father pulled her away.

"Be careful where you park yourself," he ordered. "I haven't finished
taking finger prints yet."

Penny waited while Miss Arrow and her father made a systematic
inventory of the contents of the room. They were both too busy to
talk. At one o'clock Penny grew discouraged.

"How much longer before you'll be ready to go to lunch, Dad?"

"Oh, an hour at least."

"Then I guess I'll go by myself. I'm dreadfully hungry."

"Good idea," the detective approved. "You might have some sandwiches
and coffee sent in for Miss Arrow and myself." He tossed her a bill
and went on with his work.

At a nearby restaurant Penny ordered luncheon for herself and had a
package of cold food and a large thermos bottle of coffee dispatched to
her father's office.

She ate somewhat mechanically as she reflected upon the audacity of the
person who had dared to rifle her father's office. A few years before
she recalled that a thief had broken into the safe, but he had been
captured within forty-eight hours.

As Penny left the restaurant she purchased a newspaper and glanced at
the headlines. The story of the Dillon robbery appeared in column one
but the details were not given very accurately.

Penny folded the paper and walked slowly down the street. Having no
destination in mind she wandered toward the park. Seating herself on a
bench she idly watched the passersby.

Presently her attention was drawn to a man who had paused near a large
tree not far away. He appeared strangely familiar, but at first glance
Penny did not recognize him. She scrutinized him closely. He wore
dark horn-rimmed glasses and kept the brim of his broad hat pulled low.

"Why, it's Mr. Hoges!" Penny thought. "The museum workman!"

She felt certain that the man had not worn dark glasses when she had
seen him at the Gage Galleries. He was well dressed, even expensively,
yet she knew the salary he had received from the museum could not be a
large one.

"Mr. Hoges was supposed to be out of the city on vacation too," she
reflected. "I think I'll go over and talk with him."

Before she could move from the bench she saw the man take out his watch
and stare at it. Then he gazed impatiently up and down the walk as if
he were expecting someone. Penny kept her head bent and he did not
bestow a second glance in her direction.

She thought: "I'll just wait and see for whom he's waiting. I may
learn more that way."

Ten minutes