paul the peddler-第23章

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confounded　racket？　　My　nerves　won't　get　over　it　for　a　week。〃



〃I　didn't　think　of　the　bell；〃　said　Paul；　〃I　am　not　much　used　to

hotels。〃



〃What　will　we　do　with　him？〃　asked　James；　looking　to　Mr。　Piper

for　counsel。



〃You'd　better　take　him　downstairs；　and　see　if　his　story　is

correct；〃　said　the　nervous　gentleman；　with　returning　good　sense。



〃I'll　do　it；〃　said　James；　to　whom　the　very　obvious　suggestion

seemed　marked　by　extraordinary　wisdom；　and　he　grasped　Paul

roughly　by　the　arm。



〃You　needn't　hold　me；〃　said　our　hero；　shaking　off　the　grasp。　　〃I

haven't　any　intention　of　running　away。　　I　want　to　find　out；　if　I

can；　what　has　become　of　the　man　that　swindled　me。〃



James　looked　doubtfully　at　Mr。　Piper。



〃I　don't　think　he　means　to　run　away；〃　said　that　gentleman。　　〃I

begin　to　think　his　story　is　correct。　　And　hark　you；　my　young

friend；　if　you　ever　get　locked　up　in　a　hotel　room　again；　just　see

if　there　is　a　bell　before　you　make　such　a　confounded　racket。〃



〃Yes；　sir；　I　will；〃　said　Paul；　half…smiling；　〃but　I'll　take　care

not　to　get　locked　up　again。　　It　won't　be　easy　for　anybody　to　play

that　trick　on　me　again。〃



The　party　filed　downstairs　to　the　office　and　Paul　told　his　story

to　the　bookkeeper。



〃Have　you　seen　Mr。　Montgomery　go　out？〃　asked　our　hero。



〃Yes；　he　went　out　half　an　hour　ago；　or　perhaps　more。　　He　left　his

key　at　the　desk；　but　said　nothing。　　He　seemed　to　be　in　a　hurry。〃



〃You　didn't　notice　in　what　direction　he　went？〃



〃No。〃



Of　course　no　attempt　was　made　to　detain　Paul。　　There　could　be　no

case　against　him。　　He　went　out　of　the　hotel；　and　looked　up　and

down　Broadway　in　a　state　of　indecision。　　He　did　not　mean　to　sit

down　passively　and　submit　to　the　swindle。　　But　he　had　no　idea　in

what　direction　to　search　for　Mr。　Felix　Montgomery。







CHAPTER　XIX



PAUL　DELIBERATES



Paul　stood　in　the　street　irresolute。　　He　looked　hopelessly　up　and

down　Broadway；　but　of　course　the　jeweler　from　Syracuse　was　not　to

be　seen。　　Seeking　for　him　in　a　city　containing　hundreds　of

streets　and　millions　of　inhabitants　was　about　as　discouraging　as

hunting　for　a　needle　in　a　haystack。　　But　difficult　as　it　was；

Paul　was　by　no　means　ready　to　give　up　the　search。　　Indeed；

besides　the　regret　he　felt　at　the　loss；　he　was　mortified　at

having　been　so　easily　outwitted。



〃He's　taken　me　in　just　as　if　I　was　a　country　boy；〃　thought　Paul。　

〃I　dare　say　he's　laughing　at　me　now。　　I'd　like　to　get　even　with

him。〃



Finally　he　decided　to　go　to　Tiffany's；　and　ask　them　to　detain　any

one　who　might　bring　in　the　ring　and　offer　it　for　sale。　　He　at

once　acted　upon　this　thought；　and；　hailing　a　Broadway　stage；　for

no　time　was　to　be　lost；　soon　reached　his　destination。　　Entering

the　store；　he　walked　up　to　the　counter　and　addressed　the　clerk　to

whom　he　had　before　shown　the　ring。



〃Do　you　remember　my　offering　you　a　diamond　ring　for　sale　this

morning？〃　he　asked。



〃Yes；　I　remember　it　very　well。　　Have　you　got　it　with　you？〃



〃No；　it　has　been　stolen　from　me。〃



〃Indeed！　　How　was　that？〃　asked　the　clerk；　with　interest。



〃I　met　in　the　cars　a　well…dressed　man；　who　called　himself　a

jeweler　from　Syracuse。　　He　examined　the　ring；　and　offered　me　more

than　Mr。　Tiffany；　but　asked　me　to　bring　it　to　him　at　Lovejoy's

Hotel。　　When　I　got　there；　he　drugged　me　with　chloroform；　and　when

I　recovered　he　was　gone。〃



〃You　have　been　unlucky。　　There　are　plenty　of　such　swindlers

about。　　You　should　have　been　careful　about　displaying　the　ring

before　strangers。〃



〃I　was　showing　it　to　a　friend。〃



〃Have　you　notified　the　police？〃



〃Not　yet。　　I　came　here　to　let　you　know；　because　I　thought　the

thief　might　bring　it　in　here　to　sell。〃



〃Very　likely。　　Give　me　a　description　of　him。〃



Paul　described　Mr。　Felix　Montgomery　to　the　best　of　his　ability。



〃I　think　I　should　know　him　from　your　description。　　I　will　speak

to　Mr。　Tiffany；　and　he　will　no　doubt　give　orders　to　detain　any

person　who　may　offer　the　ring　for　sale。〃



〃Thank　you。〃



〃If　you　will　give　me　your　address；　we　will　notify　you　in　case　the

ring　is　brought　in。〃



Paul　left　his　address；　and　went　out　of　the　store；　feeling　that　he

had　taken　one　step　toward　the　recovery　of　his　treasure。　　He　next

visited　the　police　headquarters；　and　left　a　detailed　description

of　the　man　who　had　relieved　him　of　the　ring　and　of　the

circumstances　attending　the　robbery。　　Then　he　went　home。



His　mother　looked　up　as　he　entered。



〃Well；　Paul？〃　she　said；　inquiringly。



〃I've　got　bad　news；　mother；〃　he　said。



〃What　is　it？　　Tell　me　quick！〃　　she　said；　nervously。



〃The　ring　has　been　stolen　from　me。〃



〃How　did　it　happen；　Paul？〃



〃First；　I　must　tell　you　how　much　the　ring　is　worth。　　I　went　up　to

Tiffany's；　and　showed　the　ring　to　Mr。　Tiffany　himself。　　He　told

me　that　he　would　give　me　two　hundred　and　fifty　dollars　for　it；　if

I　would　satisfy　him　that　I　had　a　right　to　sell　it。〃



〃Two　hundred　and　fifty　dollars！〃　　repeated　Mrs。　Hoffman；　in

amazement。



〃Yes；　the　diamond　is　very　large　and　pure。〃



〃Two　hundred　and　fifty　dollars　would　be　a　great　help　to　us。〃



〃Yes；　mother；　that　is　what　makes　me　feel　so　bad　about　being

swindled　out　of　it。〃



〃Tell　me　how　it　happened。　　Is　there　no　chance　of　recovering　it？〃



〃A　little。　　I　shall　do　what　I　can。　　I　have　already　notified　the

police；　and　Mr。　Tiffany。〃



〃You　have　not　told　me　yet　how　you　lost　it。〃



When　Paul　had　told　the　story；　his　mother　asked；　〃Did　you　mention

it　in　the　cars　that　you　had　offered　it　at　Tiffany's？〃



〃Yes；　and　I　mentioned　his　offer。〃



〃Perhaps　the　thief　would　be　cautious　about　going　there；　for　that

very　reason。　　He　might　think　the　ring　would　be　recognized。〃



〃He　would　go　to　a　large　place；　thinking　that　so　valuable　a　ring

would　be　more　readily　purchased　there。〃



〃He　might　go　to　Ball　&　Black's。〃



〃That　is　true。〃



〃It　would　be　well　to　give　notice　there　also。〃



〃I　will　go　up　there　at　once。　　I　only　wish　I　could　meet　Mr。　Felix

Montgomery；　I　don't　think　he　would　find　it　so　easy　to　outreach　me

a　second　time。〃



〃Take　some　dinner　first；　Paul。〃



〃Then　I　must　hurry　it　down；　mother；　I　don't　want　to　run　the　risk

of　getting　too　late　to　Ball　&　Black's。　　I　can't　help　thinking

what　a　splendid　thing　it　would　be　if　we　had　the　two　hundred　and

fifty　dollars。　　I　would　buy　out　Barry's　stand；　and　I　would　get　a

sewing…machine　for　you；　and　we　could　live　much　more　comfortably。　

It　makes　me　mad　to　think　I　let　that　villain　take　me　in　so！　　He

must　think　me　jolly　green。〃



〃Anybody　might　have　been　deceived；　Paul。　　You　mustn't　blame

yourself　too　much　for　that。〃



Leaving　Paul　on　his　way　to　Ball　&　Black's；　we　return　to　Mr。　Felix

Montgomery；　as　we　shall　continue　to　call　him；　though　he　had　no

right　to　the　name。　　After　stupefying　Paul；　as　already　described；

he　made　his　way　downstairs；　and；　leaving　his　key　at　the　desk；

went　out。



〃I　hope　my　young　friend　will　enjoy　himself　upstairs；〃　he　chuckled

to　himself。　　〃He's　quite　welcome　to　the　use　of　the　room　till

to…morrow　morning。　　It's　paid　for　in　advance；　and　I　don't　think　I

shall　find　it　convenient　to　stop　there。〃



He　took　the　ring　from　his　vest　pocket　and　glanced　at　it

furtively。



〃It's　a　beauty；〃　he　murmured；　complacently。　　〃I　never　saw　a

handsomer　ring　of　the　size。　　What　was　it　the　boy　said　he　was

offered　for　it？　　Two　hundred　and　fifty　dollars！　　That'll　give　me

a　lift；　and　it　doesn't　come　any　too　soon。　　My　money　is　pretty

low。〃



He　walked　across　the　City　Hall　Park；　and　at　Barclay　street

entered　a　University　place　car。



〃Evenin'　paper；　mister？〃　said　a　ragged　newsboy；　whose　garments

were　constructed　on　the　most　approved　system　of　ventilation。



〃What　have　you　got？〃



〃Evenin'　Post；　Mail；　Express！〃



〃Give　me　an　Express。　　Here's　ten　cents。〃



〃I　haven't　got　but　three　cents　change；　mister。〃



〃Never　mind　the　change；〃　said　Mr。　Montgomery；　in　a　fit　of