登陆注册
15385000000019

第19章

THE MOTHER LODE

It was the following evening, and they had dined together again at the St.James Club--Jimmie Dale, and Carruthers of the MORNING NEWS-ARGUS.From Clayton and a discussion of the Metzer murder, the conversation had turned, not illogically, upon the physiognomy of criminals in general.Jimmie Dale, lazily ensconced now in a lounging chair in one of the club's private library rooms, flicked a minute speck of cigar ash from the sleeve of his dinner jacket, and smiled whimsically across the table at his friend.

"Oh, I dare say there's a lot in physiognomy, Carruthers," he drawled."Never studied the thing, you know--that is, from the standpoint of crime.Personally, I've only got one prejudice: Idistrust, on principle, the man who wears a perennial and pompous smirk--which isn't, of course, strictly speaking, physiognomy at all.You see, a man can't help his eyes being beady or his nose pronounced, but pomposity and a smirk, now--" Jimmie Dale shrugged his shoulders.

Carruthers laughed--and then glanced ludicrously at Jimmie Dale, as the door, ajar, was pushed open, and a man entered.

"Speaking of angels," murmured Jimmie Dale--and sat up in his chair.

"Hello, Markel!" he observed casually, "You've met Carruthers, of the NEWS-ARGUS, haven't you?"Markel was fat and important; he had beady black eyes, fastidiously trimmed whiskers--and a pronounced smirk.

Markel blew his nose vigorously, coughed asthmatically, and held out his hand.

"Of course, certainly," said he effusively."I've met Carruthers several times--used his sheet more than once to advertise a new bond flotation."The dominant note in Markel's voice was an ingratiating and unpleasant whine, and Carruthers nodded, not very cordially--and shook hands.

Markel went back to the door, closed it carefully, and returned to the table.

"Fact is," he smiled confidentially, "I saw you two come in here a few minutes ago, and I've got something that I thought Carruthers might be glad to have for his society column--say, in the Sunday edition."He dove into the inside pocket of his coat, produced a large morocco leather jeweller's case, and, holding it out over the table between Carruthers and Jimmie Dale, suddenly snapped the cover open--and then, with a complacent little chuckle that terminated in another fit of coughing, spilled the contents on the table under the electric reading lamp.

Like a thing of living, pulsing fire it rolled before their eyes--a magnificent diamond necklace, of wondrous beauty, gleaming and scintillating as the light rays shot back from a thousand facets.

For a moment, both men gazed at it without a word.

"Little surprise for my wife," volunteered Markel, with a debonair wave of his pudgy hand, and trying to make his voice sound careless.

The case lay open--patently displaying the name of the most famous jewelry house in America.Jimmie Dale's eyes fixed on Markel's whiskers where they were brushed outward in an ornate and fastidious gray-black sweep.

"By Jove!" he commented."You don't do things by halves, do you, Markel?""Two hundred and ten thousand dollars I paid for that little bunch of gewgaws," said Markel, waving his hand again.Then he clapped Carruthers heartily on the shoulder."What do you think of it, Carruthers--eh? Say, a photograph of it, and one of Mrs.Markel--eh? Please her, you know--she's crazy on this society stunt--all flubdub to me of course.How's it strike you, Carruthers?"Carruthers, very evidently, liked neither the man nor his manners, but Carruthers, above everything else, was a gentleman.

"To be perfectly frank with you, Mr.Markel," he said a little frigidly, "I don't believe in this sort of thing.It's all right from a newspaper standpoint, and we do it; but it's just in this way that owners of valuable jewelry lay themselves open to theft.It simply amounts to advising every crook in the country that you have a quarter of a million at his disposal, which he can carry away in his vest pocket, once he can get his hands on it--and you invite him to try."Jimmie Dale laughed."What Carruthers means, Markel, is that you'll have the Gray Seal down your street.Carruthers talks of crooks generally, but he thinks in terms of only one.He can't help it.

He's been trying so long to catch the chap that it's become an obsession.Eh, Carruthers?"Carruthers smiled seriously."Perhaps," he admitted."I hope, though, for Mr.Markel's sake, that the Gray Seal won't take a fancy to it--if he does, Mr.Markel can say good-bye to his necklace.""Pouf!" coughed Markel arrogantly."Overrated! His cleverness is all in the newspaper columns.If he knows what's good for him, he'll know enough to leave this alone."Jimmie Dale was leaning over the table poking gingerly with the tip of his forefinger at the centre stone in the setting, revolving it gently to and fro in the light--a very large stone, whose weight would hardly be less than fifteen carats.Jimmie Dale lowered his head for a closer examination--and to hide a curious, mocking little gleam that crept into his dark eyes.

"Yes, I should say you're right, Markel," he agreed judicially."He ought to know better than to touch this.It--it would be too hard to dispose of.""I'm not worrying," declared Markel importantly.

"No," said Jimmie Dale."Two hundred and ten thousand, you said.

Any special--er--significance to the occasion, if the question's not impertinent? Birthday, wedding anniversary--or something like that?""No, nothing like that!" Markel grinned, winked secretively, and rubbed his hands together."I'm feeling good, that's all--I'm going to make the killing of my life to-morrow.""Oh!" said Jimmie Dale.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 英雄联盟之最强人生

    英雄联盟之最强人生

    一个传奇,一段人生,一次偶然,一世无悔。
  • 女配翻身记:男神别想跑

    女配翻身记:男神别想跑

    (暂时改写前面的剧情,感兴趣的小伙伴可以过几天再来看)她苏不语一个平凡的大学新生,只是因为买了一瓶果酱没有开封搁在橱柜过期了,就被卷入了女配逆袭世界。但事实上真的那么简单吗?然而咱们可(丧)爱(心)呆(病)萌(狂)、积(惨)极(绝)乐(人)观(寰)的不语小姑娘却在各种剧本中乐不思蜀。看她如何拆原配,虐女主,抢男神。这是一条掉节操的不归路。
  • 魔女失忆穿越:帝王来宠

    魔女失忆穿越:帝王来宠

    21世纪的第一杀手穿越到一个被人当作怪物的女孩,女孩还不知道什么原因居然失忆了!不过在路上看见有人受了伤,幸好她在21世纪可是什么都是第一的,被训练她的人称作天下第一的魔。可是有谁知道她有多辛苦、多寂寞、多难过,没有人知道。可是遇见他……什么都变了……
  • 三色堇花开

    三色堇花开

    两个早恋的熊孩子因为狗血分开了,然后......就没有然后了......==
  • 长恨天之武媚娘

    长恨天之武媚娘

    本书前三章详细叙述玄武门事变的前因后果,用建成的角度切入事变的核心,以平衡历史记载一面倒的偏袒唐太宗的观点。并特别呈现唐高祖,唐太宗,以及尉迟敬德在事变千钧一发关键时刻的心路历程。第四章开始是一个转折,记述建成忠心部属魏征,冯立以及谢叔方效法程婴匿孤的精神以寄望‘赵氏孤儿’复兴。第五章说明贞观之治的盛世,经由第六,第七章隋末唐初形势演变以及隋皇后返回长安而直接带出建成长子承道一生的艰苦奋斗旅程。第八章开始,轰轰烈烈地展开了承道生涯波折起伏一个接一个的高潮,承道在爷爷李渊庇护之下辗转逃生,投奔李渊故臣旧友武士彟,和武庄主幼女媚娘发生一段缠绵悱恻的伟大恋……
  • 乱世漂流记

    乱世漂流记

    一樽酹江月,半世付天涯。虽有胡风乱月,斧钺刀叉,遮不住南北江山如画。再看血红之下,滚滚风沙,埋没了金戈,埋没了铁马。太子诛杀皇帝篡位自立后,庐陵王九死一生,逃难西方。太子说:苏护,我为太子,你做我的东宫侍郎,我为皇帝,你就做我的散骑侍郎。苏护说:如今我带着你的军队饮马长江,恐怕是只能帮你到这里了。文章全名应该是《乱世漂流记之庐陵王的天下》,对历史略有架空,对事实略有改变。希望各位喜欢,收藏,评论,作者感激不尽。
  • 我的左岸你的右岸

    我的左岸你的右岸

    我的左岸,却是你的右岸我所珍惜的风景,也许你今生永远无法无法体会
  • 佛武双修

    佛武双修

    世间众生皆不出生死二字,欲了生脱死者,唯我佛门中求。天下武学皆不离力技二门,欲修习至极武道者,唯从力技二门中得。力门乃金刚法脉,技门乃菩提法脉。力乃技之根源,技乃力之极致。参悟佛门功法,便可力技兼修,金刚菩提兼得。西天二十八祖达摩大师身兼七十二绝技,深入佛法第一义谛,通达经藏无上了义,与少室山面壁九年,创立禅宗,中兴少林。故言:世间万法,皆是佛法,天下武功,源出少林。千百年后,大三学生王骏风与体校朋友李国明、赵晓鹏等人偶入佛门,成为三宝弟子,并开始习武修佛的新生命历程,历经百难千劫,为佛门中兴创下了千古不灭的功绩。
  • 栀景

    栀景

    当落小栀亲眼看着欧阳尚与别的女人拥吻,自己却以欧阳尚婚礼的伴娘出现时,她知道所有人都抛弃了她。而叶景琛这个铸就了帝容大厦最辉煌时期的男人,竟赌上了身家性命将落小栀从最低谷推上了最高峰。原以为对落小栀的好都是对萧薇的愧疚,却在落小栀一声不响地离开后明白了为什么。一年后的再次重逢,两人之间。。。。加了个电灯泡。
  • 天上掉下个天然卷

    天上掉下个天然卷

    如果你一觉醒来,发现身边突然多了一个奇怪的家伙,你会怎么办?尖叫?怒吼?还是直接被吓到滚下床?这是正常人该有的正常反应才是。但是,某个被称为废材的妹纸却一脸淡定的看了一眼早晨出现在她身边的奇怪家伙,随即又昏昏沉沉的睡了过去。嘴里还一直念叨着,“天上掉下个天然卷,恩,我果然是疯了了。”