CHAPTER XXX. THE ATTEMPTED ROBBERY.

 Dick Ralston was in the real estate office when the telegram was received. Indeed, he spent a good deal of his time there, so that it was supposed by some that he had a share in the business.

 

"Look at that, Dick!" said the bookkeeper, passing the telegram to his confederate.

 

"Confusion! What sends him home so soon?" said Ralston. "Do you suppose he suspects anything?"

 

"No. How can he? Perhaps," said Mullins, nervously¹, "we had better give up the whole thing. You see how I will be placed. I'm afraid I shall be suspected."

 

"Look here!" growled² Ralston, "I don't want to hear any such weak, puerile³ talk. How do you propose to pay me the nine hundred and sixty-odd dollars you owe me? Do you expect to save it out of your salary?" he concluded, with a sneer⁴.

 

"I wish we had never met," said the bookkeeper, in a troubled tone.

 

"Thank you; but it is too late for that. There is nothing to do but to carry out our program. How much money is there on deposit in the bank?"

 

"About twenty-four hundred dollars."

 

"Then we had better draw out more than eighteen hundred. As well be hanged for a sheep as for a lamb."

 

"You forget, Ralston, that such a wholesale⁵ draft will raise suspicion at the bank."

 

"You're awfully⁶ cautious."

 

"I don't want everything to miscarry through imprudence."

 

"Come, it is ten o'clock. Better send Felix to the bank."

 

"Better wait a little while. If we drew such a large amount just at the beginning of banking⁷ hours, the bank officers might suspect something."

 

"Cautious again. Well, wait half an hour, if you must. Call Felix and give him his instructions."

 

Felix Gordon came in at this moment, and was admitted to the conference.

 

"Felix," said the bookkeeper, "you remember the arrangement I made with you yesterday?"

 

"Yes, Cousin David."

 

"It is to be carried out to-day. I shall give you a check for eighteen hundred dollars, and you will receive the money and come from the bank here."

 

"Yes, Cousin David."

 

"You will carry the parcel in the left-hand pocket of your sack coat, and if it is taken you can appear to be unconscious of it."

 

"Yes."

 

"And—that is all you will have to do, except to say that a tall, thin man"—Ralston was short and sturdy—"jostled against you, and must have taken it."

 

"All right! I see. And I am to have twenty-five dollars for——"

 

"Your trouble. Yes."

 

"Give it to me now."

 

"Wait till you come back. Don't be afraid. You will get it."

 

"All right."

 

When Felix was on his way to the bank, he did not know that he was followed at a little distance by a small man with keen, black eyes, who, without appearing to do so, watched carefully every movement of the young office boy.

 

When Felix entered the bank, he also entered the bank, and stood behind Felix in the line at the paying teller⁸'s window.

 

He nodded secretly to the teller when that official read the check presented by Felix.

 

"Eighteen hundred dollars?" the latter repeated, aloud.

 

"Yes, sir," answered Felix, composedly.

 

"I shall have to go back to get it. We haven't as much here."

 

He went to another part of the bank and returned after a time with three packages. One was labeled one thousand dollars, another five hundred dollars and a third two hundred dollars. Then he counted out from the drawer beside him a hundred dollars in bills.

 

Felix, with a look of relief, took the three parcels and dropped them carelessly in the side pocket of his sack coat, and put the bills in loose. Then he started on his way back to the office.

 

Mr. Sharpleigh, for it was he, as the reader has doubtless guessed, walked closely behind him. He was not quite sure as to the manner in which the money was to be taken, but guessed at once when he caught sight of Dick Ralston at a little distance with his eyes intently fixed⁹ upon Felix.

 

The office boy sauntered along, with nothing apparently¹⁰ on his mind, and finally stopped in front of a window on union Square, which appeared to have considerable attraction for him.

 

Then it was that the detective saw Ralston come up, and, while apparently watching the window also, thrust his hand into the pocket of the office boy and withdraw the package of money, which he at once slipped into his own pocket.

 

Mr. Sharpleigh smiled a little to himself.

 

"Very neat!" he soliloquized, "but it won't go down, my cunning friend."

 

Felix gave a little side glance, seeing what was going on, but immediately stared again in at the window.

 

Sharpleigh beckoned¹¹ to a tall man, dressed as a civilian¹², but really an officer in plain clothes.

 

"Go after him!" he said, in a low voice, indicating Ralston.

 

Then he followed Felix, who in about five minutes began to show signs of agitation¹³.

 

He thrust his hand wildly into his pocket, and looked panic-stricken.

 

"What is the matter, my boy?" asked Sharpleigh, blandly¹⁴.

 

"Oh, sir, I have been robbed," faltered¹⁵ Felix.

 

"Robbed—of what?"

 

"I had eighteen hundred dollars in bank bills in my pocket, in four parcels, and—and they must have been taken while I was looking in at this window."

 

"You seem to have been very careless?" said Sharpleigh. "Why were you not more careful when you knew you had so much money in your care?"

 

"I—I ought to have been, I know it, sir, but I wasn't thinking."

 

"Where are you employed?"

 

"At Mr. Fairchild's office, on Fourteenth Street."

 

"The real estate agent?"

 

"Yes, sir."

 

"I know the place."

 

"My cousin is the bookkeeper. He will be so angry with me."

 

"I think he will have reason. I saw a man following you rather closely, I presume he took the money."

 

"Oh, won't you come back to the office with me and tell my cousin that? I am afraid he will discharge me."

 

"Yes, I will go with you."

 

So it happened that Felix and Mr. Sharpleigh went together into the office where Mullins was eagerly waiting for the return of his emissary.

 

"What's the matter, Felix?" he said, as the boy entered. "Have you brought the money?"

 

"Oh, Cousin David, I am so sorry."

 

"So sorry? For what?"

 

"I—I have lost the money. A pickpocket¹⁶ took it while I was looking in at a window. This gentleman was near and he saw a suspicious-looking man next to me."

 

"This is a strange story, Felix. We must notify the police at once. Did you see anyone likely to commit the theft, sir?"

 

This was, of course, addressed to Mr. Sharpleigh.

 

"Yes."

 

"You will be willing to testify to this at the police office? You see, this boy is my cousin. Mr. Fairchild is away, and I shall be blamed for this terrible loss. Why, there were eighteen hundred dollars in the parcel!"

 

"There were three parcels, and a roll of bills, Cousin David."

 

Mr. Mullins looked surprised.

 

"Then it was not all put in one parcel?" he said.

 

"No."

 

"That is strange. I—I don't know what to do. Mr. Fairchild has telegraphed that he will be at home sometime during the day. Probably I had better wait till he comes before notifying the police."

 

This he said in a questioning sort of way, as if asking Sharpleigh's advice.

 

"That will give the thief a chance to escape," suggested the detective.

 

"True. Perhaps you will be kind enough to leave word at the nearest police office. I only wish Mr. Fairchild were here."

 

"All right, sir," said the detective, "I will comply with your request."

 

He left the office, but it is needless to say that he didn't go far away.

 

"This is a very interesting comedy," he murmured, rubbing his hands, "a very interesting comedy, and apparently played for my benefit."

 

"Now, Felix," said the bookkeeper, "tell me how it all came out. Did the paying teller look suspicious when you presented the check?"

 

"No. He said he hadn't as much money in the drawer, and went to the safe in the back part of the bank. He returned with three parcels of bills in brown paper, and a hundred dollars loose."

 

"And then you put it in your pocket?"

 

"Yes, Cousin David; I did exactly as you told me. I put them in my pocket and walked back in a leisurely¹⁷ way."

 

"Did you see anything of Ralston?"

 

"Yes, I saw him out of the corner of my eye, while I was looking in at a window on union Square."

 

"He took the money?"

 

"Yes. Now, Cousin David, give me the twenty-five dollars."

 

At that instant the door was opened suddenly, and Dick Ralston dashed into the office, looking very much excited.

 

"Mullins," he said, "we've been sold—sold—regularly sold. Look at this!" and he showed one of the brown packages partly torn open.

 

"Well," said the bookkeeper, "what's the matter?"

 

"Matter? Matter enough. Here's a package marked one thousand dollars, and it contains only slips of green paper in place of bills. You can see for yourself."

1 nervously   

adv.神情激动地，不安地

参考例句：

• He bit his lip nervously,trying not to cry.他紧张地咬着唇，努力忍着不哭出来。
• He paced nervously up and down on the platform.他在站台上情绪不安地走来走去。

2 growled   

v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说

参考例句：

• \"They ought to be birched, \" growled the old man. 老人咆哮道：“他们应受到鞭打。” 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He growled out an answer. 他低声威胁着回答。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 puerile   

adj.幼稚的，儿童的

参考例句：

• The story is simple,even puerile.故事很简单，甚至有些幼稚。
• Concert organisers branded the group's actions as puerile.音乐会的组织者指称该乐队的行为愚蠢幼稚。

4 sneer   

v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语

参考例句：

• He said with a sneer.他的话中带有嘲笑之意。
• You may sneer,but a lot of people like this kind of music.你可以嗤之以鼻，但很多人喜欢这种音乐。

5 wholesale   

n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售

参考例句：

• The retail dealer buys at wholesale and sells at retail.零售商批发购进货物，以零售价卖出。
• Such shoes usually wholesale for much less.这种鞋批发出售通常要便宜得多。

6 awfully   

adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地

参考例句：

• Agriculture was awfully neglected in the past.过去农业遭到严重忽视。
• I've been feeling awfully bad about it.对这我一直感到很难受。

7 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

8 teller   

n.银行出纳员；(选举)计票员

参考例句：

• The bank started her as a teller.银行起用她当出纳员。
• The teller tried to remain aloof and calm.出纳员力图保持冷漠和镇静。

9 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

10 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

11 beckoned   

v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He beckoned to the waiter to bring the bill. 他招手示意服务生把账单送过来。
• The seated figure in the corner beckoned me over. 那个坐在角落里的人向我招手让我过去。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

13 agitation   

n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动

参考例句：

• Small shopkeepers carried on a long agitation against the big department stores.小店主们长期以来一直在煽动人们反对大型百货商店。
• These materials require constant agitation to keep them in suspension.这些药剂要经常搅动以保持悬浮状态。

14 blandly   

adv.温和地，殷勤地

参考例句：

• There is a class of men in Bristol monstrously prejudiced against Blandly. 布里斯托尔有那么一帮人为此恨透了布兰德利。 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛
• \"Maybe you could get something in the stage line?\" he blandly suggested. “也许你能在戏剧这一行里找些事做，\"他和蔼地提议道。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

15 faltered   

（嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃

参考例句：

• He faltered out a few words. 他支吾地说出了几句。
• "Er - but he has such a longhead!" the man faltered. 他不好意思似的嚅嗫着：“这孩子脑袋真长。”

16 pickpocket   

n.扒手；v.扒窃

参考例句：

• The pickpocket pinched her purse and ran away.扒手偷了她的皮夹子跑了。
• He had his purse stolen by a pickpocket.他的钱包被掏了。

17 leisurely   

adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的

参考例句：

• We walked in a leisurely manner,looking in all the windows.我们慢悠悠地走着，看遍所有的橱窗。
• He had a leisurely breakfast and drove cheerfully to work.他从容的吃了早餐，高兴的开车去工作。