Part 22 (1/2)

The young face reddened at the insinuation that he might betray a secret.

”I was sure of it,” said Archie, so quickly that Roseleaf felt at ease again. ”Well, the reason why Isaac wants to know what is going on is, he is connected with the police.”

Roseleaf said ”Ah!” and opened his eyes wider.

”People who go to places like this,” continued Mr. Weil, ”are of great interest to the guardians of the peace. And by the police I do not mean the members of the regular force so much as the special service. It is to the latter that we go when a confidential clerk has robbed us or we become suspicious that our wives are unfaithful. Nine times out of ten the chief of the private detective office knows in advance all we wish him to ferret out. When he has told us that we will set investigations on foot, and that he hopes to learn something of the matter within a few days, he bows us out of his bureau with an air that implies that we have not come to the wrong party. And as soon as we are gone he turns to a ledger, and in a few minutes has found an abstract that tells him everything.

”Let us suppose,” said Mr. Weil, ”that a jeweler misses twenty valuable pieces of _bijouterie_ from his stock. The circ.u.mstances prove that they were taken by some one in his employ. He thinks of his clerks, and cannot find the heart to accuse any of them of such a grave crime. He goes to the detective office and states his case. When he is gone the chief turns to the book and finds this:

”'L. M. Jenkins, clerk at Abram Cohen's, Sixth Avenue; about twenty-three, medium height, dark, dresses well. Rooms at No. -- Twenty-Ninth street. Has been giving expensive suppers as well as valuable jewelry to Mamie Sanders, No. so-and-so, Such-a-street. They dined together at Isaac Leveson's on such-and-such dates.' Etc., etc., etc.

”Now, he can recover the jewelry and get that clerk into quod in three hours, if he likes. Naturally he won't expedite things in that way, because he wants some excuse for running up a large bill, unless it be a bank case, where he prefers to make a great impression and get himself solid with the directors. But he will collar the fellow and recover the stuff, and all because he knew about it long before any one in the store had a suspicion.”

Mr. Leveson returned. Mr. Weil asked that one of the private rooms on the second floor be put in order at once, for himself and friends. He then inquired what ladies were in the house unoccupied by escorts.

”Miss Pelham has been waiting an hour for the Judge,” replied Isaac, ”but I don't think he'll come. He disappoints her half the time now. And Mrs. Delavan, who has just come in, found a note from Col. Lamorest, asking her to excuse him to-night.”

Archie looked pleased.

”They'll do,” he said. ”Tell them to come and dine with us. But,” he paused, and looked at Roseleaf, ”we need still another.”

The color mounted to the cheeks of the young novelist, as he understood the thought that prompted this statement.

”Not on my account--I would much rather not,” he stammered.

”You will kindly leave that to my judgment,” replied Archie, impressively. ”Remember, you are not the instructor here, but the pupil.

There must be some one else, Isaac.”

Mr. Leveson hesitated. He was mentally going over the rooms upstairs and taking stock of what was in them.

”There are two girls,” he said, at last, ”who used to work in one of the dry goods stores, but you wouldn't want them. They are very strict, and they dress plainly,--and I am afraid the other ladies wouldn't like to a.s.sociate with them.”

Mr. Weil grew vastly irritated by this statement. He brought his hand down on the table with a bang.

”The other ladies!” he echoed, angrily. ”When you tell Mrs. Delavan and Jenny Pelham that you want them to dine with us, you know that ends it!

As to these shop girls, what do you mean by calling them _strict_? What would a _strict_ girl be doing in _this_ house?”

Mr. Leveson cringed before his interrogator and made the old, imploring movement with his hands.

”Let me explain,” he said. ”These girls came here a few weeks ago with some traveling men. They took dinner, but Adolf says neither drank a drop of wine. A few days later they came again, with other escorts, and the same thing occurred.”

”Why did you let them in?” demanded Weil.

”Because I knew the gentlemen.”

Archie started to say something, but checked himself.

”And after that they came alone and asked to see me,” pursued Isaac, humbly. ”They said they had been thrown out of work, and thought there might be an opportunity to do something here, like waiting on the guests. And while we were talking, two old customers of the house called to dine, alone, and asked me if they could get some one to share the meal with them. And, it seemed quite providential--”