Evening star., 1917-10-28

you see. they really did all the work.
1t wasn't much over 120 degrees IN
front of them ash-pit doors. either, and
l was workin only an eight-hour SHIFT:
Yet / actually put six pounds durin
them two weeks. Also | sopped up
about all there was to know as to how
our SuhcontraCt for Army ShoVelS was
ben' filled.
So after I've filed my report ! should
have ducked two or three DAY
swing was comm to me. wasn't 1t? But
this habit of stickin around the shop
is hard to break. And that's how
happen to be hand when the lady
in gray drifts in for her chatty con-
fab with Mr.. Ellins
Seems she held quite block OF our
preferred. for when Vincent lugs in her
card Old Hickory spots the name rlSht
away as being on our widow -and-or-
phan list that we have at investigatin'
committees from time to time. You
know the game.
Smith. Show her in. boy.
Such quiet gentle, dignified party
she is. her costume tonin' in with her
gray hair and her easy way of speakin
and all. that my first guess is she
might be the head of an old ladies'
home, or lady deacon from some
Quaker settlement, who'd come in to
have us explain the income tax hold
out on her dividends. But II soon de-
veIops she amt on any such simple
errand that.
Mr.. Enins.' says she. = am looking
for my niece"
Now that should have been enough.
l could sketch out the crisp come hack
Old Hickory would have shot over If
he'd been runnin' true to form. But.
say. he has his soft spots. one of them
is his likin' for gray eyes. Another
thing he always falls for is soft cooin'
tones. SO she gets it sort of mild.
Are you?" says he. 'Humph, Hard
ly think we could be of service in such
a case"
oh" says she. II am so sorry"
Lost. is She" suggests Mr.. Ellins.
weakenin,
she is somewhere in New York"
goes on Mrs Parker Smith. "Of course,
I know it is an imposition TO trouble
You with such matter. but
Not at all, madam" says he. Not
at all
She shoots over grateful smile that
completes the spell.
4 thought you might have some
one in your Office says she. who
who
I'VE have" says he '"Torchy-e-I
mean. Lieutenant; Mrs. Parker Smith.
Here. madam. is young man who will
find your niece for YOU at once. In pri-
vate life he is my secretary: and as it
happens that just now he is on special
detail. his services are entirely at your
disposal
With that he turns and gives me the
merry wink.
Maybe, you can guess. ma'am," says
I. why ] joined the Army. Retrievin'
lost nieceS is some out of my line. but
I'll do what I can ...
She looks little doubtful about bein'
shunted like that. but she follows me
into the next room. where | produces
a pencil and pad and calls for details
businesslike.
Let's sce.' says l. Whats the full
description? Age?"
Why says she hesitatin' claire is
about twenty-five.
"Oh! says l. "Got beyond the fiapper
stage. then. Height-tall or short
Mrs. Parker Smith shakes her head
I'm sure I don't know" says she
You see. Claire is not an own niece
She-well. she is a daughter of my first
husbands second wife's stepsister"
Nv ha "a att" says l. gawpin' at her
Daughter of your Oh, say, lets
not go into it as deep as that Tn
dizzy already. Suppose we call her an
in-Iaw once removed and let it go at
that"
Thank YOU says Mrs Parker Smith,
givin me a quizzin smile. Perhaps 1t
IS enough to say that l have never
seen her
She does go on to explain, though,
that when Clairss etep-uncle. or what
ever he was, found his heart trouble
Smith askin her to forget the past
and look after the orphan girl that he's
been tryin' to bring up. It's just as
clear to me as the average movie plot,
but 1 mods my head for her to go on
so for three years says she, while
Claire was in boarding school, I acted
as her guardian; but since she has