one of Thomas Hafferman's business cards, and said, glibly, while bowing
and laughing lightly:

"Excuse me, Mr. Garside, but we rather owe you an apology. Our Mr.
Boyden left some diamonds with you a short time ago, which should have
been delivered to Tiffany & Co. Mr. Hafferman read the order without his
spectacles, and it's rather a good joke on him, for he thought it was
signed Venner & Co. The blunder was partly owing to the fact, no doubt,
that Mr. Venner called to see him yesterday about some diamonds."

"There!" exclaimed Garside, as if quite pleased to discover that he had
been so nearly right. "I knew well enough that Venner had not sent out
any order without mentioning it to me. Yes, your Mr. Boyden left the
stones here. For Tiffany & Co., eh?"

"Yes, sir, and they should have been delivered long ago," was the reply,
with a conventional laugh. "If you please, I'll leave them there on my
way back. Deucedly stupid blunder on Hafferman's part, I'm sure; and I
hope--"

"Oh, there's no harm done, I guess, and but little time lost,"
interrupted Garside, joining in the other's laugh. "You will deliver
them, you say?"

"If you please."

"Here, Joseph, hand me that package of diamonds left here by Boyden.
They were sent to us by mistake. I knew it well enough at the time. Here
you are, Mr. ----"