nt coins and other articles the value of which must have been
heavy. But their orderly array had not been disturbed. A long curtain
of faded green material hung from the wall at one side, as though to
screen something from the sunlight and dust.

"What have we here?" said the coroner.

He stepped across the store and whisked the curtain aside. A large
gilt frame was disclosed; and from it hung the slashed remains of a
canvas.

"Hello!" exclaimed Osborne, with interest. "This begins to look like
one of the old affairs that they say Hume's been mixed up in.
Somebody's tried to cut that picture from the frame."

They examined it carefully. A keen knife had been run around the top
and both sides, close to the frame. The painting hung down, its gray
back displayed forlornly.

Stillman regarded it with great satisfaction.

"Here," said he, "we at least have a possible motive."

Ashton-Kirk took a twisted walking stick from a rack, and with the end
of it, raised the slashed canvas so that its subject could be seen. It
was a heroic equestrian figure of an officer of the American
Revolution. His sword was drawn; his face shone with the light of
battle.

Pendleton was just about to cry out "General Wayne," when the stick
fell from his friend's hand, the canvas dropping to its former
position. While the others were trying to get it into place once more,
Ashton-Kirk whispered to Pendleton:

"Say nothing. This is their turn; let them work in their own way. I
will begin where they have finished."

After a little time spent in a gratified inspection of the painting,
Stillman said:

"But, gentlemen, let us have a look at the other rooms. There may be
something more."

They re-passed through the store room and into the living room.
Nothing here took the coroner's attention, and they entered the
bedroom. Both these last had doors leading into the hall; upon their
being tried they were found to be locked.

The smashed pictures upon the bedroom floor at once took the eye of
Stillman. He regarded the broken places in the plaster and prodded the
slivers of wood and glass with the toe of his shoe with much
complacency.

"This completes the story," declared he. "It is now plain from end to
end. The criminal entered the building from the roof, made his way
down stairs and gained admittance through the door which the scrub
woman found unlocked. His purpose was to steal the painting in the
front room.

"In a struggle with Hu