The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-04-24
STEMS GRANDMOTHER.
From the Ar0osy.

/
| We'll SIR" said Inspector Burleigh (of
the criminal investigation departmsnt. to
Mr.. Stein, the well-known diamond mer-
| chant,"if you are nervous about the safety
| OF your valuabes, the best thing you can }
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 ornament $50 to speak, and deposit the
true keys at your bankers every afternoon
put good safe in your study at home, but
any diamonds you may take to that house
may be kept in a dummy champagne bottle
in your cellar there; get secret electric
alarm push designed and fixed in your
| private residence, and another at your
office -both Of them commu icating with
| the nearest police station; and lastly, never,
| on any account, take a rev Diver about with
| you-or you're dead man before you get
! it out further than the flap OF your pocket. -
Mr.. Stein thanked the detective, and
| promised to act upon his advics IN every
| particular.
! The circumstances which gave rise to
this conversation were these. Mr.. Stein, a
| diamond merchant Of high standing, was
| expecting the arrival of a large parcel Of
valuable out gems from Amsterdam. He
| had been warned several times by friends,
and even by the authorities at Scotland
| Yard, that his precautions against being
| robbed were absurdly inadequate. No man
in his senses would allow it TO become no.
torlous that he often carried parcels Of
| valuable gems on his person, and sometimes
merely locked them up in "A trumpery little
| old-fashioned safe in the study of his villa
| at Norwood house standing alone in its
own grounds, aud at considerable dis
| lance from the nearest police sbation-a
/ hnma Shara1 with him nv h1t n old
| houskeeper.
Mr.. Stein concluded, after while, that
| these remonstrances were not altogether
idle, and he therefore consulted the best
authority upon the bject-namely, In
spector Burleigh, whose advice opens this
story.
"If you make sound. I'll shoot"
Such was the pleasant intimation that fell
upon MIR, STEMS cara as he Awoke one night
from his beauty sleep.
II was a stormy winter night, and the
rain beat spitefully upon the window panes.
Mr.. Stein might have shouted himsef
hoarse and no one could possibly have heard
him. His housekeeper was absent, having
been called to the sick bed Of a relative.
Mr.. Stein tried to realize the situation. as
! quickly as his sleepy senses would permit.
| He could see very little around him, but he
| was soon aware that the voice was that of a
MASKED man, leaning over him, revolver in
hand. A second man was examining the
room rapidly by the aid OF a bullseye
| lantern.
We've got you fairly at last, Ell. old
StenP'
what do you wsntp' inquired the dia-
mond merchant, nervously.
| "What do we wanti That's good! Now,
| look here, Stein, when you left your office
| this afternoon you went to the postof1ice at
| Holborn, and you asked for a registered
! DaCkat an1 hapAod fak %
diamonds. You put 'em in your breast
pocket and come straight home. You've
not been out since; so the diamonds aren't
far off. So much for your little business"
How on earth gasped Mr.. SOein, ''do
yon know all thism
That's our little businessl And now, If
| you please. where's the QiamondsN
"Gentlemen." replied M. Stein, ''you
| have caught me very cleverly. You ms at
| on having my diamonds or my life III have
no particular wish TO die yet, aud resistance
| on my part | can see would be perfectly use
less. will agree to help 20 /; that is to say.
l will engage to put you in possession of the
| packet you are in search Of, which is care
fully hidden, and of anything else OF value
which you may require in my house-upon
| one condition"
! well, what is itT'
my condition is that you promise to give
TO me, and not to take away, a miniature,
which is hanging In my safe. 1t is the por-
trait of my dear grandmother
20! is that alli You can keep the old
lady. She'd only be in our way"
"lhank you. Then here is the key of the
safe in my study; out you won't find any
thing there. Believe me, there is nothing in
the safe except the portrait Of my grand
mother"
NOW. you just come along, Stein" said
the burglar in chief. "We'll soon see what's
in, nd mind #
nonsense AMI Pill shoot-sure as my name is
-D
Mr.. Stein huddled on soma clothes and all
three descended to the study. The safe was
in front OF them. The Key was soon applied
to the lock and the safe was opened AS NJ.
Stein had said, there was absolutely nothing
whatever inside except the miniature.
II told you sop said Mr.. s Elm, reOroach-
fully.
The two robbers cursed and swore. Bill
took the miniature off the peg it occupied in
the safe and put IL in his pocket. elm
shouldn't have the portrait, he said. till he
fulfilled his promise about the diamonds.
Il am quite ready to keep my promise"
said Mr.. Stein. "Follow me- and will show
you where the diamonds are"
Holding the candle before him, no led
the way to the cellar. The cellar door was
unlocked and they all entered
"Don'J see any diamonds here" com
planned the chisf villain. "Out with the.
S Elm, and look smart about ftp
The merchant reached his hand out to
the back Of bin and drew forth, appar-
entity. magnum Of Moet g. Chand mi Im>
perIal Sec.
Here you are, gentlemen p he said, I'M
screwing the neck OF the false bottle and
disclosing to their astohished gaze the
packet Of diamonds within. Ibid | not
promiseT'
a. 3ood businass-eh Rill3 sStain NV box,
you're trump! Are all the other mag
NUNS here champagne, or only diamondsP'
The merchant laughed There are no