had made a very good-sized "haul."

After that the pair had operated together frequently. Stevens'
junk shop had offered a handy pace in which to hide the plunder.

Then, as time went on, and Phin heard, by chance, that Dick and
Dave were trying to catch the burglars in behalf of "The Blade,",
a plan had occurred to Phin by which he might ruin Dick utterly
in the eyes of the community.

The whole plan had been carefully laid by Stevens and young Drayne.

On this night, just after Conklin's drug store had been closed
for the night, Stevens had slipped in a key that had opened a
side door for him. Then the door was left closed but unlocked.
At that hour of the night no one was likely to notice anyone
who went in or out at the side door. And Conklin's was equipped
with a public telephone.

Then down to the alleyway had stolen the evil pair. Kahn's rear
door had been opened with false keys and left ajar. Then Phin
Drayne stole back to the junk shop, while Stevens, whose voice
could not be recognized over the wire by Dick, sent the message.

Next, back to where he could watch the alleyway, hurried Stevens,
and hid. Stevens saw Dick Prescott slip into the alleyway, then
go inside the store. That was enough for Stevens, who had slipped
back and into the drug store once more, getting the police station
on the wire and 'phoning to the chief that Gridley's burglars
had just entered Kahn's through the rear door.

Only a block and a half from Kahn's was the police station. Almost
immediately the officers were on the spot, stalking---Dick Prescott.

But, at the time when Dick left his own home and went down the
street so hurriedly Dave Darrin had been sauntering along, to
call his chum out on their nightly quest for "The Blade."
Seeing Dick move so swiftly, Darrin concluded that something
most unusual was about to happen. So Dave trailed swiftly in
the rear.

Thus it was that Darrin drew back just in time to see Bill Stevens
slipping away from a hiding place at the head of that alleyway.

"That does for Prescott," chuckled Stevens, half aloud.

"Oh, it does, does it?" silently murmured alert Dave, and now
he intently followed Stevens to the drug store, and thence back
to the junk shop. Dave's next swift move was to rush back to
Kahn's with the result already known.

"Well, did you think the folks of Gridley would continue to believe
such a charge against young Prescott?" demanded Chief Simmons
of the snea