ading director? One as straight and indisputable, no doubt, as that you
have just attempted to make between this same gentleman and the museum
bow," he added with biting incredulity.

"Yes," returned the other in calm disregard of the sarcasm, "straighter
and more indisputable, if anything. We are asking, as you will remember,
how an arrow could have been carried from the southern to the northern
gallery without attracting anyone's attention. I will show you how."

With a rap on the table which brought Sweetwater into the room, he
proceeded to pin again into its old place on the lining of Mr. Roberts'
coat the so-called tag. Then, taking the arrow which Sweetwater proceeded
to hand him, he slipped it into the loop thus made and showed how
securely it could be held there by its feather end.

"A man of Mr. Roberts' upright carriage might, with his coat well
buttoned up, walk the length of Broadway without disclosing the presence
of this stick," remarked Mr. Gryce as, at his look, Sweetwater doffed his
own coat and put on the one thus discreetly weighted.

The Chief stared, paling slightly as he noted the result. Mr. Gryce,
who never overemphasised his effects, motioned Sweetwater to leave and
proceeded to the next question.

"Number Three," he now observed, "should have come first, as it has
already been answered. It asks if it is possible to hit the mark in
Section II of the museum's gallery, from behind the pedestal in Section
VIII. From the pedestal nearest the front, _no_; but from the one further
back--upon which, by the way, Stevens found the print of a gloved
finger--_yes_.

"Who wore gloves that day--kid gloves, mind you, for the mark of the
stitching is exact, as you can see in this print of the same made by
Stevens? All the ladies, except a young copyist who was leaving in a
hurry and had not stopped to put hers on. But of the men, only one--Mr.
Roberts, the careful dresser, who was never known to enter the street
without this last touch to his toilet. How do I know this? Look at the
chart, Chief--this one which shows the court and the persons in it at the
precise minute of first alarm. You see how near the exit Mr. Roberts was,
and who was closest to him. I had a little talk--the most guarded one
imaginable--with this lady, who was the very one of whom I have just said
that she had omitted to put on her gloves; and she gave me the fact I
have just passed on to you. She noted Mr. Roberts' hands, because the