Evening star., 1921-05-08

1
But with Superior street lined WIN
| movie houses. and big arn1Srs arn,ss
where the band played for puolS
dancing. Inez was just as satisned as
| if I'd opened the pearly gates lot Iet " !.
That is, she was until she got let-
! ter from home about this Uncle Neis.
They think I ought to find him. says
she. Why? says I. is he lost? IL
wasn't ia: exactly. He was missing;
| though. and had been for seVeral
years. When last heard from he'd been
| in Duluth. Well. we looked up the ao :,
dress. b:;: he wasn't there. A man sala
| he had gone to New York. At Whlch
I told ineZ she might as well cross
him off the slate. But she shook her
head. She had to find Uncle Nels. w n
all this rush Of affection so late;
asks. is he such a star uncle: he :
rich. Uncle Nels.' says Inez fosh
says |. That's different. A rich uncle
deserves to be kept track Of. SO We
saved and saved until we had enough
to come. And here we are. MISS "el!-
by" a.,
| suppose she should have shud-
dered and led us sadly but firmly out
to where the brownstone steps start
ed for the sidewalk. But she dldn I.
Maybe it was the smile | threw in a l
| the finish. oh my. yes, That's the
easiest thing do. that smile. Not one
of these heart thrillers you get from
the screen favorites. Nothing hke
| y
, account Of it. And perhaps it's more
of y grin. at that. Doesn't mean much.
| either. It's just my way of signaling
to the human race: "Ah. quit kidding.
! You're not half as bad as you look.
and I'm not either SO there" Any
wav. Miss Wellbv smiled back and led
US up to this fourth floor room with
two single iron cots and window
overlooking double row of back
Yards.
you will he here for only short
time. | presume" says she.
"OnIv until we can look up Uncle
Ncls." says l. Then I suppose he'll
send the limousines for us.
So we paid a week in advance and
began unpacking the suit cases.
x X ::
ucIZ. eight. ten hooks" says /.
~ counting 'em. land three hangers.
who gets the odd hanger you slip
out in the hall and bring in that
phone directory. Thatll be the quick
est way to locate Uncle Nels. Ought
20 be Nelson Petersen. l suppose
"Petersen?" echoed Inez. and when
I looked up she was blinking more
stupid than usual.
Indicating WHAT: says l. Hcard
the name before. haven't you: And
il il was your fathers. then his
brother would be-
But Inez is moving her head from
side to side. Uncle Nels, says she
"is brother to ma
oh" says |. And that would make
him-Nels what"
II dunno says IneZ.
"Wha-a-at,' ] gasps. "Of course YOU
know. What was your mothers name
before she got to be Mrs. Petersen?
Olsen" says Inez. "But-but Uncle
he-he change his name. II forget"
"Hallup." says l. That's real in
teresting. that is. Here we are. come
all the way to New York to hunt
stray uncle who's tagging under
name you don't happen to remember
But | expect you have some idea what
he looks like"
NO" says Inez. Il don't see him
since ! was little"
Well" says !, settling back on
the cot bed and gazing al her stunned.
Il must say that makes it compli-
Gated"
"Yes-s-s?" says 1nez. in that help
full way of hers.
For a party of the second part. that
can be indicated by zero minus y.
take pleasure in presenting Miss lnez
Peterson. when she drops into
1
minutes or so I jabs questions at her
that would have qualified me for
third degree expert. And at the fln-
ish we were about where we started.
only was hoarSe and IneZ had
chewed the flavor all out of her gum.
What she didn't know about this
missing uncle Of hers was amazing.
And it wasn't worrying her bit.
Then. when l was about to give
up, stubbed my toe on what looked
like a clue.
"Inez." says"I, turning her round
SO l could look square into the peace
full gray eyes. "can it be true that
all you've been feeding me about
Uncle Sels was just bunk"
No" says she. II gotta Uncle
That's on record and l expect I'll
| have to believe part of it, says 1.
But honest now. with nothing but
dim memory to go by. how did you
think it was to he done"
1nez simply rolls her eyes up and
inspects leak stain in the ceiling.
It's just the same as cutting the
wires or shutting a door in your face
But ] wouldn't have it that way.
! Come back. Inez." says /. And
tell me; WASH, the big idea Of wish
ing US into this fool excursion just
getting to New York;
/ That seemed to strike the key.
| Long time ] want to go by New
! York" she admits.
But Why" insists. I'm the
! name Of all that's simple. Why:
| At that .Inez ducks her chin. as
kittenish as COW playing tag with
| a billy goat. She almost works up
| a blush. too.
Aw. I dunno" says she. But so
| much happens by New York-fine
| fellers in full dress suits, swell ladies
with long pearl chains. burglars
| breakin in, policemen smashin' doors,
AUTOMOBILES runnin' round, and-and
milliOnaires get in love with poor
working girls. Things like that all
the time in New York. BY Duluth.
no.
Tor speed and duration Inez had
broken her speech record. Also. in
one grand mental effort she had put
into words all her secret and un-
! guessed yearnings. 1t was like flash
ing a searchliGht into a dark room
| that you thought was empty, and dis
covering it to be full Of junk the
atrical scenery.
But ] could account for Inez now.
She had developed a movie mind.
Somewhere underneath that double
hank of wheat-colored hair wound
| like a wreath around her head, and
back OF those Holstein eyes, was a
| space that had become crowded with
| the things she had seen on the screen