Evening star., 1921-10-16

don't even know mo by sight, uo
they?'
! C'USS1E says the veilhofrs have seen
me once or twice in the elevator;
at least. they thought they had. And
some body about the place had told 'em
1 was an actress.
STILL" says I. that hardly accounts
I for their sending you on such risky
spying trip as this. Who are these
Veilhoffs, anyway
! And by pumping Gussie freely got
a fairly good description. They were
| old maid twins who lived with an old
bachelor brother. They'd been born
| til last winter had always lived in an
fashioned house down on Jerolo-
man street. But when brother sold
/ the old home as part of q site for an
I office building and the house had to
be torn down they moved across the
river and became regular New York
| .rs--that is, instead Of 4 homo that
! they owned. they had SO many cubic
fee: OF space that they rented. And
they didn't like it. either
| On Jeroloman street they'd had q
! little patch of back yard, where Anna
used to set out the geraniums in the
| spring. Here they couldn't even keep
a single flower pot on the fire escape
| or window ledge without getting a call
from some inspector. And they were
pie down in the street. Not to know
| 'em. anyhow. Only the tops of their
hats. On Jeroloman street they used
| to sit every afternoon at the front
windows and watch folks come and
! go from the apartment houses across
the street. and guess who they were
and where they were going Anna had
a little strip of mirror fastened out
side her window and she could see
anybody coming from way down the
| street. and would tell Rosie about EN-
and If it was worth while Rosie would
! stretch her neck out and look down.
| too. as they went by. And all the time
they would talk the people over.
! You don't mean they did this
| every afternoon" I asked.
; From three to SIX" says Anna.
Must have been an exciting indoor
sport" says I. How about the rest
Of the day? What did they do morn
| ings?'
According to Gussie the twins didn't
leave the hay until about 9 o'clock,
| when she took their breakfast in to
them. Then they just f,;ssed around
| in their rooms. combing their hair and
polishing their finger nails and getting
| dressed. That took them until nearly
noon. Then they sat IN the living
room and did some kind Of crochet
until lunch time. After lunch they
had to have their maps.
Must have needed rest by then,"
says l.. But !! don't suppose they
really did any sleepingT
nahalf oughtat hear 'em snore."
Then came the three-hour rubber
neck orgie, and at 6 they got ready
for dinner. Brother Herman came in
at $50 to the minute. They sat and
listened for him to open the front
door. If he was bit late they began
to worry. If he was as much as a
quarter Of an hour overdue they were
almost in a panic and talked of tele-
phoning to police headquarters. When
he did show up, on those tragic occa-
sions, he had to tell over and over
again just what had happened. Then
In the evening they sat around, all
three of 'em. Sometimes Anna and
Herman played rummy, or double soli-
taire.. Rosie didn't play cards. 1t
made her head bad. Maybe once a
month they went to the movies. Her.
man wanted to go out oftener. but the
twins wouldn't let him go alone and
1t was too much trouble for 'em to get
ready.
They watch him close. them two"
says Gussie. afraid he'll get mar
ried. Huh: HIM"
Hes no gay charmer. eh:" sug-
SeStS.
"old and fat and bald" says Gus
sic. Makes 1otta money, though.
Makes paper boxes. Big factory.
Three hundred girls in 1t. He don't
pay 'em much. Gets 'em in to learn
the trade and when they want more
pay he turns 'em Off. That's the way
he fools the unions. Hates labor
unions. Herman does. hear him talk
about ''em q lot"
Yes, Gussie." says I. II imagine
you do. You may not look like much
Of a mental absorber. but I can see
that there's mighty little you miss.
What about today's report, though?
If ] let you go back what kind Of a
tale are you going to feed the twins?''
II dunno. says Gussie, blinking.
Il don't find out yet what makes the
thumps' .....+.
Now. honest to goodness. Gussie,"
says /, "do you mean that those two
fat old maids got so curious over a
little thing like that? Enough to send
you climbing up fire escape?
CHE insists it's so. what for
should risk my neck, then?" she
demands. I'm scared to do it, but
that Anna says I gotta come. She
look soft, Anna, but she's hard. In
here" And Gussie taps herself on the
left side; to indicate her heart, 1 sup
pose. Then she adds: II oughta go
back. They'll be gettin' worried"
80 II Y ~saY.