The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-05-18

Mr.. Stein. the wcll-llnown diamond;
merchant. 'if you are nervous about
the safety Of Your vuluablcs. the best
thing you can do is to act upon the
following advice: AS to the strong
room at your office. keep on your watch
chain bunch of dummy keys for orna-
ment $50 TO spcali), and deposit the
true keys at your bankers every after.
noon; put IL good safe in Your study ut
home, but any diamonds YOU may take
to that house may he kept in Il dummy
champagne bottle in your cellar there;
get Il secret electric alarm-push de-
signed and fixed in your private resi-
dencc, and another ut your oflicc-both
of them communicating with the near
est police station; and lastly, never, on
any account, take revolver about
with you-or you're dead man before
JCu set it ont further than the flap Of
your pocket"
Mr.. Stein thanked the detective, and
promised to act upon his advice in every
particular. o
The circumstances which gave rise
to this conversation were these: Mr..
Stein, diamond merchant of high
standing, was expecting the arrival of
large parcel of valuable cut gems
from Amsterdam. He had been warned
several times by friends, and even bv
the authorities ut Scotland Yard, that
his precautions against being robbed
were absurdiy inadequate No man in
his senses would allow it to become no
torions that he often carried parcels of
valuable gems on his person. and some
times merely locked them up in Il
trumpcry little old-fashioned safe in
the study of his villa at Norwood-a
house standing alone in its own
grounds, and at Il considerable distance
from the nearest police station-a home
shared with him by no one but an old
housclsccper.
Mr. Stein concluded. after awhile,
that these remonstranccs were not al
together idle, and he therefore con-
suited the best authority upon the sub
ject = namely, Inspector Burlcigh,
whose advice opens this story.
IF you make q sound, III shoot"
Snch was the pleasant intimation
that fell upon Mr.. STEMS ears rs he
awolie one night from his beauty sleep.
1t was a stormy winter night, and the
rain beat spitefully upon the window
pancs. Mr.. Stein might have shouted
himself hoarse and no one could pos
sibly have heard him. His houscl1cepcr
was absent having been called to the.
sick bed of Il relative
MIR. stein tried to realize the situa-
ton. as quickly as his sleepy senses
would permit. lie could see very little
around him, but he was soon aware
that the voice was that of masked
man. leaning over him, revolver in
hand. A second man was examining
the room rapidly. by the aid of a bulls
eye lantern.
We've got you fairly at last. eh, old
Stcin?"
What do you want?" inquired the
diamondmcrchant. ncrvously.
What do we want? That's good!
Now, look here, Stein: when you left
your Office this afternoon YOU went to
the post office at llolbcrn and YOU asked
for a registered packet they handed
you Il fat parcel O diamonds You put
'em in your brcast-pocllet and come
straight home. You've not been ont
since; so the diamonds aren't far off.
So much for your little business"
"llow on EARTH" gasped Mr. Stein,
''do you know all this?"
That's our little business! And now,
II you please, where's the damonds?"
Gentlemen" replied Mr. Stein, .you
have caught me very clcvcrly You in
sist on having my diamonds or my life.
have no particular wish to die vet,
and resistance on my part l can see
would be perfectly useless. will agree
to help you; that is to say, will en-
gage to put you in possession of the
packet you arc in search of, which is
carefully hidden. and of anything else
of value which you may require in nv
house-upon one condition"
well, what is it?"
,"My condition Is that. you promise to