head. Waste not a moment. Notify the police. Telephone at once for men
from the central office."

"Blast the police! The central office be hanged!" cried Venner, choking
down an oath of wrathful contempt. "I'll have none of your police--none
of your central office men! I want a detective--not an effigy of one!"

"Rufus--"

"Silence, Garside, and leave this affair to me," Venner harshly
interrupted. "You've had fingers enough in it already."

With which rebuke Mr. Rufus Venner strode passionately out of the office
and into the store proper, shouting loudly to the clerk previously
mentioned:

"Maynard--here you, Maynard! Call a cab at once and go for Nick Carter!
Lose not a moment! Don't wait to ask questions, you blockhead! Away with
you, at once! Bring Nick Carter here with the least possible delay!"

Maynard had already seized his coat and hat, and was hurrying out of the
store.

And thus began one of the most stirring and extraordinary criminal cases
that ever fell within the broad experience of the famous New York
detective mentioned.