In the Best Families

That particular question got answered, partly at le,ast, from an unexpected quarter. When I had finished with the griddle cakes, ham, eggs, thyme honey, and coffee, I went back to the office to see if I was ready to quit feeling and settle down to thinking, and was working at it when I became aware that I was sitting in Wolfe's chair behind his desk. That brought me up with a jerk. No one else, including me, ever sat in that chair, but there I was. I didn't approve of it. It seemed to imply that Wolfe was through with that chair for good, and that was a hell of an attitude to take, no matter how sore I was. I opened a drawer of his desk to check its contents, pretending that was what I had sat there for, and was starting a careful survey when the doorbell rang.

Going to answer it, I took my time because I had done no thinking yet and therefore didn't know my lines. Seeing through the one-way glass panel in the front door that the man on the stoop was a civilian stranger, my first impulse was to let him ring until he got tired, but curiosity chased it away and I opened the door. He was just a citizen with big ears and an old topcoat, and he asked to see Mr Nero Wolfe. I told him Mr Wolfe wasn't available on Sundays, and

I was his confidential assistant, and could I help. He thought maybe I could, took an envelope from a pocket, extracted a sheet of paper, and unfolded it.

“I'm from the Gazette, he stated. “This copy for an ad we got in the mail this morning-we want to be sure it's authentic.

I took the paper and gave it a look. It was one of our large-sized letterheads, and the writing and printing on it were Wolfe's. At the top was written:

Display advertisement for Monday's Gazette, first section, two columns wide, depth as required. In thin type, not blatant. Send bill to above address.

Below the copy was printed by hand:

MR NERO WOLFE

ANNOUNCES HIS RETIREMENT

FROM THE DETECTIVE BUSINESS

TO-DAY, APRIL 10, 1950

Mr Wolfe will not hereafter be available. Inquiries from clients on unfinished matters may be made of Mr Archie Goodwin. Inquiries from others than clients will not receive attention.

Beneath that was Wolfe's signature. It was authentic all right.

Having learned it by heart, I handed it back. “Yeah, that's okay. Sure. Give it a good spot.

“It's authentic?

“Absolutely.

“Listen, I want to see him. Give me a break! Good spot hell; it's page one if I can get a story on it!