Show ake I 1 he MILLION DOUAR DOG to this day average jones jonea main bains that he felt a distinct thrill at first sight of the advertisement yet fate fata might well have chosen a more appropriate ambush in anyone of a hundred of the strange clippings clip which were grist to the advisors ad visors mill out of a bulky pilo pile of the days paragraphs however it was this one that leaped significant to his eye WANTED TEN THOUSAND LOATHLY black beetles by a leaseholder who contracted to leave a house in the same condition as aa ho he found it ackroyd IOD W sixteenth st new york black beetles eh eb observed average jones this ackroyd person seems seems to be a merry amerry little jester well im feeling rather jocular myself this morning how does docs one collect black beetles I 1 wonder when in doubt inquire of the resourceful simpson he pressed a button and his confidential fiden ital clerk entered good morning simpson said average jones are you acquainted with that shy but pervasive animal the domestic black beetle yes sir I 1 board simpson simply 1 I suppose thoro there arent ten thousand black beetles in your boarding house though inquired average jones simpson took it under advisement hardly he bo decided ive docto to h have aye oem cm to fill an order feast ive got to have an in ot em and tomorrow ramson down on fulton street will have them it anyone has simpson said presently returning to his routine work average jones found himself unable to dislodge the advertisement from his mind so presently be ho gave way to temptation called up bertram at the cosmic club and asked him to come to the tho astor court temple offices at hla his conven convenience tenee scenting more adventure bertram found it convenient to come promptly average jones handed banded him the clipping bertram read it with ascending eyebrows whack at one hundred west sixteenth street str pet demanded jones one oho hundred west sixteenth let me see sea why ot of course its the old feltner mansion you must banow it it has baa a walled garden at the side the only ono one left la in tho the city south of cen central trel park anyone anyone named ackroyd there that must be hawley ackroyd I 1 reni remember ember now hearing that he had rented it judge ackroyd you know better known as oily ackroyd hes hea a smooth old rascal ever hear bear of his bis collecting in an sects never heard of hla his collecting any thing but graft in fact hed have been in jail years ago but for his family connections lie he married a van haltern you remember the famous van haltern will case surely the million dollar dog the papers fairly reeked ot of it a year ago sylvia graham had to take the dog and leave the country to escape the notoriety ashes back now I 1 believe ive heard beard of miss graham ro remarked average jones well it if youve only heard of her and not seen her returned bertram with something as nearly resembling enthusiasm as his habitual languor permitted bouye got something to look forward to sylvia graham is a distinct asset to tho the scheme mchome of creation an asset with assets of her own I 1 believe said average jones the million dollars collir left baher by her erold mrs van haltern goes to her eventually it provided eha carries caralea out the terms odthe 0 ithe will keeps the dog in proper luxury and buries himin the grave on the family estate at schuylkill designated by the ti testator stator it if these terms are not rigidly carried out the fortune la is to bo be divided most of it going to mrs mra hawley ackroyd which would woud mean the judge himself ha what about mrs ackroyd poor sickly frightened lady ashes very fond of 0 sylvia graham who la Is her niece L but ashes completely doial bated by bj r husband information Is your long suit bert now novi it if you only had intelligence to correspond P average jones jonea brcko oft off and grinned mildly first at his friend then at the advertisement Bertl bertram ram caught up the paper and studied dit it well what does it mean he demanded it means that ackroyd being about to give up djs rented house intends to saddle if it with a bad namo name sit it would be ba just like oily ackroyd 11 ro remarked marked bertram iles hes a vindictive scoundrel only a few days ago agg he be nearly killed a poor devil ot of a drug clerk over some trifling dispute ile he managed to keep it out of the news but bui he had to pay a stiff hue fine that might be worth looking bip tp too ruminated rumina ted average jones thoughtfully he turned to hla his telephone in answer to a ring all right come in simpson he said the tha confidential clerk appeared ll ramson ainson says that regular black beetles are out of season sir he reported but he can send to the country and dig up plenty of red and black ones iones that will do returned resumed the advisor tell him to have two or three hundred here tomorrow morning thus la is was that on the morning after this dialogue a telean built young fellow walked along west sixteenth street he ha was was rather a shabby bb looking on the evidence of t the e bandbox and which lie ho carried lit his s mission should have dhave been mental menial but he bore himself wholly unlike one subdued to petty employments his steady gray eyes showed a glint of anticipation as lie he turned in at tho the gate of the high broad brown stan aing dack back aloof and indignant from the roaring encroachments encroach ments of trade he set his burden down and pulled tho the bell the door opened promptly to the deep faraway far away clangor A flashing impression of girlish freshness 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 fad patiently it if its my hat its very late I 1 it miss its the insects the what the bugs miss he extracted from his pocket a slip of paper looked from it to the numbered door as one verifying an address and handed it to her from yesterdays copy of the bannor banner ner miss youre not going back on that surely he be said somewhat reproachfully fully she read and ns as she read her eyes widened to lakes of limpid brown then thoy they crinkled at the corners corners and her laug arose from the mid tone contralto to a high birdlike trill of joyousness ess it must have been uncle she gasped finally he said hed be quits with tho the real estate agent agena before he left how perfectly absurd and are those the creatures in that box the first couple of hundred of em cm miss ackroyd the girl looked at him with suspicion but his face was blankly innocent im not miss ackroyd she began with emphasis when a querulous voice from an inner room called out whom are you talking to sylvia ayoung A young man with d a boxful of beetles returned the girl average jones mutely held up the box in one hand and the advertisement inthe in the other very well said the girl in demure tones though lambent mirth still flickered golden in tho the depths of the brown eyes it if you persist I 1 can only suggest that you come back when judge ackroyd la Is here you wont find him bin particularly amenable to humor particularly when perpetrated by a practical joker in masque masquerade rado discovered murmured average jones 1 I dont ask any real reason nason for your extraordinary call pursued the ifie girl with a glint of mischief in her ber eyes but auntie thinks youve youva come to steal my dog she thinks that of everyone lately auntie your dog then youre sylvia graham I 1 might have known it 0 1 I dont know how you might have known it but I 1 am sylvia graham tt if you insist on introducing me to yourself misa graham said the visitor promptly and gravely let me present A V R E jonos jones a friend not the famous average jones cried the girl that Is why your face seemed so familiar ive seen your picture at ai edna holes hales you got her blue fires back tor for her but really that hardly explains your boing here in this way you know nothing simpler once upon a time there livel a crackbrained crack brained young don quixote who wandered through an age of burled buried romance piously searching tor for trouble and twice upon a time there dwelt in an enchanted stono itono castle in west sixteenth street an enchanting young damsel in distress im not a damsel in distress 1 interrupted miss bliss graham passing 0 over v er the adjective the young man leaned to her the halt smile had passed from lis lips and his eyes were nvere very grave not er it if your dog were to er disappear he be drawled quietly the swift unexpectedness unexpected nesa of the counter broke down the girls guard you mean uncle hawley sho she said and your suspicions jump with mine what do you know about uncle hawley your aunt 1 I gozt wont hear a word against my aunt not from me be assured your aunt so you have just told me believes that your dog la Is in danger of being boolen why dechuso abe she knows that tho the person most interested has as been scheming against the animal and yet she is afraid to warn you openly that indicate who it is amr mr jones 11 ivo vono no right jevon to let 1 you talk like this to roo mo have apu anything definite against judge ackroyd in this cass case only suspicion her head went up then I 1 think there is moro more to be said the young xoung mau man flushed but his voice was steady as aa he returned 1 I disagree with you and I 1 beg you to cut short your visit hero here and return to 0 your homo home at once in iii spite of herself the girl was sha eba ken by his persistence 1 I cant do that she aha said uneasily i and added with a flash of a anger ng er 1 I think you had better leave this ibis house it if I 1 leave this house now I 1 may never have 9 chance to eee bee you again the girl regarded him im with level noncommittal eyes and I 1 have every everi intention of seeing you again and again and again give me a chance a moment average jones mind was of gheem the emergency type tape it summoned to its ald aid without elfort eifort of cerebration on the he tart part of its owner whatever was mos most t needed at the moment now cowit it came to his rescue with the memory qi of judge Ack encounter with the drug clerk as mentioned by bertram miss graham ive gono gone rather tar far ill admit said jones but it if colell give me the benefit of the doubt I 1 think I 1 can show you some basis to work on jf it I 1 can produce Por something tangible may I 1 come back this afternoon ill promise not to come unless I 1 have good reason 10 somewhat to her surprise and uneasiness easi easiness hess sylvia graham gravani ex experienced a distinct satisfaction when late that afternoon afternoon the she behold beheld her unconventional ti acquaintance mounting the steps with a buoyant and assured step upon being admitted he went promptly to the point ive got it your justification for coming back she asked Exact exactly ik have you heard beard anything of some e trouble in which judge ackroyd was involved last week undo has haa a very violent te temper admitted the girl evasively but I 1 dont seo see whit what pardon me you will soft see that row with a drug clerk well the drug clerk insisted as the law requires on an judge ackroyd registering for r 16 certain eitalo purchase perhaps Por hapa he be was impertinent about it possibly the point Is 1 that the alio prospective purchase was waa cyanide of potassium a deadly and instantaneous poison aro are you sure asked the girl in a low voice ive just come from the store how long have you been here at your uncles A week then just about the t time line of your coming with the dog your uncle undertook to obtain ai swift and sure poison have I 1 gone far enough 1 I 1 I dont know I 1 what wha t la Is your uncles ard the dog almost what you might call ingratiating tia ting but peter paul my dogs name you know take to uncle hes a wise old doggie the other with emphasis bhea does your undo uncle give up this house at the end of the week ancle and aunt leave for europe then let me suggest again ehst you and peter paul go at once miss graham pondered no I 1 cant do that now miss bliss graham would it grieve you very much it peter paul were to die 1 I wont have him put to death said she quickly miss graham he be said eald slowly wont you try to forget fur for the moment the circumstances of our meeting and think of mr m anly as a friend frield of your friends who la Is very honestly eager to be a friend to you when you most need one tho the girls girla gaze met the mans lovd ani was held in d a long silent regard yes she said simply Li listen aten then I 1 think I 1 see a clear way judge ackroyd will kill the dog it he cun ati n and so effectually conceal the be body that no funeral can be held over it thereby rendering your grandmothers bequest to you void lie he has only a fow few QS g S to do it in but II I dont think th all your watchfulness ht ulness can restrain him now on en the other hand it tho the dog should dlo die a natural death and be ba burled lie he can still contest tho the will but if lie ho should kill peter paul paid and little hide the body wh where re we could discover it the game e would be up tor for him as ho be then even dare to corae come into court with a contest do you follow me yes but you ask me to be a party part to tiny any such thing youre a party involuntarily by remaining here but do da your best to save peter paul it if you will ald aid please call me ma up immediately y at the cfall it if an anything t turns urns up and by the way my beetles I 1 forgot and left them here oh theres the box I 1 may have a very specific use for theta them later au revoir and may it be sooil soon tho the two days succeeding seemed to average jones haunted as he was by an importunate craving to look again into limpid and changeful eyes a dull and sodden period of probation the messenger boy who finally brought her ber expected note looked to him like a greek the note this clipping LOST loar PUG puo DOO DOG ANSWERING TO the name of peter paul very old and asthmatic last seen on west sixteenth street liberal reward for information Inform Atlon to anxious care of banner office dear mr jones she had bad written are you a prophet borage Ay arage Jones chuckled at this point the seems to be distinctly in our line could you corae coe some tine time this afternoon im puzzled and a little anxious xI I 1 sincerely yours youra SYLVIA 11 average jones could and did ile he found bliss grahams piquant nt face under the stress of 0 excitement distinctly more alluring than than before it strange she said holding out a band in welcome why should anyone advertise tor for my peter paul he lost 1 I am glad to hear bear that said the caller gray gravely ely do you know what that advertisement means perfectly I 1 wrote it wrote it you well really I 1 ahrin why in the world did did you write it because of an unconquerable longing to seo bee average jones paused and hla his quick glance caught the storm signal in her eyes your uncle he be concluded calmly she rang arang th the ebell bell dispatched A a servant aa and presently judge ackroyd caroy stalked into the room what is the market quotation on beetles judge ask asked edthe the young man tapping the rug with his stick what are you talking about demanded we the other drawing down his heavy brows the black beetle the humble but brisk haunter of household crevices explained average jones you advertised for ien ten thousand specimens ive got afew a few thousand id like to dispose J of it the inducements are sufficient clent im in no mood for joking young man retorted theother the other rising you seldom aro are I 1 understand understand replied average jones blandly well isyou it you wont stalk talk about bugs lets letb talk about do doga gs tho the topic does not interest me sir air retorted the other and the glance of his eye wag baleful but uneasy the tapping of the young mans cane ceased he looked up into his hosts glowering |