who wandered through an age of buried romance piously searching for tor trouble And twice upon a time there dwelt in an enchanted stone castle in West Sixteenth street an en- en chanting young damsel in distress distress- Im not a damsel in distress Interrupted interrupted interrupted In in- Miss Graham passing over the adjective The young man leaned to her hor The Tho half halt smile had passed from his lips and his eyes were very ery grave Not Not it er If your dog were to to-er- to er disappear he drawled quietly The swift unexpectedness of the counter broke down the girls girl's guard You mean Uncle Hawley she said And your suspicions Jump with m mine What do you know about Uncle Hawley Your aunt aunt aunt- I wont won't hear a word against my aunt Not from me be assured Your aunt have told believes believes believes be be- so BO you Just me that your dog is in danger of being stolen Why Because she knows that the tho person most interested has been scheming against the animal animal animal ani ani- mal and yet she Bho is afraid to warn you openly Doesn't that indicate who it is Mr Jones Ive I've no right even to let you yeu talk like this to me Have you anything definite against Judge Ackroyd Ackroyd Ack Ack- royd I In this case only suspicion I Her lIer head went up Then IThen I. I I think there thero Is 13 nothing more more- to be Bald said j ff i n. n b ir The fhe yo young ng man flushed but Ills his voice was steady as he returned I disagree with ith you And I beg you ou to cut short your visit hero here and return return return re re- re- re turn to your home at once In spite of herself the tho girl was shaken shaken shaken sha sha- ken by his persistence I cant can't do that she said uneasily And Aud added with a flash ash of anger I think you had better leave this house If lf I 1 leavo leave this house now I may never nevor have a chance to see you OU again The girl regarded him with level noncommittal eyes And I have every intention of ot seeIng sec see ing you again and again and again and again and again Give me a chance a a. moment Average Jones' Jones mind was of ot the emergency emergency emergency em em- type It summoned to its ita aid without effort of cerebration on the part of ot its owner whatever was most needed at the moment Now it came cameto cameto cameto to his rescue with the tho memory of Judge Ackroyd's encounter with the drug clerIc clerk as mentioned by Bertram Miss Graham Ive I've gone gono rather far Ill I'll admit said Jones but if it you'll give me the benefit of ot the tho doubt I think I can show you some basis to work on If It I can produce something tangible may I come back this afternoon afternoon after atter- noon Ill I'll promise not to come unless I have good reason Somewhat to her surprise and uneasiness uneasiness uneasiness un un- easiness Sylvia Graham experienced experienced-a a distinct satisfaction when late that afternoon sho beheld her unconventional unconventional acquaintance mounting th the steps with a buoyant and assured step Upon being admitted he went promptly prompt prompt- ly to the point Ive got it Your justification for coming back she asked Exactly Have you heard anything of some trouble In which Judge Ackroyd Ackroyd Ackroyd Ack Ack- royd was involved last week Uncle has a very violent temper admitted the girl evasively But I dont don't see what what what- Pardon me You will see That row with a drug clerk e eWell Well VeIl The drug clerk insisted insisted insisted-as as the tho law requires requires requires-on on Judge Ackroyd registering register register- ing for a a. certain purchase Perhaps he was impertinent about it it Possibly The point is that the tho prospective purchase was cyanide of potassium a deadly and instantaneous poison polson Are you sure asked the girl in a alow alow alow low voice olce lIve Ive just come from the store How Howlong Howlong Howlong long have you been here at your uncles uncle's uncles uncle's uncles uncle's un un- cles cle's A week Then just about the time of ot your coming with the dog your uncle undertook undertook undertook un un- un- un to obtain a swift and sure poison polson Have I gone gono far enough I I 1 I dont don't know What Is your uncles uncle's attitude toward toward toward tow tow- ard tho the dog Almost what you might call caU ingratiating Ingra ingrao But Peter Paul Paul that's that's my dogs dog's name you know know know-doesn't doesn't take taketo taketo taketo to uncle Hes a wise old doggie a amended the other with emphasis Wh Who When n does your uncle give up this house At the end of the week and aunt leave for tor Europe Then let me mo suggest again that you and Peter Paul go at once once Miss Graham pondered No I cant can't t do that Now Miss Graham would It grieve you very much if It Peter Paul were to todie todie o odie die I wont won't have him put t to death said she quickly Miss Graham he said slowly wont you try to forget for the moment moment mo moment mo- mo ment the circumstances of our meeting meeting meeting meet meet- ing and think of me only as a a. friend of ot your friends who is very honestly eager to be a friend to you when y you u most need one Tho The girls girl's gaze met the mans man's lev l and was held in a long along silent regard Yes she said simply Listen then I think I see a clear clearway way way- Judge Ackroyd will kill the dog if he ho can and so effectually conceal the body that no funeral can be held over it th thereby reby rendering your grandmothers grandmother's grandmothers grandmother's grandmothers grandmother's grand grand- mothers mother's bequest to you void He has only a few dys to do d. it in but I II dont don't think th all aU your watchfulness can restrain him Now on en the other hand if the dog should die a a. natural death and be buried he can still c contest con contest con con- n- n test the tho will But Dut it if he should kill Peter Paul and hide the body wh where re rewe we could discover it the tho game would be up for him as he then wouldn't even dare to come coce into court with a a. contest Do you OU follow me Yes But you wouldn't ask me meto tobe to tobe be a party to any such thing Youre a 0 party Involuntarily by remaining here But do your best to save Peter Paul if it you will And Ard please call caU me up immediately at the Cosmic clu club If It anything turns up And by the way my beetles I forgot and left them here Oh theres there's the box I may have a very specific use for them later Au revoir and revoir-and and may it bo be soon The Tho two days succeeding seemed to Average Jones haunted as he was by byan byan byan an importunate craving to look leok again Into Miss Grahams Graham's |