Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-09-10

MISS rope RdSpeu. 10 you mean
Winnie King disguised herself as ="
mot Winnie King - no. Winnie
was kidnapped on the way across
London. Our quick-change artist took
her place But she could not afford
actually to arrive here, since you we're
acquainted with the real Winnie. So
hey, presto! Winnie disappears, and
instead man called Jim Elliott whose
passport includes wife, acquires that
wife just after Amiens. The fair plaits,
the spectacles, the Isle thread stock
ings. the dental brace - all that can
60 into small space. But the thick
unglamorous shoes and the hat -
that very unyielding British hat -
have to be disposed of elsewhere:
they go out of the window. Later, the
real Winnie is brought across the
channel - no one is looking for sick
child being brought from England to
France - and is quietly deposited from
car by the side of the main road. If
she had been doped all along with
Scopolamine, she will remember very
little Of what has occurred"
Miss Pope was staring at Poirot. She
demanded: But why? What would be
the reason for such a senseless mas
Querade?"
"Winnie's luggage! These people
wanted to bring something from
England into France, something that
every Customs man was on the look
out for - in fact, stolen goods. But
what place is safer than schoolgirls
trunk? You are well-known, Miss
Pope, your establishment is justly
famous. At the Care du Nord the
trunks of Mademoiselles, the little
benst0nndfres, are passed en- bloc 1t is
the well-known English school of Miss
Pope! And then, after the kidnapping,
what more natural than to send and
collect the child's luggage - ostensibly
from the Prefecture?"
Hercule Poirot smiled. But for
tunately, there was the school routine
- and present for you from Winnie
- but not the same present that
Winnie packed at Cranchester.
He continued: You have given this
picture to me. Observe, now you must
admit that it is not suitable for your
school," He held out the canvas. As
though by magic Cranchester Bridge
had disappeared, In its place was a
classical scene in rich dim colorlngs.
Poirot said softly:
The Glrdle of Hippolyta. Hippolyta
gives her glrdle to Hercules - painted
by Rubens. A great work of art -
m0is tout de meme not quite suitable
for your drawing ROOM"
Miss Pope blushed slightly.
Hippolyta's hand was on her girdle -
she was wearing nothing else Miss
Pope said:
"A fine work of art. All the same
DIS yOu say dlSCl al OllC llluSl NOII-
slider the susceptibilities of parents.
Some of them are inclined to be ndrrot0
if you know what mean :"
1t was just as Poirot was leaving the
house that the onslaught took place.
He was surrounded, hemmed in. over
whelmed by crowd of girls, thick.
thin, dark and fair.
Mon Dien'' he murmured. Here
indeed is the attack of the Amazons."
A tall fair girl was crying out: "A
rumor has gone round -"
They surged closer. Hercule Poirot
was surrounded. He disappeared in a
wave of young vigorous feminlnity.
Twenty-Five voices arose. pitched in
various keys but all uttering the same
momentous phrase:
IN. Poirot, will you write your
name in my autograph book :. ?"
TIE End
Next week: Another 0dren-
tnre of Hercuie Poirot.
THAN MAN