ries
close. "It won't bother us again."

The entrance of the butler brought the Inspector's thoughts back to the
matter in hand.

"My man," he said, authoritatively, "I want you to go up to the roof and
open the scuttle. You'll find some men waiting up there. Bring 'em down
here."

The servant's usually impassive face showed astonishment, not unmixed
with dismay, and he looked doubtfully toward his master, who nodded
reassuringly.

"Oh, they won't hurt you," the Inspector declared, as he noticed the
man's hesitation. "They're police officers. You get 'em down here, and
then you go to bed and stay there till morning. Understand?"

Again, the butler looked at his master for guidance in this very
peculiar affair, as he deemed it. Receiving another nod, he said:

"Very well, sir." He regarded the Inspector with a certain helpless
indignation over this disturbance of the natural order, and left the
room.

Gilder himself was puzzled over the situation, which was by no means
clear to him.

"How do you know they're going to break into the house to-night?" he
demanded of Burke; "or do you only think they're going to break into the
house?"

"I know they are." The Inspector's harsh voice brought out the words
boastfully. "I fixed it."

"You did!" There was wonder in the magnate's exclamation.

"Sure," Burke declared complacently, "did it through a stool-pigeon."

"Oh, an informer," Gilder interrupted, a little doubtfully.

"Yes," Burke agreed. "Stool-pigeon is the police name for him. Really,
he's the vilest thing that crawls."

"But, if you think that," Gilder expostulated, "why do you have anything
to do with that sort of person?"

"Because it's good business," the Inspector replied. "We know he's a spy
and a traitor, and that every time he comes near us we ought to use a
disinfectant. But we deal with him just the same--because we have to.
Now, the stool-pigeon in this trick is a swell English crook. He went
to Garson yesterday with a scheme to rob your house. He tried out Mary
Turner, too, but she wouldn't stand for it--said it would break the law,
which is contrary to her principles. She told Garson to leave it alone.
But he met Griggs afterward without her knowing anything about it, and
then he agreed to pull it off. Griggs got word to me that it's coming
off to-night. And so, you see, Mr. Gilder, that's how I know. Do you get
me?"

"I see," Gilder admitted without any enthusiasm. As a matter of fact, h