Evening star., 1923-02-25

Jun PROMlSE A NJ SLEUTH 'STUF
ALONG AND HAVE A LOOK"
slip. My source of information has been
blocked of recently So we'll just go
UP and take a look
Simply walk in on him." / asked.
"Oh, yes" says Mr. Parks. There
has been no open break between US.
The last heard from him he had de
veloped a fad-ancestors.
"Eh?"
Family portraits" goes on Parks
He did have nucleus to start with
in some old paintings which his father
left him. Oh, yes: Preston comes from
good stock. There was great-grandA
daddy. 1 believe, who just missed be-
ing governor of the state. That was
way back. OF course. He was a friend
Of Hamilton Burr. Preston told me
all about it once and half promised
to show me the painting Of the old
boy that he had hanging above his
library mantel. He never did. though.
But ] heard good deal off and on
about Squire Ashabel. Rather proud
OF him, Preston is. And you're sup
posed to be greatly interested in such
things, so I'm bringing you along"
"I'll try TO look the part" says 1.
but 1 doubt if can make a noise
like an art critic
You'll not need to-" says G Han
son. IF a man has fad he'll talk
about it. even to a perfect stranger.
And after you get Preston going
y; ;nr
least, you'll have a chance to study
him. Shall 1 call for you about s:15?"
"Ali right says I. But l don't
promise any sleuth stuff. understand.
I'll just go along and have look"
Z x 4
NOU might KNOX, too. that this
j would be the night Barry Platt
would pick to blow me to a Ritz din
ner by way Of celebrating the CEN
tury performance of that thriller OF
his, THE Shadow on the Door"
Sweet Of Barry to remember me when
there was Anita Norman, who plays
lead in his piece and has been vamp-
Barry and were just on the point
Of making 1t all up over a noble por-
tion OF baked Alaska-my favorite
dessert-by the way-when / looked
at my wrist watch and saw that it
was after 8 o'clock.
Sorry, old dear" says 1. but here's
where I must check in as a lady
Sherlock. Mr.. Parks will be waiting
and he isn't good at it,
Huh" says Barry. Seems to me
you're running around with that
sporty old .plute quite a lot
You'd rather I went calling on
Preston Bates alone?' says ]. How
shocking Of you"
And with that I made a dash for
taxi and got to East 21st street to
find G. Hanson pacing the block i'm
patient. But even so, we we're towed
into the Bates library not two min
utes after the half hour. OF course,
I was expecting to see a more or less
placid person, but I was hardly pre-
pared for such a solemn bird as Pres
ton. With a few feathers and a
hooked beak instead Of a turnip nose
he could have passed for an owl any
where outside of a bird sanctuary
One Of these big-faced, round-eyed.
middle-aged gumps he was, who
looked as though he'd been eased
into his dinner coat with the aid Of
talcum powder and a shoe horn. He
blinked at US surprised, and 1
wouldn't have been Jared a bit if
he'd tapped his elbows and hooted
"whoo-whoo". a few times.
He didn't, though. He signaled the
butler to bring more coffee cups. gave
Mr.. Parks cigar and offered me Gig
arettes. And inside Of five minutes.
after he'd been told that I was inter-
ested in his gallery Of portraits, he
was becoming almost human.
s"I suppose it's kind Of a queer line
to take up" he. apologies. "but find
that almost every big business man
has something Of the sort on the side.
Takes or the strain. expect" y.
@. Hanson winks at me. but L>rnan-
age to keep my face straight. why
says I. IT think it's perfectly splen-
did thing to do. There's class to a
collection like this. Absolutely. And
they're all ancestors. are they?"
"Oh, yes" says Preston Bates.
Didn't know I had so many until /
began looking 'em up. OF course. I
knew We went back quite aways. but
] I had no idea the family could be