“Well,” said the millionaire, “these newspapers have been advertising the number and kind of presents in the most annoying manner. Those who would do such a thing as steal them have had all the knowledge they could want of them reading those papers. And there is this thing, a very great number of invitations for the reception, after the wedding in the church, have been issued. I presume the house will be thronged this very afternoon, even overcrowded.”
“Under such circumstances,” said Chick, “it would be easy for swell crooks to push their way into the house. Many of the best, who do this kind of work, are women who can make a front, so far as dress goes, with the best ladies in the land.”
“What arrangements have you made, Mr. Sanborn?” asked Chick, “to guard your house during this pressure?”
Mr. Sanborn looked up, a little surprised, and said:
“I must confess that I have made none. Indeed, I gave it no thought.”
He laughed a little as he continued:
“All this is new business to me, and I have done nothing but blunder in it from the start. I can run a railroad, two or three of them, perhaps, but a wedding seems to be a little too much for me.”
The two detectives laughed not a little over this confession, and Nick said:
“It is not too late for you to make arrangements yet, Mr. Sanborn, and you should do so without delay.”
“Yes,” put in Chick, “don’t make any mistake about thinking that the gang don’t know of this wedding and the valuable presents. Nor to the other thing, that you have made no provision to protect them.”