With Links of Steel | Page 3

rather owe you an apology. Our Mr.
Boyden left some diamonds with you a short time ago, which should
have been delivered to Tiffany & Co. Mr. Hafferman read the order
without his spectacles, and it's rather a good joke on him, for he
thought it was signed Venner & Co. The blunder was partly owing to
the fact, no doubt, that Mr. Venner called to see him yesterday about
some diamonds."
"There!" exclaimed Garside, as if quite pleased to discover that he had
been so nearly right. "I knew well enough that Venner had not sent out

any order without mentioning it to me. Yes, your Mr. Boyden left the
stones here. For Tiffany & Co., eh?"
"Yes, sir, and they should have been delivered long ago," was the reply,
with a conventional laugh. "If you please, I'll leave them there on my
way back. Deucedly stupid blunder on Hafferman's part, I'm sure; and I
hope--"
"Oh, there's no harm done, I guess, and but little time lost," interrupted
Garside, joining in the other's laugh. "You will deliver them, you say?"
"If you please."
"Here, Joseph, hand me that package of diamonds left here by Boyden.
They were sent to us by mistake. I knew it well enough at the time.
Here you are, Mr. ----"
"Raymond, sir. I am cashier at Hafferman's. Many thanks. Sorry to
have troubled you--very sorry."
"No trouble at all," laughed Garside, accompanying Mr. Raymond
toward the street door. "The trouble has been all yours, sir."
"That's quite true," smiled Raymond, as he bowed himself out with the
package of diamonds in his hand. "But now the pleasure is all mine!"
he added to himself, upon reaching the sidewalk.
Then he strode rapidly away, quickly losing himself in the midday
stream of people thronging the famous New York thoroughfare.
Less than five minutes later, before any misgivings had crept into the
mind of Mr. Garside, the senior member of the firm came hurrying into
the store.
"Oh, I say, Venner!" exclaimed his partner, stopping him near the
office door. "What diamonds are you thinking of buying of
Hafferman?"
"Of Hafferman?" echoed Venner, with a look of surprise.

"Weren't you looking at some stones there yesterday?"
"Yes, certainly. Some very choice diamonds. I want ten of the first
water, a little larger and more perfectly matched than any we have in
stock at present. But how did you learn that I had called there?"
Mr. Garside quickly informed him of the several incidents of the past
half hour, when, to his consternation and dismay a look of sudden
apprehension swept over Venner's face.
"Raymond--the name of Hafferman's cashier!" he cried. "Nothing of
the sort, Philip. Their cashier is named Briggs. I know him well."
"Briggs! Briggs!"
"Briggs--yes, Briggs!" reiterated Mr. Venner, excitedly. "By Heaven,
there must be something wrong here!"
"Dear me! If this Raymond was an impostor, we are done out of--"
"Wait--wait!"
Checking his partner with an impulsive gesture, Venner rushed into his
private office and seized his desk telephone, quickly calling up the firm
by which the diamonds had been sent.
Garside followed him into the room, only to hear the questions
hurriedly asked over the wire by his excited partner, who presently
dropped the telephone and leaped to his feet, crying loudly, so loudly
that his voice filled the entire store, and brought all hands hurrying in
his direction:
"There's no doubt of it, Garside, none whatever. You have been
duped--swindled--robbed of four thousand dollars' worth of gems!
Raymond was an impostor--a crook--"
"Venner--hush! You are losing your head," protested Garside, white
with dismay. "It's enough that we have lost the stones, so at least keep
your head. Waste not a moment. Notify the police. Telephone at once

for men from the central office."
"Blast the police! The central office be hanged!" cried Venner, choking
down an oath of wrathful contempt. "I'll have none of your
police--none of your central office men! I want a detective--not an
effigy of one!"
"Rufus--"
"Silence, Garside, and leave this affair to me," Venner harshly
interrupted. "You've had fingers enough in it already."
With which rebuke Mr. Rufus Venner strode passionately out of the
office and into the store proper, shouting loudly to the clerk previously
mentioned:
"Maynard--here you, Maynard! Call a cab at once and go for Nick
Carter! Lose not a moment! Don't wait to ask questions, you blockhead!
Away with you, at once! Bring Nick Carter here with the least possible
delay!"
Maynard had already seized his coat and hat, and was hurrying out of
the store.
And thus began one of the most stirring and extraordinary criminal
cases that ever fell within the broad experience of the famous New
York detective mentioned.
CHAPTER II.
CONCERNING SEÑORA CERVERA.
Joseph Maynard arrived at Nick Carter's residence