In spite of the heat of the room, he had not
turned down his collar, which all but concealed his face, and once
Christopher noticed that he leaned surreptitiously forward and drew that
of his companion higher about his ears. Thus they dallied, laughing,
joking, objecting, until the distracted clerk, fearful lest he lose
such promising customers, was well-nigh out of his wits. It seemed as if
they never would be suited, and at last, suddenly inspired, the salesman
dashed off to the farther end of the show case in evident search for
something he had forgotten to show them.

It was during the instant he was thus occupied that Christopher saw, or
thought he saw, the taller of the men wrench the ring he was wearing
from his finger, drop it inside his glove, and substitute for it one his
companion handed him. The exchange--if exchange it was--took place in a
flash and was over so quickly the boy could scarcely believe his eyes. A
second later the clerk returned triumphantly, displayed another ring,
and renewed his attentions without noticing anything amiss. But his
purchasers shook their heads, pushed the rings aside, and moved away.

Then, and not until then, was Christopher urged to action. He awakened
as out of a dream, wondering whether what he had witnessed was real, and
if it was, what he ought to do. The two fur-coated gentlemen were almost
at the door. If he was to do anything at all, it must be now.
Fortunately a stairway was at no great distance; and he raced down it as
fast as his feet would carry him. When he reached the street floor, the
door had, alas, closed on the suspected thieves. It came to him now how
much wiser it would have been had he shouted from the balcony, instead
of waiting to descend. If he had done that the men might have been
stopped before they got away. But it was all so unbelievable that he
hadn't the nerve to cry out. Had he been mistaken, a pretty sort of
fool he would have appeared; besides, he had not thought of it. His
bright ideas always seemed to come afterward.

Well, at any rate he was alert enough now. It took him no time to rush
up to the perspiring clerk, who, discouraged, stood mopping his brow,
and gasp:

"Those men--one of them took a ring--I saw him."

"_What!_"

"He did. He put it in his glove."

"But the rings are all here."

"It was another one," panted Christopher. "His friend slipped it to him
and he--"

The salesman paled. Breathlessly he dragged out the tray