The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-01-31

boils over" Dundee replied.
 "When do you want them to get on the job?'
 "As soon as they can do so, after you get back to your office"
 Are they to follow the whole gang clear out to the Sellm house 2"
 Most decidedly! After the un- willing guests are safely within the house. your boys must guard the premises so that no one leaves without permission"
 Strawn assured him. "Now-about them inquiries you asked me to make yesterday of the secretary of the American Legion" He drew a pocket. "I find that John Drake, Peter Dunlap and Give Hammond were all in service, in the-th Di- vision. which was held up late in January, 1918, for nearly two weeks in Hoboken, before the war de- partment could get transports to send 'em to France. Miles, who en- listed the day war was declared, was wounded and shipped home late in 1917. He was discharged as unfit for further service-spinal operation-from a New Jersey base hospital on Ganuary 12. 1918. Fur thcrmore, Jude Marshall was in New York the whole winter of 1917-'18, attached to the Red Cross in some legal capacity. He donated his ser- vices and"
 "All that doesn't matter now captain. but thanks just the same D Dundee interrupted. Now if you will both excuse me. I've got a lot of work to do before five o'clock today" l Dundee had been exaggerated | That Monday was one Of the busiest days he had ever spent in all the 27 years of his life. He began, rather strangely. by visiting half a dozen of Hamilton's hardware stores, exhibiting peculiar instru- ment and making annoying in quiries as to when and to whom it had been sold. But at his sixth port of call success so completely re- warded his efforts that he was jubi- lant when he bade the mystified pro- prietor good day, signed statement reposing in his wallet.
 Two other calls-both in office buildings-took up only an hour of his time. and taxicab delivered him at police headquarters just as the factory whistles were sirenng the news that it was 12 o'clock.
 He was lucky enough to find the fingerprint expert. Carraway, in his cubbyhole of an office. his desk al- most crowded out by immense filing cabinets.
 Five minutes later Dundee sat at that desk. photographs of Dexter Sprague's dead body. just as it had been discovered on the floor of the trophy room in the Miles home, and a labeled set of fingerprints spread out before him.
 You're sure there can have been no mistake?" he asked. "No chance that these fingerprint photogra phs were reversed when the prints were made?"
 "Not a chance - with my sys- tem." Caraway retorted positively.
 ''Fine!" Dundee cried. May l take these photographs You have copies, l presume
 It was half past two o'clock when Dundee after a much needed lunch, parked his car in the driveway of one of the most splendid houses overlooking Mirror Lake-a home whose master and mistress were now attending an inquest into two
 Half an hour later he climbed into his roadster again. his head spinning. Did I say ingenious ?"
 He drove directly to the Selim house. for he had much to do be- fore the arrival of Sandersons com DulSOry guests at 5:15
 His first visit there was to a small room in the basement dark cubbyhole next to the coal room,- He had locked it carefully after exploring it the day before. for he had taken no chance on leav- ing unguarded-as he had found it treasure worth more to him than it's weight in gold.
 And queer treasure it was that he extracted now a coiled length of electric wire. which he and Ralph Hammond had measured the day before. with a triumphant eX- citement; box of thumb tacks, many of them surprisingly bent at the point; an aubur with a set of bits of varying sizes, a step-ladder. and a hammer. If Dexter Sprague had not overestimated the amount of electric wire needed for the job of installing an alarm bell between Nita's bedroom and Lydia's. Dundee was about to close the tool chest when his eyes fell upon a piece of hardware he had not ex- pected to find. although he had known of its existence for more than an hour.
 At 5:15 he was entirely ready for D. A. sanderson, Captain Strawn, and their party of indig- nant and unwilling guests.
 "Oh. MT Dundee!" Carolyn Drake squealed. You're not going to make us play that awful death hand again. are you?"
 They were all crowding about him-the men and women who had been Nita Selim's guests at her last bridge and cocktail party. f.
 Not only are the bridge tables exactly where they were at this time on the evening of May 24," Dundee answered so significantly that all stopped chattering to lis- ten. "but everything else in the house is precisely as it was then. TN. Al t-. -1A t,,t<.