The League of Frightened Men

But the real fun Sunday came in the middle of the afternoon. Someone had leaked on Hibbard's disappearance and the Sunday papeerhad it, though they didn't give it a heavy play. When the doorbell rang around three o'clock and I answered it because I happened to be handy and Fritz was busy out back, and I saw two huskies standing there shoulder to shoulder, I surmised at first glance it was a couple of bureau dicks and someone had got curious about me up at Hibbard's the night before. Then I recognized one of them and threw the door wide with a grin…u^i:i…n "Hello, hello. You late from church?"

The one on the right spoke, the one with a scar on his cheek I had recognized.

"Nero Wolfe in?"

I nodded. "You want to see him? Leap the doorsill, gentlemen."

While I was closing the door and putting the chain on they were taking off their hats and coats and hanging them on the rack. Then they were running their hands over their hair and pulling their vests down and clearing their throats.

They were as nervous as greenhorns on their first tail. I was impressed. I was so used to Wolfe myself and so familiar with hiis prowess thaCt I was apt to forget the dents some of his strokes had made on some tough professional skulls. I asked them to wait in the hall and went to the office and told Wolfe that Del Bascom of the Bascom Detective Agency was there with one of his men and wanted to see him.

"Did you ask them what they wanted?"

"No."; "^

Wolfe nodded, and I went out and brought them in. Bascom went across to the desk to shake hands; the other gentleman got his big rumpus onto a chair I shoved up, but nearly missed it on the way down on account of staring at Wolfe.

I suspected he wasn't overwhelmed by prestige as much as he was by avoirdupois, having never seen Wolfe before. I Bascom was saying, "It's been nearly | two years since I've seen you, Mr. Wolfe.

Remember? The hay fever case. That's what I called it. Remember the clerk that didn't see the guy lifting the emeralds because he was sneezing?" ^ B'l do indeed, Mr. Bascom. That young man had invention, to employ so common an affliction for so unusual a purpose.".

"Yeah. cLots of 'em are smart, but very few of them is quite smart enough. That was quite a case. I'd have been left scratching my ear for a bite if it hadn't been for you. I'll never forget that. Is business pretty good with you, Mr.

Wolfe?"

"No. Abominable."

"I suppose so. We've got to expect it.