Evening star., 1922-08-20
Trilby May and Soft-boiled One

At breakfast Barry Platt an
nounced that he'd had a corkine
nights rest It's always SO calm
and quiet out here he adds.
Especially says 1. when you go
into a trance at 1915 and don't come
out of it until. breakfast time"
Me" says Uncle Nels, Il had good
sleep. too"
II know" says 1. I'VE heard you
at it,
So we didn't say word about our
soft-boiled burglar. In fact, within
a couple OF days l had almost for
gotten about Hens midnight visit
and his wild tale about the hidden
stocks. Then one forenoon / decided
to hang the old mirror oyer a tip
leaf table in the front hall. instead
of where we had put it at first. in
the living room. As Barry was handy,
I asked him to help take it down.
He was still balanced on a chair.
examining the old red picture cord
by which it was hung, when he had
this sudden hunch to show how
handy he could be about the house
You know this wooden backing
is rather loose. Trilby May" says he.
I'd bettertake it out and put it in
over again."
Can you?" I says. How clever"
Somebody's done it before" he
goes on. land made a botch Job OF it,
See! Stuffed lot of papers In be-
tween the backing boards and the
glass. Don't need all that. I'll just
| take it out and put in one thickness
Of newspaper. There"
*.* -
WITH that he tosses the yellow,
w dusty old sheets on the floor and
waits for me to hand him a news
paper. But something about them
| had caught my eye. j picked one
up and took it over to the light. 1t
was stiff. almost like parchment. and
| rather deliberately engraved with
| designs and figures And then i made
out the inscription.
"Whe-e-e" squealed, excited.
What is it. a spider" asked Barry
Spider nothing!' says /. "Oh. 1nez!
| Come here. Look ~
En- says 1nez. drifting in from
the next room. What you got?"
THE missing papers" says I. Those
Bell Telephone shares that Ben Tuttia
hid away so long ago. Only he didn't
mean to hide 'em. expect His main
Idea was to pad the back OF the mir
ror. I'll say it was happy thought
Of his, too
or course, we had to tell Barry the
| whole story about Hen. Smalley and
the letters and the burglarious visit.
But chiefly he seemed excited about
the value of those shares.
why" says he. III they're the orig
inal issue they ought to be worth all
| kinds of money now.
But who they belong to-" comes
in Inez.
That's so," says Barry. The es-
tate might claim them"
..rhe heirs would have to do more
than that to get 'em away from me-
| says 1. Lets drive in and ask Squire
Sweat"
couldn't wait until after luncheon,
either. / wanted to know at once
whether l was in luck or not. And the
| SQUIRE gave lne a prompt decision.
Found 'em in back of the old mir
| ror, did you" says he. Il remember
| knockin' It down to you at the auction.
Well, YOU bought it as is didn't you
ct suppose 1 did," says l.
paid cash. toc?' he goes on
"Oh, yes," says !. Seven seventy
nve"
Then / can't see but what you own
| everything about 1t, Miss Dodge" says
the squire. I'D call it some bargain.
too. Anyway. I'd take chance on
giving you five thousand for them
| shares" -.,.
.Z-x-zing" says I. Say. squire.
when are you going to stage another
uuction?"
ioepyr.sh.. 1s2s. .by ss~si Fosa-S