Page:Love Insurance - Earl Biggers (1914).djvu/289

262 "Mr. Minot—the necklace belongs to me. Will you kindly let me have it"

"Certainly," said Minot coldy [sic]. And, much annoyed, he returned to the room amid the buzz and the thrill of gambling.

Harrowby ran quickly down the stairs. In the office of the club he found Tom Stacy in amiable converse with Martin Wall. He threw Chain Lightning's Collar on the manager's desk.

"How much can you loan me on that?" he demanded.

With a grunt of surprise, Mr. Stacy took up the famous collar in his thick fingers. He gazed at it for a moment Then he looked up, and caught Martin Wall's crafty eye over Harrowby's shoulder.

"Not a cent," said Mr. Stacy firmly.

"What! I don't understand." Harrowby gazed at him blankly. "It's worth—"

"Not a cent," Stacy repeated. "That's final."

Harrowby turned appealingly to Martin Wall.

"You—" he pleaded.

"I'm not investing," Wall replied, with a queer smile.