en had gone their ways. "I didn't bring it. I don't believe
Buttinski did.... And Policeman Lake certainly saw us quarreling. He
noticed the football player, right enough,--and he pretends he didn't.
Why--why--why does Policeman Lake pretend he didn't see that football
player? Echo answers--why?... Denmark's all putrefied!"

The low sun cleared the housetops. The level rays fell along the
window-sill; and Billy, staring fascinated at the single blotch of dried
blood on the inner sill, saw something glitter and sparkle there beside
it. He went closer. It was a dust of finely powdered glass. Billy
whistled.

A light foot ran up the steps. There was a rap at the door.

"No entrance except on business. No business transacted here!" quoted
Billy, startled from a deep study. A head appeared at the window. "Oh,
it's you, Jimmy? That's different. Come in!"

It was Jimmy Phillips, the chief deputy. Billy knew him and liked him.
He unbarred the door.

"Well, anything turned up yet?" demanded Jimmy. "I stopped in to see
Lars. Him and me was old side partners."

"How's he making it, Jimmy?"

"Oh, doc said he had one chance in ten thousand; so he's all right, I
guess," responded that brisk optimist. "They got any theory about the
robber?"

"They have that. A perfectly sound theory, too--only it isn't true,"
said Billy in a low and guarded tone. "They'll tell you. I haven't got
time. See here--if I give you the straight tip will you work it up and
keep your head closed until you see which way the cat jumps? Can you
keep it to yourself?"

"Mum as a sack of clams!" said Jimmy.

"Look at this a minute!" Billy pointed to the tiny particles of glass on
the inner sill. "Got that? Then I'll dust it off. This is a case for
your gummiest shoes. Now look at this!" He indicated the opening where
the patch of glass had been cut from the big pane. Jimmy rubbed his
finger very cautiously along the raw edge of the glass.

"Cut out from the inside--then carried out there? A frame-up?"

"Exactly. But I don't want anybody else to size it up for a
frame-up--not now."

"But," said Jimmy good-naturedly, "I'd 'a' seen all that myself after a
little if you hadn't 'a' showed me."

"Yes," said Billy dryly; "and then told somebody! That's why I brushed
the glass-dust off. I've got inside information--some that I'm going to
share with you and some that I am not going to tell even you!"

"Trot it out!"

"Lake had the key of this front door