Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-02-25
EPISODE
THE PROBLEM OF THE RETURNED
FURNITURE
CHAPTER XIII
A New Problem Appears

n new Problem Appears
lust as Bruno Duke began TO tell
- Hazelbrook how to plan the delivery
Of his furniture the telephone bell rang
A woman's tired voice asked for Duke,
and on being told that he was in confer
ence. asked when he could be seen.
He is engaged all day today and to-
morrow. l am his assistant, Peter Flint,
May take any message for him?"
"Oh, dear me. IL wanted to talk
with him. l must return to Maine to-
night. It's important, too"
Hold the line a moment" said, and
then told Duke what she wanted and
asked IL he would speak with her.
He shook his head, smiled and said,
you look 1t up for me please, Peter"
Back to the phone l went and into II
l spoke. May I ask who 1t is speaking
and where are you staying?"
'Er-er-yes, 1 suppose so. I'm Miss
Carstairs. Miss Esther Carstairs. I'm
the daughter of Ephraim Carstairs. He
owns or owned the Carstairs Granite
Company. and-oh, dear, I'm SO upset"
where are you staying, Miss Car
stairs?"
AT the Belton Hotel. I'm here with
Miss Benks. my old nurse. She--I-oh
dear"-her voice trailed eff into a half
sob.
"Will you see me If come around to
your hotel, Miss Carstairs?'
"Oh, dear me- 1 don't know. I-oh
dear, please don't think me rude but
who are you?"
I'm Peter Flint, Mr. Dukes conflden-
tial assistant. I can assure you. Miss
Carstairs, that Mr.. Duke would un-
doubtedly use me If you placed your
business problems with him. l assume
1t is a business problem about which
you wish to consult him.
"Oh, dear me, yes. it is and in n way
it isn't; but 1t really is after all"
l could see there was no chance of
making any progress over the telephone
and l caught a glimpse of Bruno Duke
giving me an amused smile, so 1 said
abruptly.
"I'll be over to the Bolton within half
an hour, Miss Carstairs," and up went
the receiver.
Duke nodded approval of my method
but confined his conversation to Hazel
brook AS left the room 1 heard Ha-
zelbrook say:
81 must confess, Mr.. Duke. that you
have opened my eyes to things that 1
ought to have realized long ago. I'll GER
tainly follow your plans and In a
months time will expect Mr.. Flint to
visit us and report to you whether or
not the delivery problem is being cor
rectly solved"
That meant another trip for me to
Rowcaster. but ! took such trips as a
matter of course. for was getting used
to following up a job and seeing if the
work Of Bruno Duke was really solving
the problem which his remarkable
genius had been called upon to solve.
As hurried to the door I was amused
to hear Mamie explaining to Mrs. Rock
wood how she had browbeaten the
butcher.
yep, man, told him, You jest put
yer rotten stuff back an gimme that
hunk o. real meat He growled, but I
had me glim on i'm, so he came acrost
all right"
Mrs lockwood said something which
I couldn't catch, but. it was evidently
about not spelling the butchers good
nature.
Say, I'd spoil is blinkin' dial afore
I'd let i'm slip me sommat a bit off-an'
it for Mr. Duke ter eat"
! Mamie is certainly looking after
Dukes eating interests, was my amused
thought as / descended the steps and
hurried to the downtown subway.
1t didn't take long to get to the Bel
ton, and in few minutes l was asking
| the room clerk TO tell Miss Carstairs
that / wanted to see her.
| Instead of being shown to the ladies'
parlor as | expected, l was asked to
please be good enough to go to the pri-
vate sitting room, which adjoined the