Evening star., 1934-08-05
The
Party of
The YeaI
BY
Sarah
Middleton

~ N known to Bouart Burlesque audi
~ ences ''SpiffS' unrolled the
NJ v crumpled morning paper oblig-
ingly dropped for him by a pass
ing equestrian and resumed his
seat on Central Park bench moment, and
he ran after the horseman, but the rider, Her
bert Akers, had disappeared around a bend in
the bride path
TOO bad" Splits sat down and scrutinized
the invitation and note which, forgotten, had
been left in the paper both were without
envelope or address.
On crested parchment the Harrington Hunts,
Ferndale, Long Island, requested his presence
at "a wake for the unemployed" before bury
ing the broken-down, long distance mule, De-
preston" The party to be given that night
-"On the One Hundred and Eightieth Day of
1884, Thank the Eord.'
"A-amenl" Unemployed-guess III GO" He
put the note aside unread and opened the paper.
news item concerning the arrest of the Hunts
butter, Harry Hawkes., for speeding caught his
eye. by cracky. it's the same swells. And me
, invited where Harrys actin as waiteri Too bad
the old Burlesque quit"
Splits dismissed the plight of his former
cockney dancing partner at the Bouart Bur-
lesque, Harry Hawkes., to read the remainder of
the article which referred to the rare jewel
stolen from Mrs. Hunt a fortnight earlier at a
dinner she had given for Glare Staining and
her f1ance, Herbert Akers.
The antique charm of rubies, once owned by
Persian Shah, was last seen in the hand of
Herbert Akers. The investigation had dis
closed nothing. Nor had they found the woman
crook, SYLVIA Fish, who had coveted the jewel
for her turfman lover, as it was supposed to
give magic protection to horsemen.
= CPIFFS laid the paper aside 1t wasn't fair
- to read girls letters, but sometimes
He opened the note.
Dearest Herbert:
IT'S no use. Papa says that unless res
toration is made Mrs. Hunt BY tonight he
Oil break publicity our reported engagement
He demands that his son-iR -IdD hare
clear name
I'm hedrtbroken, but you knop Papu-
hotO dippy he is about his reputation And
pet he trails after that t0orldly tlDo-eped
Mrs. WGTehdm Nth her iDoHderful jetoeIs
wiz see you at the Hunts. aotsh there
Dere other ,odys OF managing mules besides
6Hrying them.
Lore, ol,Oass, dear. Depotedly,
CLARE
THE old cusS!" Splits replaced note and
invitation in his pocket and then counted his
remaining change. Fare to Ferndale and re-
turn with 40 cents over. Guess III go. I'd like
to see Harry Papa and that two-eyed dame, and
give Akers his letter Too bad about him loSin'
his Clare I wonder where that jewel went tol"
In meditative mood Splits strolled across the
park to the avenue pondering the large reward
offered by the insurance company for the jewel,
and humming Loves Old Sweet Song" During
his two years theatrical liberty" he had kept
his courage as taut as his belt by singing and
= dancing to imaginary audiences.
At IS Spills had been graduated from the
School of Hard Knocks with Magma Cum Laude
on his diploma; not the ordinary sheepskin but
OF rhinoceros hide, which symbolized that
the curriculum had been tough and the lessons
enduring. For that reason the depression pricks
had brought no kicks from him. Splits had
learned to take the hmps of life with grin and
accepted thera he did his boyish height and
curly hair, as things that couldn't be helped
Upon reaching his Third avenue lodgings he
laid out the Bouart outfit that was to dazzle
Long Island, the unemployed and Hawkes..
AS true brother actors. the partners had
helped each other as occasion offered, but
Hawkes. had only recently obtained, on his good
looks the post Of butler at the Hunts.
With q squint. caused partly by the blind
ing apparel and partly due to the proper detec-
tive fineSse in unravelng a case Spiffs set about
backing his shoes as he endeavored to solve
the mystery OF the lost jewel
All his life Splits had wanted to be detec-
tive, but his ambition had been thwarted or
50 he thought. by his diminutiYe size. His
unlikeness to those Scotland Yard giants in
lurid mystery fiction who resemble the gods on
Olympus had caused him to forego the urge,
a s..,S. =