“Eh, what?”
“How much reward?”
“Nothing’s been said about a reward.”
“All right. Good-bye.” Calmly pocketing the case, Johnny started from the door.
“Here! Here! Stop that young fool!” stormed the Chief of Detectives.
“Well,” said Johnny defiantly, “what sort of cheap piker is this man Barker? It’s not for myself, but for a friend who needs it.”
“Tell me about it,” said the detective, bending over and beckoning him close.
Johnny told the story so well that the Chief got Barker on the wire and pried an even five hundred dollars out of that tight fisted merchant before he would promise the return of the diamonds.
“That’ll set your friend Zook up in business,” smiled the Chief of Detectives as a half hour later he handed Johnny a valuable yellow slip. “And say, weren’t you in here a day or two ago with some story about a telephone and a firebug?”
“Yes sir.”