The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1933-12-29
CHAPTER v1II-Continued


Smif bowed, deliberately formal.
slow do you do?" she said politely.
spray be seated. am Madame Saitou
and your names?" She took out her
notebook and poised her pencil.
"Miss Phelps must have told you
about u.s." one of the men advanced
the statement truculently.
"Does Miss Phelps know you?" Sniff
inquired, allowing surprise to register
through her voice.
Il am Mr.. Gregory Pulaski, coun-
selor at law" he said. II represent
Mrs. Mabeuse. This is Mrs. Mabeuse."
Smif bowed politely and Mrs. Ma
beuse further inclined her already
downcast head. She was exquisite.
A tiny, darkhaired, white-skinned
fairy, whose eyelashes curled their
fabulous length upon her rounded
cheeks. Certainly she was not the
blonde German hausfrau Sniff had an
ticipated.
Smif allowed her gaze to wander to
the males of the party. "They look as
IL they had been pallbearers at the
funeral" she thought, and the descrip.
tion was apt, since they appeared in
black cutaway coats, black waistcoats
and striped trousers. They wore dark
neckties, their hair was black and
lacquered. their eyes black and slight
~ bullying, their skins yellow rather
than olive, their noses politely sugges-
tive of a not too remote Semitic
origin.
.And the other gentleman?" she
murmured interrogatively.
"Mr. Henri Mayer"
'sHe is my cousin" Mrs. Mabeuse
laid her fingers lightly. tenderly, on his
coat sleeve, and at the touch and the
sound of her soft little voice the man
hitched his chair closer to hers, COW
ering her hand with his own.
HE is her nearest relative, come
to support her through this sad mis-
fortune" Mr.. Gregory Pulaski ex-
planned.
Sniff raised her eyebrows.
'sMrs. Mabeuse is in trouble?" she
asked.
Madame, do not play with us.
Surely Miss Phelps has explained the
circumstances?
"Oh, yes" said Smif airily with a
cynical twist of her mouth. "She told
me that she had been insulted in Mon
gieur Mabeuse's studio yesterday.
assume that is the circumstance you
refer to and hope you are conveying
his apology. | was just about to write
him a note to say that Miss Phelps
would take no more lessons from him,
but would permit him to retain the adj
vance payment she had made Per-
haps his wife win convey the message
and save me that necessity"
aHow can you expect such a thing,
Madame, after what was discovered
yesterday" y.
Sniff presented bewildered express
sion to his searching gaze.
II am rather good at puzzles" she
said, "but need some sort of clue to
give me start. Perhaps If you were
to explain"
"You can't put that over on us, so
you need not try" Mr.. Mayer flared
out. Ill, Pulaski, quit stalling and
get down to cases, or. If you don't,
will"
II should be grateful" Sniff looked
at her watch. "My time is all en-
gagged and have clients waiting"
1.-The point is this" said Pulaski.
Miss Phelps asked us to see you, al
though in my opinion it would have
been more fitting If she had NOM
mated lawyer. I can understand her
desire to avoid publicity"
Zone moment" Smif interrupted
plaintively, Il still do not know what
you are talking about. Miss Phelps
told me that some one had called her
up this morning and she had referred
them to me as she was in hurry and
the connection was bad. She fancied
you were collecting for charity be-
cause she caught mention of huge
sum Of money"
thing you want" Mayer interrupted
brutality. miss Phelps had better pay
up and pay promptly, If she wants to
avoid a suit She can't step out Of
her sporty car and break up my little
cousins happy home without sweating
for 1t. II Henri Mayer knows himself" "
''There are means of communication
with Europe" Mr.. Pulaski suggested
geniaily. Miss Phelps could doubtless
obtain anything she required"
$50 far" Sniff rejoined, you have
failed to make the necessity clear
to me. In fact the idea strikes me as
preposterous, If may say so without
offense. Suppose, Mr.. Pulaski. you
were to be so kind as to explain to me
upon what 1t is based"
Mr.. Pulaski cleared his throat and
slipping the fingers of his right hand
within HIS waistcoat, attacked the sub
1ect oratorically.
I''Miss Phelps came to Mr.. Mabeuse's
studio ostensibly to take lessons in