Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-05-19


Mr.. Stein, the well-kuown diamond
merchant, IF you arc nervous about
the safety of your valuables, 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 speak,, and deposit the
true keys at your bankers every after
noon; 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 a secret electric alarm push. de-
signed AMI fixed in your private resi-
dence, and another at your ofice-both
OF them communicating with the near
est police station; and lastly, never, on
any account, take a revolver about
with yOu-or you're dead man before
Won gehit out further than the flap of
Your pocket"
Mr.. Stein thanked the detective, and
promised to act upon his advice in every
particular.
The circumstances which gave rise
6Sy) this conversation We're these: Mr..
Stein, Il diamond merchant of high
standing, was expecting the arrival of
a large parcel of valuable cut gems
from Amsterdam. He had bees 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
-torious that he often carried parcels of
valuable gems on his person, and some
times merely locked then up in a
-trumpery little old-fashioned safe in
the study of his villa at Norwood-a
house standing alone in its own
grounds, ard at a considerable distance
from the nearest police station-a home
shared with him by no one but an old
Lousekeepcr.
Mr.. Stein concluded, after awhile,
that these reInonstranceS were not al
together idle, and he therefore con-
suited the best authority upon the sub
.iact - namely, Inspector Burleigh,
whose advice opens this story.
If you make sound, III shoot"
Such was the pleasant int; NATION
Tat fell upon Mr.. STEMS ears as he
ayvo!le one night from his beauty sleep.
1t was n stormy winter night, and the
rain beat spitetuliy upon the window
rancs. Mr.. Stein might have shouted
himself hoarse and no one could PCS
WAS absent, having been called to the
s.cI1-heGI of relative.
Mr.. Stein tried to realize thee situa-
t:oa, as quickly as his sleepy senses
would, permit. He could see very little
around him. but he was soon aware
shat the voice was that Cf masked
man, leaning over him, revolver in
band. y second man was examining
-hc room rapidly, by the aid of a bulls
aye lantern.
We've got you fairly ut last, eh. old
Stein"
What do you want?" inquired the
diamond merchant, nervously.
What III. we want? That's good!
Nom, look here, Stein: when you left
Your Office this afternoon you went to
the post office at Holbern, and you asked
for a registered packet and they handed
you fat parcel O. diamonds. You put
'ern in your brcast-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.. Stein,
do Jon know all this?"
That's our little business! And now,
If you please, where's the diamonds"
y
have caughtSme very cleverly. You in
:s.st on having my diamonds or my life.
i have no particular wish to die yet,
and resistance on my part 1 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 are in search of, which is
carefully hidden, and of anything else
of valCe which YOU MY REQUIRE in my
.housc-upon one condition
well ,<<vhat is it?"
My condition is that you promise tc
give to me, and not to take away. 6
miniature which is hanging in my safe
1t Is the portrait of my dear grand
mother"
''Ohl is that all? You can keep the
odd lady. She'd only be in our way
Thank you Then here is the key O
ahe safc in ny study; but you won