"Truth''On trail

NZ Truth, Issue 1195, 25 October 1928, Page 1

"Truth'' On trail

that he .could not. 'think of offering more, as. there were plenty of orchestras m New South Wales. . He would like to give Avery's band, a ;chance, particularly as he v was attracted by the rhythm and general deportment of its members. He opened his' coat and somewhat significantly tapped a long envelope which protruded from the top of his inner pocket, saying that he had prepared the agreement, and the, only thing which remained to be done was for Avery to append his signature to a contract for three/months. Whilst he was talking! Gunter nonchalantly pulled a small bundle of banknotes from his vest pocket, airily counted .them one by. one, then replaced them. It struck Avery that managing directors of better- class establishments are not, as. a rule, m the habit of exhibiting their wealth m so blatant a fashion, and he made; the mental reservation that Gunter— or, rather, "Dr. Hunter" — was not to .be too seriously considered. The conversation closed with the . tentative arrangement .that the two men should meet on the following day; a few minutes later Avery had resumed his place with the orchestra and things were "as you were" once again. Some- time afterwards • "Dr. .Hunter" handed his stethoscope to the doorkeeper with the observation that "the bally thing DID get' m the way, you know," a statement which, would immediately label a' man as "crazy, to be treated kindly," because few medical . men wander round . dance-halls with stethoscopes and other paraphernalia filtering out of their pockets whilst they heebie-jeebie or fox-trot. However, the doctor did not stay, very long. The last Avery saw of him was when he collected his lung-tapping instrument and walked affectedly through the exit,: his monocle firmly jammed into position, the hard-worn: heels of his shoes a surprising contrast to the attitude of fallen gentility which he exude.d at every step. That night, or the following morning, Avery happened to glance at an inside page ,of "N.Z. Truth" dated .'a few weeks previously,' and was amazed to find quite a lot of information concerning "Dr. Hunter, managing director of the .Wentworth 'Cafe, Sydney," whilst from the attendant photograph he felt pretty sure that the stethoscope person and Robert William Gunter one and the same. Avery immediately communicated with "N.Z. Truth," but m the meantime two members of the Wellington staff of . this . paper had commenced their investigations into the peculiar behavior of a maa named Dr.; Sir Richard Grant," Who, with a hole m the right leg of his trousers, his shoeheels badly worn askew, told the booking' clerk m the Midland Hotel that he desired a suite of rooms for himselfand. his valet, and would they, please state their terms? . Three guineas pcr v day, but they were yery sorry that there was' not a single room available, responded the management, ..who did not- like the look of the crease in' the doctor's trousers, nor the monocle which dangled from the lapel of his soup-stained blue jacket. "Very well, then," returned the doctor. "I shall go to Sayes Court," and with that he turned on his heel, entered aj