Evening star., 1939-12-17
THIS WEEK MAGAZINE

dear stood up for moment, until
she disappeared toward the dressing
room. and then sank back in his chair
and slipped his brandy.
MIR. Danvers felt very. very good
He was going to like this job lot.
The pay was good, but chiefly he liked
the idea of moving from great hotel to
great hotel, living in them. in such
surroundings as these. while he briskly,
efficiently eliminated profit leakages,
while he showed these people how
really to run hotels.
Oh, they knew about certain aspects
OF the game. all right. Take this Medi-
terranean Room, for instance. A beau
tiful job. The service was excellent,
the music very good. and the food
superb. But behind it all he would find
waste and inefficiency; unerringly he
would locate, no doubt, some such
shocking flaws as that business this
morning.
He lit another cigarette - not his
usual brand, but the most expensive
of the rare, expensive brands carried
by Harden House - and slipped his
brandy again. He waited there, lost in
the pleasant glow, until he became
aware that the waiter was bending
over. politely murmuring something.
"Eh?" he said.
The lady who was with you, sir -
Says she's Mrs. Danvers."
Yes What is it?"
The waiter coughed discreetly. Per
haps you had better come to the Office,
sir. A - er- slight Misunderstanding
in the dressing room -
misunderstanding? What was the
fellow talking about? MIR. Danvers
rose and followed him through the
aisle lined with gay tables. to little
Office in the back.
Inside were a half-dozen people,
including his wife She was standing
against wall, clutching her bag, and
saying, Il did not! did notp' And
when she saw Mr.. Danvers she nearly
sobbed: Tell them who you are,
David. Tell themr'
MIR. Danvers said brusquely, What
is this all about?'
Just as brusquely, I'm Glarnan,
the house detective" one of the men
said. He was thick-set. belligerent
individual. This lady your wife?"
'Of course. What do you mean by
frightening her so? What -
A middle-aged woman. wearing the
uniform of a maid, said, "She stole
bottle of perfume. Leastways - the
bottle was on the table when she came
in - and it was gone when she was
going to leave - and l saw her fun
bling in her purse, that l did, sirp'
What nonsense!' snapped Dan
vers. do you know who l amp"
One of the other men, fat man,
captain of walters, said. What diff
ference does that make. Mister?"
Glarnan said, "a thief's thief. and
we got orders"
MIR. Danvers saw red. He said. "I'll
have you - I'll have you fired, every
one of you, for saying that. It's lie
and an outrage"
"Okay." said Glarnan. IF it's lie.
all the lady's got to do is to let us
look in her purse"
In a trembling voice, Go ahead,
Elsa" Mr.. Danvers said. "Show them
. and Ill have every one fired. I'll"
He stopped. because his wife was
the purse harder. II won't"
she said. II won't! It's lie. l didn't
take it, l didn't even see it. l."
Then she really began to cry. Shocked
- not by her tears, but by her refusal
. Mr.. Danvers crossed to her. He felt
oewildered, lost.
Behind him, the door opened, just
IS he was taking his wife into his arms.
Got one of those dressing-room
hieves already. Glarnan?"
1t WAS a familiar voice, and Danvers
urned and looked at Murphy. Murphy
liz lool..A