WITH LINKS OF STEEL (Detective Nick Carter Mystery). John R. Coryell

      Chapter I.

       A Crafty Robbery

       Table of Contents

      “Mr. Venner, sir?”

      “Mr. Venner—yes, certainly. You will find him in his private office—that way, sir. The door to the right. Venner is in his private office, Joseph, is he not?”

      “I don’t think so, Mr. Garside, unless he has just returned. I saw him go out some time ago.”

      “Is that so? Wait a moment, young man.”

      The young man halted, and then turned back to face Mr. Garside, with an inquiring look in his frank, brown eyes.

      “Not here, sir, do I understand?” he asked, politely.

      Mr. Garside shook his head. He was a tall, slender man of forty, and was the junior partner of the firm of Rufus Venner & Co., a large retail jewelry house in New York City, with a handsome store on Fifth Avenue, not far from Madison Square.

      It was in their store that this introductory scene occurred, and proved to be the initiatory step of one of the shrewdest and most cleverly executed robberies on record.

      It was about eleven o’clock one April morning. The sun was shining brightly outside, and at the curbing in front of the store were several handsome private carriages, with stiff-backed, motionless coachmen, in bottle-green livery, perched on their boxes, all of which plainly indicated the very desirable patronage accorded the firm mentioned.

      In the store the glare of sun was subdued by partly drawn yellow curtains, which lent a soft, amber light to the deep interior, and enhanced the dazzling beauty of the merchandise there displayed.

      The store was a rather narrow one, but quite deep, with a long-counter on each side, back of which were numerous clerks, some engaged in waiting upon the several customers then present.

      At the rear of the store was an office inclosure, with a partition of plate glass; while at either side of this inclosure was a smaller room, entirely secluded, these being the private offices of the two members of the firm.

      Mr. Garside was standing about in the middle of the store when the young man entered and inquired for Mr. Venner. As he turned from the clerk who had informed him of Venner’s absence, he added, half in apology, to his visitor:

      “I was mistaken, young man. My clerk tells me that Mr. Venner is out just now. Do you know where he has gone, Joseph?”

      “No, sir, I do not.”

      “I think he will presently return,” said Garside, again reverting to the caller. “Is there anything that I can do for you? Or will you wait until Mr. Venner comes in?”

      “I will not wait, Mr. Garside, since you are one of the firm, and probably know about this matter,” replied the young man, drawing a small cloth-covered package from his breast pocket. “Here are the ten diamonds for which Mr. Venner sent us an order this morning. I come from Thomas Hafferman, sir, and will leave the stones with you.”

      The man mentioned was also a jeweler, and a large importer of diamonds and costly gems.

      Mr. Garside’s countenance took on an expression of mild surprise.

      “From Hafferman? An order from Venner?” he murmured, inquiringly. “I was not aware that Venner sent out any order for diamonds this morning.”

      “One of your clerks brought the order, sir, and requested Mr. Hafferman to send the stones here as soon as convenient,” replied the messenger. “Mr. Hafferman did not know your clerk personally, so I was sent here to deliver the stones.”

      “What is your name, young man?”

      “Harry