Evening star., 1921-06-19
A HOUND ON THE TRAIL

TOOK Incz IL couple of days to
really get the full effect OF this
sudden rush of fake uncles, and
even then she don't seem to be
quite sure as to just what has hap
pened. Chiefly she is impressed by the
fact that all those fresh reporters.
who had horned in on. follow-up tips
after Barry Piatt had printed that
first article about Incz and her hunt
for rich uncle. had gone off and
written a lot of flip stuff about us.
She has cut out all the pieces and has
read them over and over. finally put
ting them carefully away in the fancy
sweet-grass basket where she keeps
her, near-turquoise beads and her
spare lingerie pins.
We've get our name in the papers
Eey?" she observes.
Absolutely" says /. MADE the front
page in two morning editions and
earned an editorial sQuib in one of
the evening sheets. What of it,"
Kinda swell. eh?" says Inez.
~ you want to take it that way
feel as though I'd been kidded before
big crowd. Still. can stand that. If
New York can't find anything better
to laugh at than two honest working
few grins out of thar affair myself"
lnez makes try at sorting out
these mixed sentiments. but gives 1t
up. by Duluth" says she. they don't
We had no such active press agent
as this Platt person in Duluth" says l.
your Uncle Nels."
Maybe ne come yet" says Inez.
letting down about a yard of wheat
colored hair over set of shoulders
that would have marble Venus look
ing like an Art League copy done in
brick clay.
''I doubt it," says I. You're almost
larless sport who goes out and buys
new cocktail shaker on a rumor
that Milwaukee has elected wet city
council: but more than ever I mistrust
those present"
"You-you mean he don't live any
more?" she asks.
'T wouldn't put it as tragic as that"
says I. Isn't more than fifty or SO.
is he" And those retired lumberjacks
are apt to be tough old boys. So he
may be knocking around somewhere
on the map. But not in New York.
Ii he was wouldn't he have heard how
YOU were searching for him. with all
ttic AiSV you We Hdu ana
he's had three or four days to show up
In. with not so much as a postcard
from him. Or else when he cut loose
from the Petersen family eight or ten
years back he meant it to be a final
break and is sticking to his vow
What did you folks ever do to Uncle
Nels that would cause him to work up
q chronic grouch?"
TSEZ oh ha 1oh hav Oh
Il dunno" says she. He get rich.
we stay poor. and he don't come round
any more"
Sad. but human" says I. ANY |
way. there you have it. He has been
as thoroughly PACED as if you'd gone ;
through every street shouting for him
with a megaphone. And the net re-
suit was lot Of old frauds who shuf-
Ned out foolish when put them to the
acid test. So 1t looks as IL he wasn't
here. Might have gone back to Swe-
den and bought his way into the dried
Maybe he's Count Tandsticktor by this
time. Or he may be utterly and to-
tally deceased. You'd look we'll in
black. Inez. if you would care to let
your grief carry you that far"
says Inez decided.
''Oh. I don't know" says I. His
may not have been a noisy finish. !
Some uncles expire quietly. and with /
very little fuss. What you mean. !
suppose. is that he would have sent :
word about it. They don't always do
that. either. They get careless. And |
then. it's apt to be busy time for !
them" !
Inez gives me a wooden stare. indi- !
eating that she's lost the thread and |
is simply waiting until l get to talk !
ing rational again.
Never mind" says I. You may |
be perfectly right not to give him up. |
and il it's going to help you any to !
be able to mention casually that you |
have a rich uncle kicking around /
somewhere. why keep right on. Only. |
IneZ. dear. let's not feed the tale to |
any more cub reporters. I'm afraid |
Barry Platt has strained his imagina- |
tion on US already. Besides. getting !
into the public prints that way makes |
US so conspicuous. Haven't you no
ticed how all the boarders stare when |
we come into the dining room?"
Il no care for that" says Inez, lift |
ing her broad chin.
"Don't tell me you've swallowed |