him, Chief?"

The detective lifted his lowered brows. "Yes! Yes!" he said hastily,
after a keen glance at Loris. "Yes. You did right. Now, get into the
other room and gather up all of the tools and plaster-casts and every
scrap of our own evidence. Put them in the trouble-man's satchel. Set
the satchel outside the door to the hall. Then wait for me. I'll be but
a minute."

Delaney paused. "There's one thing," he said in a half stammer----"One
thing, Chief, that's been troubling me while I was 'phoning to the
coroner and to Fosdick."

"What is it?"

"If I can have that magpie? I'm going to give it to my wife--Mary--if I
can. There's no bird in the house."

Drew turned toward Loris who had drawn Nichols to a window.

"Can he have it, Miss Stockbridge?" he asked.

"Certainly!"

"Thanks," throated the operative, passing through the portieres with
renewed energy. "Thanks," he added under his breath as he started
picking up the plaster casts and tools. "That's how we caught
'Cutbert,' and I'll nurse the bird like a Grand Opera singer."

Loris glided from out the curtains and crossed the room. She stood a
moment under a cone of soft light which reflected downward and brought
out every detail of her gown and girlish figure. She turned and smiled
widely at Drew who stood by the portieres.

"I've almost forgotten something," she said, drawing out a chair and
sitting down with a graceful sweep of her skirt. "I've forgotten that
you are tired and that you have worked hard."

"Not at all," said Drew.

"Yes, you are tired and you have worked very hard. Harry will bear me
out in that. He was just saying that you would make a good major of
overseas forces. Why don't you join the army?"

Drew reached into his right hand trouser pocket. He brought his hand
out with a small gold badge between his fingers. "I've already joined
the army," he said. "This is a Secret Service badge. Don't you know
that much work can be done over on this side? A burnt warehouse, for
instance, is equal to a victory for the Kaiser. My agency is almost
exclusively devoted to Government work. We never mention it, though."

"I see," said Loris, reaching into a pigeonhole and drawing out a small
yellow check-book. "I'm glad," she added, picking up a mother-of-pearl
penholder and inspecting the pen-point. "I rather thought you would do
your share. I think everybody should to the limit of their pocketbook
and ability. Harry is."

Drew bowed slightl