Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-10-28

Tor oil KINDS or puSlneSs--TuSlhg 'V
selling! They're wise crowd. They
,have to be. They get some danSerons
propositions put up 70 thcm-and some
wild ones, particularly in hard times.
They had some extra Wild ones IN that
financial cavc.in after the war-espe. /.
cially the Fifth avenue ones. Half III"
Upper West Side was fighting tn dri"
the wolf from the new limousine door.
Il was a year ago last March--at
the worst Of it--when this one I'm
telling you OF dritted into Harry Nolpe' $
place on Fifth avenue---in the late att
ernoon. Nolpe was alone In the oitce'
staring down out Of bis second-story.
front window on the two streams or
automobile. tops on the avenue; ,. 49,,
"You the PROPRIETOR asked the
stranger back Of him at the cntrance---
q biz, red faced husky. with big
shoulders and a small nose and red
necktie. Volps figured him right away
then a. some sort Of contractor.
s'Surp," he said. coming over. dust.
IN, his hands. "Wha. will you have!'''
7My names Coogan---Dan Ccogan:,
said the big man. introducing himself.
''Glad to know yon;r said hafi! :,
volpe. sizing him UP. "has can ~
for youT 49,. 81, u,.
and dragging out a big diamond neck
iace that seemed to be lying loose. with
ono sny case, In the right-hand lower
pocket Of his coat.
"what you paid for tt,-or @ what Iii yGu
could realizep" Volpe asked him, stu
sizine him up--the way you have to
in that hisiness--and went over 1t Win
his glass and told him what be might
probably get--if he got buyer:
''But you'd have hard work nnd'ns
ons-Mst now, for any.a.ihss srS as ,tHsDot o.s Of
now" Sy"r .o,,s,..-,o. !. YOU wanted
top said the Other man. IT wou'dn, !
sell Il for ali the money In Wall street. "
And he looked as II he meant 1t.
.'Rut here's the thing l want 70
know" he said. Could you pull out
enough stones from. this 10 stand for
pledge for q $4,000 loan?'
''Why ye>-probably. said Nolpe.
Though we don't generally want to
handle unset stones. Becanse-yoo
:sThey're apt to be stolen. huh? Is
that it"' said the big man. .
"Yeah. They break them up out OF
their settings. SO they can't De iden-
tiled" 49,, y.
"But you've got your setting here,
II wasn't talking about this" said
volps, II was just telling you
'fWell, about how many would you
say?" the customer asked him.
And he told him about third OF
them.
Now the next thing" said the man.
satisfied apparently, is-could you
Of stones out Of their settings and put
back substitutes in their place--good
ones. 80 they wouldn't be noticedT'
mo. Not by an expert"
''No-I mean Just any ordinary per-
son."
'why yes. probably. II I had the
''Now then another thing" be said,
fixing his little b.ue- gray eyes on him
as II this were important. How long
would be the shortest time you could
do it inf you had everything all
ready and waiting 10 do Il with? Take
phony ones in? Could you do 1t in
n day."
II might" said yolpc. looking them
over, seeing they were of good stand
"WhatlI II cost--thc whole thing?
Ten thousand for three months ~
asked the man, his eyes boring In still.
And Nolpe figured ont Il good thing
on it-and told him what he'd do.
VOCR mind acts quick IN that busi-
1 ness. You get so you size your man
up. So finally he said he'd give 1t 70
''But now It's understood" sail the
man-'you1 have 70 havc it all done
in day--wheN bring ;t in 80
,.h
asked Volpe, looking NJ him. starting
wondering little then.
TITS my wife. She'll want 10 wear
them. You know how women are -
Volpe nodded. He knew some things
about the women--and their freaks and
whims. You do. handling jcwrlry.
"And don't call ne up at the npa-t.
ment, either. III bring them in some
day soon--l cant BE- sure Just when.
But don't want you calling up my
wife. You know how women ara--
about such things 80 he sud again,
looking nervous-Eore noticed ut the
time.
He noticed that, You keep vow,
eyes open in thar business and n,
deal was queer on tho fare of il. i d,
1t was no nueercr than others hc ',
had. And the man didn't look ILL.,,
a crook to hm-then. But thot wa@r
what decided him. Il yys sonnet u,r.
surer than that--or IL looked 50 then
If he had been q crook and 10 had III
j, thing right .here---he wouldn't l." ,ik1,
10 try to cash in on only thrI Of Il
It looked like a guarantce--Uu the fac
Of It.
And Of course, II anything suspicion
came up when he came in again. tha
next week, NoIpe would hN right 'hur
watching before any money paEsoI.
But next wec, when the hig mNI
showed up agnin with his big neck
lace In his pOCket, 70 get his money uu,
have the substitution made, No'pe wa
surer than ever Of tl," thng-ior on
reason from the way he acted abou
the stones that were coming ont 10 u
there as a pledge for tho ton Thousand
'You'll have them all horc-th
Identical same ones---whcn com" afte
them?" he asked-looking red an
anxious.
"Theres no danger they'll get mike
up in any way:'
"Not danger" NOlpe told hin.
"For it would mean something to m
III there was n mixup on thls,' b
said. "They're our luck"
''Lucky stones, huh?' said Volp'
and smiled 70 himself when he had gon
-surer than ever about the thing
though curious naturally on what
was all about.
But about two weeks nfterward th
man showed up again and wanted an
other ten thousand on another third {
the stones.