Then Mrs. Binks went home and, true to her determination to save Binks from unnecessary worry, she told him nothing of the loss nor of her arrangements for the watch's recovery.
“What's the use of bothering Binks?” she asked herself. “All he could do would be to notify the police, and I've done that.”
Thursday came and Mrs. B. set forth for Hoboken. No notice had come from the police. Binks was glad to see her go. He had lived in fear lest she come across the departure of the watch. He breathed easier when she was gone. As for Mrs. B., as she had not heard from the police, there was nothing to tell Binks; wherefore, like a self-reliant woman who did not believe in making her husband unhappy to no purpose, she left without word or sign as to her knowledge of the watch's disappearance.
It was Friday; ever an unlucky day. Binks was walking swiftly homeward. Binks was thinking some idle thing when a hand came down on his shoulder, heavy as a ham.
“Hold on, me covey; I want you!”
Binks looked around, scared and startled. He had been halted by a stocky, bluff man in citizen's clothes.
“What is it?” gasped Binks.
“Suttenly, sech a fly guy as you don't know!” said the bluff man, with a glare. “Well! never mind why I wants you; I'm a detective, and you comes with me.”
And Binks went with him.
Not only that, Binks went in a noisy patrol wagon which the detective rang for; and it kept gonging its way along and attracting everybody's attention.