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Show Ms-BldiARDHILL WILKINSON "CTORIES HAVE REACHED O ME," said Carlton Brael, ; "about your prowess as a detector of criminals, Inspector Warren. I have summoned you here in the - hope that you can solve a problem prob-lem which has baffled not only myself my-self but all efforts of local policemen." police-men." Inspector Joe Warren nodded. "To begin with, Mr. Brael, I deduct from your expression that, despite tbt stories you have heard, you are inclined to feel skeptical about my ability." "I like to be honest with men, Inspector, In-spector, as I like them to be honest with me. Your deduction is correct." cor-rect." I "And now, Mr. Brael, suppose you continue with your honest policy, poli-cy, and give every detail you think might be helpful." : "Gladly. Undoubtedly you are aware, Inspector, that this hotel caters to rather a high-class clientele. clien-tele. And in order to maintain an atmosphere befit tin a the caliber of crack. The corridor outside was in darkness. Fifteen minutes later he was back in bed. An hour before dawn he awoke again, donned his dressing dress-ing gown and went out. Two hours later Warren was rudely awakened by a wild pounding pound-ing on his door. He opened it to admit ad-mit Brael. "Inspector Warren, this Is absolutely abso-lutely the last straw. Last night the most valuable piece of statuary in the entire museum, a piece worth all the others put together, disappeared disap-peared in the same mysterious manner as have the others. I have been giving the matter some serious seri-ous thought, and have concluded that the thief must be either Hed-strom Hed-strom or Henderson. No one else could gain admission to the museum muse-um in so short a space of time and without creating enough racket to arouse the household." "Shall we," asked the Inspector, "search the guards' rooms?" "An excellent Idea! Let's be about It at once, hp for lthr nt them comes off duty." . Five minutes later the two men entered Hedstrom's room with the aid of a passkey. Packed away in a closet Brael located the piece of statuary. He held it up, a look of triumph In his eyes. "The statuary, yes," Warren agreed. "But where are the paintings?" paint-ings?" - "Hedstrom has had ample time to dispose of them," Brael explained. explain-ed. Warren nodded. "Just the same I think It would be wise to search other rooms In the house." Apprehensively Brael followed Warren along the corridor to the front part of the hotel. Ignoring the manager's cry of protest, Warren War-ren entered the first room he came to. In a moment he reappeared, carrying a half-dozen paintings. The hotel manager blustered and took a threatening step forward. But Warren had anticipated the move and was ready. "This Is your room, Isn't it, Mr. Brael? You are the thief yourself. And your little trick to pin the robbery on Hed-strom Hed-strom is nipped In the bud." our guests we have invested a considerable con-siderable sum of money. "The hotel not only contains many priceless antiques, but we have also somewhat of museum of paintings and statuary by famous fa-mous artists. It is, in fact, this private museum which attracts many wealthy connoisseurs of art during the winter. "Recently, several valuable pieces from the museum have been stolen, among them a priceless painting by Rubens. I have done everything possible to apprehend the thief er thieves without alarming alarm-ing the guests." ' Warren asked: "Your servants, of course, are beyond reproach?" "Most certainly. They have been with me for years." "Including the museum guards?" ,: "Both are entirely reliable." Warren got to his feet. "You have no objection to my questioning question-ing the guards?" "Not at all." . Warren found both the museum guardj to be pleasant, stalwart men, natives of the community. One, a Swede, Hedstrom by name, Anger and fear fought for expression ex-pression in Brael's eyes. Warren continued: "It was easy to suspect you, Brael, but harder to trap you In the act. You practically condemned con-demned yourself by repeatedly telling tell-ing me how it was impossible for any one not familiar with the hotel to commit the theft. There . was only one answer to It, and you were that answer. "Yesterday afternoon I borrowed a quantity of flour from your chef, mixed it with a bit of soot from the fireplace and late last night, when the house was asleep, I spread some of the mixture before every bedroom door. Shortly after dawn I visited the trap and found footsteps foot-steps leading out of your room and into Hedstrom's, and then back to your room again. Hedstrom, of course, was on guard, hence Innocent In-nocent of the midnight sortie. I scraped up the powder and came back here to await developments." Warren paused and looked down at the broken figure of Brael, and as he looked, a thin smile came to his lips. The manager, he thought, by must have ceased to be skeptical. expressed alarm when the inspector inspec-tor introduced himself and explained ex-plained the nature of his business. iThe other, Henderson, a Yankee, seemed more at ease. Warren Questioned Ques-tioned both men briefly, exacted promises of silence from them and returned to the lobby, i Brael had disappeared, but Warren War-ren found the museum and spent the remainder of the morning examining ex-amining famous paintings and making mak-ing a general tour of Investigation. During the afternoon he visited the kitchen and made a loan from the chef. After dinner that night Warren again went into consultation with Brael. "You'll have to give me a few days," he explained. It's a tough case and I can't promise results re-sults immediately." Brael was impatient, Inclined to be irritable, and obviously not impressed im-pressed with the great detective's methods. A short time later Warren retired. re-tired. Shortly after midnight he awoke. The hotel was dealthy still. The storm had subsided. He tiptoed tip-toed to the door and opened it a |