Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-04

M TWIST stood with his shou-
IVY derS against the mantlepiece
1 L in Mr.. Carmody'S study and,
twirling his waxed muStache
thoughtfully, listened with an express
sionleSs face to Soapy Molloys synop-
sis of the events that had led up to his
being at the Hall that morning. Dolly
rcclined in a deep armchair. Mr.. Car
mody was not present. having stated
that he would prefer to leave the ne
gotiations entirely to Mr. Molloy.
Through the open window the sounds
and scents of Summer poured in, but
it is unlikely that Chimp Twist was
aware of them He was a man who
believed in concentration, and his whole
attention now was taken up by the
remarkable facts that his old acquaint-
ance and partner was placing before
him.
The latter's conversation on the tele-
phone some two hours ago had left
Chimp Twist with an open mind. He
was hopeful, but cautiously hopeful.
Soapy had insisted that there was big
thing on, but he had reserved his en-
thusiasm until he should learn the de-
tails. The thing, he felt, might seem
big to Soapy, but to Alexander Twist
no things we're big things unless he
profit for A. Twist in them
Mr.. Molloy, concluding his story,
paused for reply. The visitor gave his
mustache a final twist, and shook his
head.
Il don't get it," he said.
Mrs. Molloy Strengthened herself
militantly in her chair. OF all mascu-
line defects. she liked slowness of wit
least, and she had never been great
admirer of Mr.. Twist.
You poor. nut-headed swozzie," she
said, with heat. What dent you
get? It's simple enough isn't it?
What's bothering you?"
There's a catch somewhere. Why
isn't this guy Carmody able to sell the
thingS?"
ITS the law, you poor fish. Soapy
explained all that,
mot to me he didn't" said Chimp
"a lot of words f1uttered out OF him, but
they didn't explain anything to me. Dc
YOU mean to say there's law in this
country that says man can't sell his
own property"
ut isn't his own property" Dolly's
voice was shriil with evaporation. Tine
| things belong in the family and have to
be kept there. Does that penetrate, or
have we got to use steam drill? Listen
| here. Old George w. Ancestor starts
| one of these English families going
wav back in the year C. X something
| He says to himself. I can't last forever
and when I CO. then what? My son
| Freddie. is a good boy, handy with the
battle-axe and okay at mounting ms
! charger but he's like all the rest OF
| these kids-you can't keep him away
| from the hook shop as long as there.
anything in the house he can rais'
! money on. 1t begins to look ike tnt
moment I'm gone my collection OF Ole
antiques can kiss itself good-by! ANT
then he gets an idea. He has Law
passed saving that Freddie can use the
| stuff as long as he lives, but he cam
sell it. And Freddie, when his time
comes, he hands the law on to his son
| Archibald, and so on. down the line til
YOU get to this here now Carmody. Tn:
only way this Carmody can realize OF
all these things is to sit in with some
body who'll pinch them and then sal
/ them away SomewhereS, so that, altel
the COPS are out of the house all thu
! fuss has quieted down. they can get TO-
| gether and do deal.
Chimp's face cleared.
"Now I'm hep" he said. Now SEE
what you're driving at Why couldnt
| Soapv have put it like that before
| Well, then. what's the idea? I sneak ir
and swipe the stuff. Then what?
You salt it away"
cat Healthward Hop"
"Nol" said Mr.. Malloy.
mol" said Mrs. Malloy.
It would have been difficult to say
which spoke with the greater emphasis
and the effect was to create rather
embarrassing silence.
1T isn't that we don't trust you
! NTr
! silence had lasted some little time.
"Oh?" said Mr. Twist rather dis
family.
ITS simply that this Carmody nat
urally don't want the stuff to 20 out OF
the house. He wants it where he car
keep an eye on It,"
How are you going to pinch it with
| out taking it out of the house?"
That's all been fixed. I was talking
to him about it this morning after
| 'phoned you. Here's the idea. You get
the stuff and pack 1t away in suit
| case
stuff that there's only enough of sos
you can put 1t all in a suitcase is lo
of use to any one" commented Mr.
| Twist diSparagingly.
| Dolly clutched her temples. Mr.. Mol
| 10y brushed his hair back from his Tore
head with a despairing gesture.
Sweet potatoeS!" moaned Dolly
"Use your bean. you poor sap, use your
| bean. II you had another brain. youo
| Just have one. A thing hasn't got to be
the size of the Singer Building to be
valuable, has it? I suppose If some one
offered you a diamond. you'd turn II
down, because it wasn't no bigger than
a hens egg"
'Diamond?" Chimp frightened. "Are
! there diamonds?"
mo, there aren't. But there's pic
/ lures and things. any one of them worth
a packet. Go on, Soapy. Tell him..
| Mr.. Molloy smoothed his hair anc
addressed himself to his task once
more.
We'll, it's like this, Chimpie,,' he said
"You put the stuff il a suit case ano
you take it down into the hall where
| there's closet under the sairs :
Wen show you the closet" inter-
| jected Dolly.
Sure well show you the closet,
said Mr.. Molloy generously. We'll
! YOU put the suit case in this closet and
| you leave It lay there. The idea is hat
| later on I give old man Carmody my
check and he hands it over and We
! take it way"
"He thinks Soapy owns museum In
| America" explained Dolly. He thinks
| Scans Cof oil the money i'm the world .