Evening star., 1939-03-26

d Mrs. Abbe Tupper, that lady whose
adventures in business, including the promo
tiOn Of an electric tooth brush, mahogany
forest in Honduras and the Shatz Hair
Restorer. were the despair of her socially
minded, married daughters and the joy of her
unwed young son, was completely absorbed
with her sunroom drapes and their ability to
look like something for another year.
Young Bill Tupper - Willie as his mother
called him - had departed a half hour before
for the advertising agency where he was an
assistant account executive.
Dominick the day-a-week gardener was
cutting, for the first time, the small patch of
grass across the front of the modest, white
frame house. Mrs. Fetter1nan, in the laundry,
was humming contentedly as she prepared
to remove the soaking wash from the slate
tub to the washing machine.
Her son, Ben Fetterman, aged nineteen.
was applying himself earnestly to the task
of cleaning the wallpaper in Mrs. Tupper's
bedroom, to the accompaniment of con-
tnuous ff-key rendition of The Lambeth
Walk with numerous off-key variations.
1t was not the sort of moment when a
woman welcomes visitors. Mrs. Tupper
looked up from the material clutched in her
broad red hands as the front gate creaked and
the tread of heavy feet drummed across the
herringbone walk. With grunt she dropped
the debatable drapes and moved across the
room toward the front hall. Through the long
glass panes beside the outer door she caught
e;u of tho ho2vV-Cpt
they started up the steps.
Mrs Tupper swung wide her front door
and waited for them. The man in front, who
wore gray felt hat quarter of size too
small for him. took a short cigar stub from
the corner of thick and determined mouth
and spoke without any of the social amenities.
"A guy by the name of Benny Fetterman
here?" he demanded truculently.
He is - and he's busy Why?'
The second man spoke. He wore tightly
buttoned blue serge suit around a pear shaped
body. I'VE want him. he said briefly.
Mrs. Tupper spoke with equal brevity.
DO you? So do H.
The first man tipped back his gray lapel -
a gesture in which he took obvious satisfaC
ton - and disclosed silver badge. 'Meeker
and King from headquarters" he snapped
and waited. clearly, for the big redfaced
woman in the entrance to collapse in fear
and trembling.
But she did nothing of the kind. Even the
black velvet ribbon around her wide crimson
neck refused to twitch. What's he done"
she inquired calmly.
The pear shaped man - his name turned
out to be Meeker - started to say that it
was none of her business but his companion,
the King of the combination, was by way
of being bit of humorist.
Maybe it amt come to your attention
vet lady, but a robbery was committed on
this street last night. A three hundred dollar
bracelet an two diamond rings and fifty
dollars in folding dough. That's ALL
The big woman in the doorway paid no
heed to the alleged satire. "Of course I've
heard of it," she snapped. What are neigh
bors for People moved into the old Burton
house about four months ago. Name of
Desterman She's bit of fool. He lost his
lob month after they moved in and hasn't
worked since Both of them try to be pretty
uppity. NV laundress works there one day
a week
Mr.. Meeker looked at MIR. King. III
say she does, eh. Andy"
The result of the quip startled Mr. Meeker.
He took hasty step backward. You listen