s another day," he reflected. "I'll solve this whole thing
then. They can't go or playing without me--I've got the ball."

He took the package from his pocket. Its seals had already been broken.
Untying the strings, he began carefully to unwrap the paper--the thick
yellow banking manila, and then the oiled inner wrapping. So finally he
opened up the solid mass of--what? He looked closer. Crisp, beautiful,
one thousand dollar bills. Whew! He had never seen a bill of this size
before. And here were two hundred of them.

He wrapped the package up once more, and prepared for bed. Just as he
was about to retire, he remembered Mr. Bland, bound and gagged below. He
went into the hall with the idea of releasing the unlucky haberdasher,
but from the office rose the voices of the mayor, Max, and Bland
himself. Peace, evidently, had been declared between them. Mr. Magee
returned to number seven, locked all the windows, placed the much-sought
package beneath his pillow, and after a half-hour of puzzling and
tossing, fell asleep.

It was still quite dark when he awoke with a start. In the blackness he
could make out a figure standing by the side of his bed. He put his hand
quickly beneath his pillow; the package was still there.

"What do you want?" he asked, sitting up in bed.

For answer, the intruder sprang through the door and disappeared in the
darkness of the outer room. Mr. Magee followed. One of his windows
slammed back and forth in the wind. Slipping on a dressing-gown and
lighting a candle, he made an investigation. The glass above the lock
had been broken. Outside, in the snow on the balcony, were recent
footprints.

Sleepily Mr. Magee procured the precious package and put it in the
pocket of his gown. Then drawing on his shoes, he added a greatcoat to
his equipment, took a candle, and went out on to the balcony.

The storm had increased; the snow flurried and blustered; the windows of
Baldpate Inn rattled wildly all about. It was difficult to keep the
candle burning in that wind. Mr. Magee followed the footprints along the
east side of the inn to the corner, then along the more sheltered rear,
and finally to the west side. On the west was a rather unlovely annex to
the main building, which increasing patronage had made necessary. It was
connected with the inn by a covered passageway from the second floor
balcony. At the entrance to this passageway the footprints stopped.

Entering the dark passageway, Mr. Magee m