Part 54 (1/2)

”Hullo, Daiches!” he said. ”Bring up tools, sure; but remember what I tell you, you shouldn't do nothing to harm the looks of the safe.”

”Sure not,” Daiches replied. ”Good-bye.”

An hour later J. Daiches knocked at the door of the store and was admitted by Borrochson.

”Mr. Wolfson,” he said, ”this is J. Daiches.”

”Pleased to meetcher,” Daiches replied. ”Which is the job what I got to do it?”

They led him to the safe in the rear of the store.

”Why, that's a safe what myself I sold it,” Daiches exclaimed. ”What's the matter with it?”

”Nothing's the matter with it,” Wolfson said. ”Only Borrochson should go outside on the sidewalk and stick there until we get through.”

”Tell me, Wolfson,” Borrochson said pleadingly, ”why should I go outside?”

”An agreement is an agreement,” Wolfson replied firmly, and Borrochson left the store and slammed the door behind him.

”I'll tell you the truth, Mr. Wolfson,” Daiches said; ”my name is on the safe as maker, but I didn't got nothing to do with making the safe.

I bought the safe from a Broadway concern what put my name on the safe.

So if the combination gets stuck it's up to them.”

”There ain't nothing the matter with the combination, Daiches,” Wolfson said, ”only I got it an idee that safe must have a secret apartment.”

”A secret apartment!” Daiches exclaimed. ”Well, if that's the case somebody put it on after I sold it.”

Wolfson looked at Daiches, whose uninteresting face expressed all the intelligence of a tailor's lay figure.

”Supposin' they did,” Wolfson said, ”it's your business to find it out.”

”I thought you said it was a _secret_ apartment.”

Wolfson made no reply; he felt that he was leaning on a broken reed, but he commenced to pull out the safe's numerous drawers, all of which contained cheap jewellery.

”Let me help you do that, Mr. Wolfson,” Daiches said, and suited the action to the word by seizing the top drawer on the left-hand side of the safe. He jerked it clumsily from its frame without supporting the rear, and the next moment it fell heavily to the floor.

”Idiot!” Wolfson hissed, but simultaneously Daiches emitted a cry.

He pointed excitedly to the floor where the drawer lay upside down. A small velvet-lined tray extended from the rear of the drawer, while scattered on the floor beneath lay six unset diamonds that winked and sparkled in the half-light of the shuttered store.

Wolfson made a dart for the stones and had managed to tuck away three of them in his waistcoat pocket when Borrochson burst into the store and ran up to the safe.

”What's the matter?” he gasped.

Wolfson wiped his forehead before replying.

”Nothing's the matter,” he croaked. ”What for you come into the store?

Ain't you agreed you shouldn't?”