On a certain afternoon in February, I was sitting in Mr. Brady’s private office, waiting to receive instructions, when the boy brought in two cards. They bore the names of Mr. Marcus Welton and Mr. J. Denby Opdyke.
“Two high-toned ducks.” I immediately thought.
“Skip into that closet, Kean,” old King Brady whispered to me. “I want you to have a good look at these fellows, and listen to what they say. You know where the peep-hole is, or you ought to, for I showed you the other day.”
I knew, and in a moment I had my eye glued against it.
I was not mistaken in my estimate of the visitors. They were a couple of dudes of the most pronounced sort.
Welton was short and sallow, with big bulging eyes, a drawling voice. He looked what he was--a society fool.
His companion, however, was quite different. He was a tall, handsome fellow, with brown hair, shrewd gray eyes, and a determined mouth; yet there was something about his face which repelled me at once.
Both men were dressed in the most pronounced fashion of the day, and bore every evidence of possessing abundant means.
“Aw, Mr. Bwady, you got my note left here yestawday, I dessay,” drawled Welton.
“I did, sir,” replied the detective in his usual quick way. “Be seated, please.”
They accepted the invitation and Welton continued:
“What I want to see you about is a private mattaw. For some time past there have been wobbowies of jewelry in some of our best society. These wobbowies always take place on the occasion of parties or balls.”
“Yes, sir,” said Old King Brady as he paused.
“We want you to catch the thief,” said Mr. Welton. “My--aw--mother has been wobbed of a lot of diamonds. They were taken when she gave her ball a week ago. I want them--aw--wecovered. My fwiend, Mr. Opdyke, has a fwiend who has been wobbed. Mrs. Porthouse, widow of Admirwal Porthouse of the Navy. No doubt you knew the admiral. She has lost diamonds too--she wants them wecovered.”
“And very valuable ones they were, I assure you, sir,” put in Mr. Opdyke, who did not lisp.
“But have you no clew to the thief, gentlemen? Nothing to go by?” asked the detective.
No, they had absolutely nothing to offer. They wanted the thief caught and the diamonds recovered--they had no ideas beyond that.