第56章 BURKE PLOTS(3)

"What's that?" he demanded, sharply.

"It's the flashlight from the Metropolitan Tower," Gilder explained with a smile over the policeman's perturbation."It swings around this way about every fifteen minutes.The servant forgot to draw the curtains." As he spoke, he went to the window, and pulled the heavy draperies close."It won't bother us again."The entrance of the butler brought the Inspector's thoughts back to the matter in hand.

"My man," he said, authoritatively, "I want you to go up to the roof and open the scuttle.You'll find some men waiting up there.Bring 'em down here."The servant's usually impassive face showed astonishment, not unmixed with dismay, and he looked doubtfully toward his master, who nodded reassuringly.

"Oh, they won't hurt you," the Inspector declared, as he noticed the man's hesitation."They're police officers.You get 'em down here, and then you go to bed and stay there till morning.

Understand?"

Again, the butler looked at his master for guidance in this very peculiar affair, as he deemed it.Receiving another nod, he said:

"Very well, sir." He regarded the Inspector with a certain helpless indignation over this disturbance of the natural order, and left the room.

Gilder himself was puzzled over the situation, which was by no means clear to him.

"How do you know they're going to break into the house to-night?"he demanded of Burke; "or do you only think they're going to break into the house?""I know they are." The Inspector's harsh voice brought out the words boastfully."I fixed it.""You did!" There was wonder in the magnate's exclamation.

"Sure," Burke declared complacently, "did it through a stool-pigeon.""Oh, an informer," Gilder interrupted, a little doubtfully.

"Yes," Burke agreed."Stool-pigeon is the police name for him.

Really, he's the vilest thing that crawls.""But, if you think that," Gilder expostulated, "why do you have anything to do with that sort of person?""Because it's good business," the Inspector replied."We know he's a spy and a traitor, and that every time he comes near us we ought to use a disinfectant.But we deal with him just the same--because we have to.Now, the stool-pigeon in this trick is a swell English crook.He went to Garson yesterday with a scheme to rob your house.He tried out Mary Turner, too, but she wouldn't stand for it--said it would break the law, which is contrary to her principles.She told Garson to leave it alone.

But he met Griggs afterward without her knowing anything about it, and then he agreed to pull it off.Griggs got word to me that it's coming off to-night.And so, you see, Mr.Gilder, that's how I know.Do you get me?""I see," Gilder admitted without any enthusiasm.As a matter of fact, he felt somewhat offended that his house should be thus summarily seized as a trap for criminals.

"But why do you have your men come down over the roof?" he inquired curiously.

"It wasn't safe to bring them in the front way," was the Inspector's prompt reply."It's a cinch the house is being watched.I wish you would let me have your latch-key.I want to come back, and make this collar myself."The owner of the house obediently took the desired key from his ring and gave it to the Inspector with a shrug of resignation.

"But, why not stay, now that you are here?" he asked.

"Huh!" Burke retorted."Suppose some of them saw me come in?