<h3> FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS </h3>
<p> </p>
<p>Mr. Campbell was talking.</p>
<p>"For several months past," he said,
"the International Investment Company,
through its representative, Mr. Cressy,
has been secretly negotiating with Señor Rodriguez
for certain asphalt properties in Venezuela.
Three days ago these negotiations were successfully
concluded, and yesterday afternoon Mr.
Cressy, in secret, paid to Señor Rodriguez, fifty
thousand dollars in American gold, the first of
four payments of similar sums. This gold was
to have been shipped to Philadelphia by express
to-day to catch a steamer for Venezuela."
Mr. Grimm nodded.</p>
<p>"The fact that this gold was in Señor Rodriguez's
possession could not have been known to
more than half a dozen persons, as the negotiations
throughout have been in strict secrecy,"
and Mr. Campbell smiled benignly. "So much!
Now, Señor Rodriguez has just telephoned asking
that I send a man to the legation at once.
The gold was kept there over night; or perhaps
I should say that the señor intended to
keep it there over night." Mr. Campbell stared
at Mr. Grimm for a moment, then: "Miss
Thorne, you know, is a guest at the legation,
that is why I am referring the matter to you."</p>
<p>"I understand," said Mr. Grimm.</p>
<p>And ten minutes later Mr. Grimm presented
himself to Señor Rodriguez. The minister from
Venezuela, bubbling with excitement, was pacing
forth and back across his office, ruffling his gray-black
hair with nervous, twining fingers. Mr.
Grimm sat down.</p>
<p>"Señor," he inquired placidly, "fifty thousand
dollars in gold would weigh nearly two
hundred pounds, wouldn't it?"</p>
<p>Señor Rodriguez stared at him blankly.</p>
<p>"<i>Si, Señor</i>," he agreed absently. And then,
in English: "Yes, I should imagine so."</p>
<p>"Well, was all of it stolen, or only a part of
it?" Mr. Grimm went on.</p>
<p>The minister gazed into the listless eyes for
a time, then, apparently bewildered, walked forth
and back across the room again. Finally he sat
down.</p>
<p>"All of it," he admitted. "I can't understand
it. No one, not a soul in this house, except myself,
knew it was here."</p>
<p>"In addition to this weight of, say two hundred
pounds, fifty thousand dollars would make
considerable bulk," mused Mr. Grimm. "Very
well! Therefore it would appear that the person,
or persons, who got it must have gone away
from here heavily laden?"</p>
<p>Señor Rodriguez nodded.</p>
<p>"And now, Señor," Mr. Grimm continued, "if
you will kindly state the circumstances immediately
preceding and following the theft?"</p>
<p>A slight frown which had been growing upon
the smooth brow of the diplomatist was instantly
dissipated.</p>
<p>"The money—fifty thousand dollars in gold
coin—was paid to me yesterday afternoon about
four o'clock," he began slowly, in explanation.</p>
<p>"By Mr. Cressy of the International Investment
Company," supplemented Mr. Grimm.
"Yes. Go on."</p>
<p>The diplomatist favored the young man with
one sharp, inquiring glance, and continued:</p>
<p>"The gentleman who paid the money remained
here from four until nine o'clock while
I, personally, counted it. As I counted it I
placed it in canvas bags and when he had gone
I took these bags from this room into that," he
indicated a closed door to his right, "and personally
stowed them away in the safe. I closed
and locked the door of the safe myself; I <i>know</i>
that it <i>was</i> locked. And that's all, except this
morning the money was gone—every dollar
of it."</p>
<p>"Safe blown?" inquired Mr. Grimm.</p>
<p>"No, Señor!" exclaimed the diplomatist with
sudden violence. "No, the safe was not blown!
It was <i>closed and locked</i>, exactly as I had left
it!"</p>
<p>Mr. Grimm was idly twisting the seal ring on
his little finger.</p>
<p>"Just as I left it!" Señor Rodriguez repeated
excitedly. "Last night after I locked the safe
door I tried it to make certain that it <i>was</i> locked.
I happened to notice then that the pointer on
the dial had stopped precisely at number forty-five.
This morning, when I unlocked the safe—and,
of course, I didn't know then that the
money had been taken—the pointer was still at
number forty-five."</p>
<p>He paused with one hand in the air; Mr.
Grimm continued to twist the seal ring.</p>
<p>"It was all like—like some trick on the stage,"
the minister went on, "like the magician's disappearing
lady, or—or—! It was as though I
had not put the money into the safe at all!"</p>
<p>"Did you?" inquired Mr. Grimm amiably.</p>
<p>"Did I?" blazed Señor Rodriguez. "Why,
Señor—! I did!" he concluded meekly.</p>
<p>Mr. Grimm believed him.</p>
<p>"Who else knows the combination of the
safe?" he queried.</p>
<p>"No one, Señor—not a living soul."</p>
<p>"Your secretary, for instance?"</p>
<p>"Not even my secretary."</p>
<p>"Some servant—some member of your family?"</p>
<p>"I tell you, Señor, not one person in all the
world knew that combination except myself,"
Señor Rodriguez insisted.</p>
<p>"Your secretary—a servant—some member
of your family might have seen you unlock the
safe some time, and thus learned the combination?"</p>
<p>Señor Rodriguez did not quite know whether
to be annoyed at Mr. Grimm's persistence, or to
admire the tenacity with which he held to this
one point.</p>
<p>"You must understand, Señor Grimm, that
many state documents are kept in the safe," he
said finally, "therefore it is not advisable that
any one should know the combination. I have
made it an absolute rule, as did my predecessors
here, never to unlock the safe in the presence of
another person."</p>
<p>"State documents!" Mr. Grimm's lips silently
repeated the words. Then aloud: "Perhaps
there's a record of the combination somewhere?
If you had died suddenly, for instance, how
would the safe have been opened?"</p>
<p>"There would have been only one way, Señor—blow
it open. There is no record."</p>
<p>"Well, if we accept all that as true," observed
Mr. Grimm musingly, "it would seem that you
either didn't put the money into the safe at all,
or—please sit down, there's nothing personal in
this—or else the money was taken out of the
safe without it being unlocked. This last would
have been a miracle, and this is not the day of
miracles, therefore—!"</p>
<p>Mr. Grimm's well modulated voice trailed off
into silence. Señor Rodriguez came to his feet
with a blaze of anger in his eyes; Mr. Grimm
was watching him curiously.</p>
<p>"I understand then, Señor," said the minister
deliberately, "that you believe that I—!"</p>
<p>"I believe that you have told the truth," interrupted
Mr. Grimm placidly, "that is the truth
so far as you know it. But you have stated one
thing in error. Somebody besides yourself <i>does</i>
know the combination. Whether they knew it
or not at this time yesterday I can't say, but
somebody knows it now."</p>
<p>Señor Rodriguez drew a deep breath of relief.
The implied accusation had been withdrawn as
pleasantly and frankly as it had been put forward.</p>
<p>"I ran across a chap in New York once, for
instance," Mr. Grimm took the trouble to explain,
"who could unlock any safe—that is, any
safe of the kind used at that time—twelve or
fourteen years ago. So you see. I doubt if he
would be so successful with the new models, with
all their improvements, but then—! You know
he would have made an ideal burglar, that chap.
Now, Señor, who lives here in the legation with
you?"</p>
<p>"My secretary, Señor Diaz, my daughter
Inez, and just at the moment, a Miss Thorne—Miss
Isabel Thorne," the señor informed him.
"Also four servants—two men and two women."</p>
<p>"I've had the pleasure of meeting your
daughter and Miss Thorne," Mr. Grimm informed
him. "Now, suppose we take a look at
the safe?"</p>
<p>"Certainly."</p>
<p>Señor Rodriguez started toward the closed
door just as there came a timid knock from the
hall. He glanced at Mr. Grimm, who nodded,
then he called:</p>
<p>"Come in!"</p>
<p>The door opened, and Miss Thorne entered.
She was clad in some filmy, gossamer-like morning
gown with her radiant hair caught up on
her white neck. At sight of Mr. Grimm the
blue-gray eyes opened as if in surprise, and she
paused irresolutely.</p>
<p>"I beg your pardon, Señor," she said, addressing
the diplomatist. "I did not know you
were engaged. And Mr. Grimm!" She extended
a slim, white hand, and the young man
bowed low over it. "We are old friends," she
explained, smilingly, to the minister. Then:
"I think I must have dropped my handkerchief
when I was in here yesterday with Inez. Perhaps
you found it?"</p>
<p>"<i>Si, Señorita</i>," replied Señor Rodriguez gallantly.
"It is on my desk in here. Just a moment."</p>
<p>He opened the door and passed into the adjoining
room. Mr. Grimm's eyes met those of
Miss Isabel Thorne, and there was no listlessness
in them now, only interest. She smiled at him
tauntingly and lowered her lids. Señor Rodriguez
appeared from the other room with the
handkerchief.</p>
<p>"<i>Mil gracias, Señor</i>," she thanked him.</p>
<p>"<i>No hay de que, Señorita</i>," he returned, as he
opened the door for her.</p>
<p>"<i>Monsieur Grimm, au revoir</i>!" She dropped
a little curtsey, and still smiling, went out.</p>
<p>"She is charming, Señor," the diplomatist assured
him enthusiastically, albeit irrelevantly.
"Such vivacity, such personality, such—such—she
is charming."</p>
<p>"The safe, please," Mr. Grimm reminded him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<SPAN name="CH10"><!-- CHAPTER 10 --></SPAN>
<h3> X </h3>
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