Evening star., 1930-06-22
to Get the Plot.

A~ had just let herself down from
~ the lap of Hector Stoat, the de-
tective and run to the small i'm
prOvised nursery where Bud had set up a howl.
Behind her she could hear her husbands dazed
protest whats the matter now, Doll?"
She hoped she hadn't irritated him by jump
ing up right in the midst of his perfectly fas-
cinating story.
Goodness. she told herself, taking Buds
thumb out of his mouth the way the doctor
told her to- it was snap being detective S
wife, one on the home, the other on Hec-
tors living thrillerS But, of course, it was
worth 1t. Hadn't she herself pulled Hec out of
the hardware business and into Cheevers Pri-
Vate Bureau? Hadn't she gone around to her
Uncle Dan, who owned stocks in Cheever's?
Sure, anybody be detective" That was
what he said when he got Hector a job. She
had thought him very superficial when he said
that.
She put an extra blanket over Bud and tip
toed back to her husband. He was so stunning
in his silk-faced dressing gown His lean fea-
lures, hawk nosed, beetle browed. fitted per-
fectly to her ideal. And he was biting short
pipe-just like Sherlock Holmes.
Doll, if you don't want to listen" he
began again.
"As if I could help listening But when Bud
cries You were saying that Mr. Fennig s
clothes were stolen twice-and you said j. viii
bur Fennig is very rich and delightfully."- vulgar
He spends a million dollars on his clothes and
looks like comic strip. And he gets all his
clothes from one tailor, and the tailor has the
cloth specially made in England. And Mr..
Fennig has shape like Summer squash
Nowi You say wasn't listening!" She sat up
clapped her hands.
"K ISIS me-" demanded Hector Stout, the de-
tective. She did and he resumed his pro-
fessional voice. "The first robbery took place
the evening of the 18th or the early morn
ing Of the 10th. Mr.. Fennig was giving q din
ner party. His wardrobe was not watched be-
cause his valet was killed a week before"
Poisoned" said Maud, her eyes wide
NO He was hit by an automobile. Now try
TO concentrate. Nothing was taken but Mr.
Fennig'S suits. The burglar didn't touch his
money or his jewels And that's what bafnes
u.s." said Hector. Who would want Mr.. Fen
nig's clothes They're the queerest cut, the
most awful-looking goods And how can they
be lost? They're conspicuous as house
afire-"
I'M bet the Wallets ghost took EN-" ventured
Maud
I'VE don't fool with ghosts" Hector was
lofty. THE second robbery occurred exactly 10
days later. Mr.. Fennig had gone to his tailor
and had the whole wardrobe duplicated-62
suits and ~ extra pairs of trousers. Naturally
the first thing we did was TO search the house.
From cellar to garret. OF course, Fennig hurt
his case by reporting it so late He wouldn't
go to the police 80 he called us in, because
we're o private bureau. Cunningham and
went up to see him. He was in his pajamas
Manuel HaTk, his tailor, hadn't finished the
second batch yet and Fennig couldn't go out
He's one Of those fat men, too lazy to stay sore
very long. And crazy about society. He offered
Us q reward flve times the price of the theft,
N % vith
they won't be stolen again. He doesn't want
to put anybody in Jail. Notoriety scares him
blue. The thing that bafhed us at first was to
hnd motive"
Some Of the servants"
They're all being shadowed They've been
with Fennig for Is years and have clean rec
Ords We've shadowed everybody concerned.
We've covered every secondhand clothing store,
we've" Hector glanced at his watch. THE
rest Of it's so technical, Doll, don't think you'd
be amused"
Go on, Hector, please!'
We'll, we've got plenty of finger prints fresh
and plain, of the wardrobe wall"
Then what are you worrying about, silly?
You can just flt 'em on the real criminal and
say, Come quietly my mani"
The criminal has disappeared-left his
boarding house and given no address" said
Horace, and his look was worried. THE best
motive we could find was jealousy Rollo Fen
mig is J. Wilbur Fennig's elder brother He's
an unsuccessful inventor and dresses like
tramp Recently he had been taunting Mr..
Fennig about his fine clothes He's supposed to
have a pass key to the house. We're recon-
Structing the crime on these clues" But he
mustn't bore her with the technique of crimi-
nology. just then the telephone trilled. Hector
answered. Yeah" she heard him say. About
o'clock? You mean they repeated the
job? Yeah. Funny You say they took
'em all again? Shadowed? Why, boy every
keyhole has An eye Sure. IN put on c and
be right down"
c, Maud understood was detective Language
for a dinner salit inst as 2O3 speled Hector