E PROMISED
REVENGE SWALLOW TAIL SAMMYS MURDER STOP BE A SPORT CAPTAIN."

"Well, that puts the lid on it, don't it?" Strawn crowed. "I'll send
Sergeant Turner to New York on the five o'clock train.... Pretty decent
of that city editor to wire me this tip, I'll say!"

"And are you going to reciprocate by wiring him about the $10,000 Nita
banked here?" Dundee asked.

"Sure! Why not? There's no use that I can see to keep it back any
longer, now that no one can have any excuse to think as you've been
doing--that it was blackmail paid by a Hamiltonian."

"Then," Dundee began very slowly, "if you really think your case is
solved, I'll make one suggestion: take charge of Lydia Carr and put her
in a very safe place."

"Why?" Strawn looked puzzled.

"Because, when you publish the fact that Nita and Sprague got $10,000
for tipping off Savelli's gang that he was double-crossing them, and
that Nita willed the money to Lydia, the avenger's next and last job
would be to 'get' Lydia, since his natural conclusion would be that
Lydia had been in on the scheme from the beginning," Dundee explained.

"God, boy! You're right!" Strawn exclaimed, and his heavy old face was
very pale as he reached for the telephone, and called the number of the
Miles residence. "I'm going to put it up to her that it will be best for
her to be locked up as a material witness, for her own protection."

Five minutes later Strawn restored the receiver to the hook with a bang.
"Says she won't budge!" he explained unnecessarily. "Says she ain't
afraid and the Miles kids need her.... Well, it's her own funeral! But I
guess _you_ are convinced at last?"

Dundee slowly shook his head. "Almost--but not quite, chief!"

"Lord, but you're stubborn! Here's a water-tight case----"

"A very pretty and a very satisfactory case, but not exactly
water-tight," Dundee interrupted. "There's just one little thing----"

"What do you mean?" Strawn demanded irritably.

"Have you forgotten the secret shelf behind the guest closet in the
Selim house?" Dundee asked.

"I can afford to forget it, since it hasn't got a thing to do with the
case!" Strawn retorted angrily. "There's not a scrap of evidence----"

"Of course it does not fit into _your_ theory," Dundee agreed, "for
'Swallow-tail Sammy's' avenging brother could not have known of its
existence, but there is one thing about that secret shelf and its pivot
door which I don't believe you can afford to forget, Capt