Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-11
The Missing Hour
GatH Had No Thought However, Making
PrOe

musiache. 81 began to want to know
| after the first week Sometimes, after
the first wear, | felt | couldn't stand il
| any longer. Now, in the third year.
I'm going crazy about it. Leaving out
Saturdays. Sundays and holidays, j
reckon that. for over two hundred
| consecutive times a year at : clock,
he has taken up his hat and with
ont a word of explanation, gone
out. Never in all that time has he
been later in returning than five min
utes past T. Then back he goes to
work as though nothing had happened
It's got on my nerves to such an eX-
tent that l Shall do something foolish
about it before long. I'm sure of that"
Peter Bragg glanced through his
notes II anticipate no difficulty in
procuring for YOU the information you
desire. MIR. Pitt" he announced. II
will drop you a line to your private
address when l have information to
offer you"
Mr.. Pitt rose to his feet, with a
little sigh of content.
And may it be soon he ex-
claimed fervently. as he made his
adieus.
-FOUR days later Mr.. Henry Pitt
was ushered into the same room in
the Bellevue Mansions at about the
same hour in the morning and, after
a brief greeting was invited to take
the same clients chair.
He sat there blinking rapidly. his
nervous little eyes fixed upon Peter
Bragg. He seemed out of breath. as
though he had run upstairs. His hat
wanted brushing, his necktie was i'll
arranged, his linen not altogether ir-
reproachable. For business man, his
appearance was questionable.
'Well?' he exclaimed anXiously.
running his hand through his thin
wisps of hair. What's the news, Mr..
Bragg"
The latter consulted the report by
his side.
Your partner, Mr.. Pitt" he an
nounced, spends the hour between
3 and each day at the Office of a
business with which he is connected
in Masons Alley"
"A business? Mason's Alley" Mr..
Pitt gasped. why, that isn't so
yards away from us"
The firm there, with which Mr.,
Hope is connected" Peter Bragg con
tinued, trades under the name OF
luke & Co., Ltd. They appear to be
prOQuCe brokers' ana Dill QlScOunterS.
For a moment all the nervousness
seemed to pass from the face of the
little man in the chair. He stopped
blinking and sat like a carVen image.
"Tuke & Coz" he repeated. in a
low tone. Did I hear you right, Mr.
Bragg? luke & Coz"
THAT is the name. They are not In
a large way of business, but CONNER
cially their reputation is excellent.
They have a capital of 80 900 pounds,
all paid up, the great majority of the
shares being in the hands of your
partner, who does not appear, how
ever, to have any official position in
the firm. 1t has been a matter OF
unusual difficulty to gain information
concerning them. as their business
seems to be conducted with a great
deal of secrecy. There is a man
named luke, for instance kind of
manager-who receives all clients.
although he seems only to act upon
instructions from some mysterious
principal, who is, undoubtedly, Mr..
Hope. Mr.. Hope himself is there, as
have said, from to each day, but
it is only upon very rare occasions
that he does anything beyond direct
ing the business from behind closed
DOORS
Mr.. Pitt rose to his feet. He seemed
to be short of breath again, and a new
expression had found its way into his
face.
You must excuse me-" he begged,