The Bradys and the Girl Smuggler Part 25

It was a beautifully furnished bedroom and the girl smuggler sat by the window reading a novel when the detectives rushed in at her.

She was a cool, level-headed girl, and seemed to possess a remarkable set of nerves for she did not look at all startled by their entrance.

Meeting the detectives' look with a cool stare, she asked, quietly:

"Well, gentlemen, what can I do for you?"

Then seeing the astonished servant lingering at the door, she added:

"You may go, Hattie."

The servant closed the door and vanished.

Old King Brady strode over to her and exclaimed:

"We want those smuggled diamonds."

"Really, you are provoking. I have no smuggled diamonds."

"But you know where they are!"

"Do I?"

"Yes. You fooled us once, very cleverly, by pa.s.sing them to the hotel hall-boy, but you shan't do so again, I can tell you."

She laughed as if enjoying a good joke.

"Well," she said, finally, "evasions are useless I see."

"Perfectly!"

"Do you want me to be frank with you?"

"My dear young lady, lies ain't going to do you any earthly good."

"The gems you are after are in my father's possession."

"We know that much already."

"To get them you must first get him."

"That's manifest."

"As for smuggling them onto American soil, none of us did that."

"But you caused one of your spies to do so for you."

"Admitted."

"And you have them now."

"So we have."

"That makes you as guilty as if you did the work of smuggling yourself."

"So I presume. We connived the trick, for our own benefit, to cheat the Custom House. We ain't denying that. In fact, it's going to be a big thing for us. Now, we don't wish to be pestered with your persecutions any longer."

"I don't see how you can help yourself."

"We do."

"How?"

"Name your price to quit."

"You mean to bribe us off, eh?"

"That's about the size of it."

"We are not to be bought."

"Humbug! I never knew a Custom House officer to refuse."

"We ain't of that stamp, young lady."

She looked at him incredulously a moment, and saw by the stern look in his deep gray eyes that he meant what he said.

It seemed to unnerve her for a moment.

She reflected and finally asked:

"Are you determined?"

"Absolutely!"

"You are bound to hound us?"

"We are, until we gain our point."

"This is astonis.h.i.+ng."

"Are you aware that we have your mother in jail?"

A look of alarm swept over her face, the color fled from her cheeks and she slowly rose to her feet and asked in strained tones:

"What! My mother in prison?"

"Yes, and you are going to join her in a few moments."