Capitalists and financiers -- Fiction; Criminals -- Fiction; Wall Street (New York, N.Y.) -- Fiction
However, the colonel merely said “Home!” and entered the motor, followed
by Mr. Boon and T. Donnelly. The store footman closed the door as if it
were made of priceless cut-glass. The traffic policeman touched his cap
and the motor went up the Avenue.
The colonel picked up a newspaper from the seat and turned to Mr. Boon.
“See!” he said, “our pictures. Your reporters are--ah!--very
enterprising and clever. But the photographers are worse!” He laughed
and went on: “The pictures don't look like me, d'ye think?”
“I recognize the coat and the fur cap,” laughed Mr. Boon.
“Oh, do you?” said the colonel, seriously. He looked at it and
said: “But it might be my other fur cap, you know. What?” He looked
challengingly at the jeweler.
“It might be,” admitted Mr. Boon, diplomatically confessing his error.
“Quite so!” said the owner of the fur cap, triumphantly.
Mr. Boon, finding himself nearer the house of the duke's host, began to
feel more confident of putting through the epoch-making deal. It is not
often that a New York jeweler sells pearls to an uncle of the King of
England, to be used by the king's most beautiful cousin! He would have
the princess's photograph in his window. It should show the famous
necklace!
The motor took its place last in the long string of automobiles and
carriages that were creeping toward the door of the house which his
Royal Highness was honoring.
“Democracy meekly leaving its card at the house of royalty,” laughed the
colonel, pointing to the twoscore vehicles ahead of theirs.
“Americans paying their respects to an Englishman who is honored even in
his own country,” said Mr. Boon.
“Oh, now, I say, Boon, that's uncommonly neat, you know. What? But
perhaps we'd better get out and walk; otherwise it may be a half-hour
before--”
A footman in livery came up to their motor, touched his hat with a
respect that entitled him to a bank president's wages, and said to the
colonel:
“I beg pardon, sir, but 'is Royal 'ighness 'as gone to Mr. Walton's,
sir, at number 899 Fifth Avenue. I was hinstructed to tell you to go
there, sir.”
“Tell the chauffeur where to go,” said the colonel, briefly.
“Yes, sir--very good, sir.” The man touched his hat and told the
chauffeur.
Their motor pulled out of the line and turned to the west.
“Mr. Walton was at Eton with the duke,” explained the colonel to Mr.
Boon.
“J. G. Walton?” asked Mr. Boon.
“Yes.”
“I didn't know he was educated in England,” said Mr. Boon in a tone that
implied he knew Mr. Walton well.
“Didn't you?” said the colonel, more sharply than the occasion
warranted.
“But then, we never discussed the subject,” apologized the jeweler.
“Do you know the house?”
“Yes. I've been in it several times. I understood Mr. Walton was in
Florida and had rented his residence for the winter.”
“I don't know a bally thing about his private affairs,” said the
colonel, coldly; “but I do know the duke intended to visit him, and I've
been told to go there.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account