"Progress already," commented Mr. Latham with keen interest. "That's
good."

Then the detective detailed the information he had received from the
maid, adding thereto divers and sundry conclusions of his own.

Mr. Latham marveled exceedingly.

"He tried to shake us all right when he went out," Mr. Birnes went on
to explain, "but the trap was set and there was no escape."

With certain minor omissions he told of the cab ride to Sixty-seventh
Street, the trip across to a downtown car, and, as a matter of
convincing circumstantial detail, added the incident of the empty
gripsack.

"Empty?" repeated Mr. Latham, startled. "Empty, did you say?"

"Empty as a bass drum," the detective assured him complacently. "He
turned it upside down and shook it."

"Then what became of them?" demanded Mr. Latham.

"Became of what?"

"The diamonds, man--what became of the diamonds?"

"You didn't mention any diamonds to me except those five the other
day," the detective reminded him coldly. "Your instructions were to
find out all about this man--who he is, what he does, where he goes,