it formed on his lips.

"Where is he?"

"On the roof."

"What the deuce is he doing on the roof?"

"Searching it."

"Well," stormed Barnes, "I'll go up there and if he don't unlock me
I'll push him off."

He dashed out of the room and up the stairs.

"Funny thing where that man got to, Mr. Gladwin," mused the Central
Office man, with a keen glance from under his heavy eyebrows.

"Yes, those chaps are clever, aren't they?" returned the young man
with affected unconcern. "I suppose he's miles away by this time."

"I don't think he's gone very far," rejoined Kearney, his voice
bristling with suspicion. "He couldn't have got away without the men
outside seeing him. We've got the block surrounded now. He's here in
this house, Mr. Gladwin--I guess you know that."

"I don't know anything of the kind," Gladwin denied, with a trifle too
much emphasis. A policeman appeared in the doorway and Kearney called
to him, "Ryan, I thought you were on the roof."

"Sergeant Burke sent me down," responded Ryan. "We've got the roofs
covered both way."

"Did you see the man you put the bracelets on?" asked Kearney.

"No," replied Ryan, "but I heard a lot of noise going up one of the
back stairways."

"You better go and find him," urged Travers Gladwin. "He's in an awful
state."

"No," countermanded Kearney, "never mind him now."

"But you're wasting time here," persisted Gladwin. "I can look after
this room."

"_Oh, no, you can't!_" Kearney flashed back.

"Why not?"

"Because you're under arrest. I was after you when I happened to find
the other fellow. I haven't any idea you'll try and escape, Mr.
Gladwin, but a warrant is a warrant and duty's duty."

"But that warrant wasn't meant for me."

"No?"

Kearney's eyes widened with surprise. "Was the girl running off with
that crook?" he asked quickly.

"No," Gladwin corrected, realizing his break.

"Then you better go along with Ryan. Ryan, you take him upstairs and
sit by him till I send for you."

"See here," the young man began to splutter as the giant Ryan seized
him and walked him on air out of the room and up the stairs.

Kearney went to the folding doors and shut them.

"He's in this room somewhere," muttered the detective, going to the
portieres that curtained the window leading out to the balcony.

He was almost touching Wilson when the latter suddenly enveloped him
in the portiere he had wrapped around himself and hurled the big
detective to the fl