e
felt somewhat offended that his house should be thus summarily seized as
a trap for criminals.

"But why do you have your men come down over the roof?" he inquired
curiously.

"It wasn't safe to bring them in the front way," was the Inspector's
prompt reply. "It's a cinch the house is being watched. I wish you would
let me have your latch-key. I want to come back, and make this collar
myself."

The owner of the house obediently took the desired key from his ring and
gave it to the Inspector with a shrug of resignation.

"But, why not stay, now that you are here?" he asked.

"Huh!" Burke retorted. "Suppose some of them saw me come in? There
wouldn't be anything doing until after they see me go out again."

The hall door opened and the butler reentered the room. Behind him came
Cassidy and two other detectives in plain clothes. At a word from his
master, the disturbed Thomas withdrew with the intention of obeying
the Inspector's directions that he should retire to bed and stay there,
carefully avoiding whatever possibilities of peril there might be in the
situation so foreign to his ideals of propriety.

"Now," Burke went on briskly, as the door closed behind the servant,
"where could these men stay out of sight until they're needed?"

There followed a little discussion which ended in the selection of a
store-room at the end of the passage on the ground floor, on which one
of the library doors opened.

"You see," Burke explained to Gilder, when this matter had been settled
to his satisfaction, and while Cassidy and the other detectives were
out of the library on a tour of inspection, "you must have things right,
when it comes to catching crooks on a frame-up like this. I had these
men come to Number Twenty-six on the other street, then round the block
on the roofs."

Gilder nodded appreciation which was not actually sincere. It seemed to
him that such elaborate manoeuvering was, in truth, rather absurd.

"And now, Mr. Gilder," the Inspector said energetically, "I'm going to
give you the same tip I gave your man. Go to bed, and stay there."

"But the boy," Gilder protested. "What about him? He's the one thing of
importance to me."

"If he says anything more about going to Chicago--just you let him go,
that's all! It's the best place for him for the next few days. I'll get
in touch with you in the morning and let you know then how things are
coming out."

Gilder sighed resignedly. His heavy face was line