The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1934-04-13
THERESE BENSON
e, The Bobbs- Merrill Company
wNU Service
CHAPTER VIII-Continued

How do you do?" she said politely.
pray 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 your" Smif
inquired, allowing surprise to register
through her voice.
Il am Mr.. Gregory Pulaski. coun-
selor at law" he said. ~ 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-s skinned
fairy, whose eyelashes curled their
fabulous length upon her rounded
cheeks. Certainly she was not the
blonde German hausfrau Smif had an
ticipated.
Sniff allowed her gaze to wander to
the males of the party. "They look as
If they had been pallbearers at the
funeral" she thought, and the descrip
ton 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
ly 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"
"He 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.
Mrs. Mabeuse Is In trouble? she
asked. 70. ..--. ...
Madame, do not play with u.s.
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.
sieur Mabeuse's studio yesterday.
assume that is the circumstance you
refer to and hope you are conveying
his apology. | was just about to write
IL. - 81 m.
would take no more lessons from him.
but would permit him to retain the ad.
vance payment she had made Per-
haps his wife will convey the message
and save me that necessity"
"HOw can you expect such thing,
Madame. after what was discovered
yesterday" .-...a, .a.t<.2s
Sniff presented bewildered express
sion to his searching gaze
81 am rather good at puzzles" she
said. "but need some sort of clue to
give me a start. Perhaps If you were
to explain
You can't put that over on us, so
you need not try" Mr. Mayer fiared
out. Ill, Pulaski, quit stalling and
get down to cases. or, If you don't,
will"
II should be grateful" Smif 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 II would have
been more fitting If she had nom
mated lawyer. l can understand her
desire to avoid publicity"
Zone moment" Sniff interrupted
plaintively. 81 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 a charity be-
cause she caught a mention of huge
sum of money"
Call it charity or any other On
thing you want" Mayer interrupted
brutality. Miss Phelps had better pay
up and pay promptly. IL 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 it. If Henri Mayer knows himself"
There are means Of communication
with Europe" Mr.. Pulaski suggested
genially, 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 it Is based"
Mr.. Pulaski cleared his throat and
slipping the fingers of his right hand
within his waistcoat, attacked the sub
tect oratorically. asa
Miss Phelps came to Mr.. Mabeuse's
studio ostensibly to take lessons in
miniature painting. | say 'Ostensibly'
advisedly for Mr. Mabeuse is a strik-
ingly handsome man and the young
lady evinced no talent.
Her teacher devoted so much time
to Miss Phelps instruction that shortly
his other pupils deserted him." Mr.
Pulaski went on with his recital 1.-THE
children, used to the run of the house,
were of sudden unwelcome in the
studio. When his wife entered there
Miss Phelps and he conversed osten-
tatiously in French, language with
which they knew Mrs Mabeuse to be
unfamiliar. in order, no doubt. to make
her take herself away the sooner.
Shortly. however, the young lady de
vised an even better plan. Pretending
that the little Eugene was Interested