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"Didhefess?"askedthestistimperturbably.
"Ofot，"saidMallory."Hesayssomeoftheotherservantsmusthavehidde;
&hinkingMaoddedatHatch."Ithihatisall，"heremarked."Igratulateyou，MrMallory，upthemattertosuchaquidsatisfa."
&eslatertheyleftthehouseandcaughtacarforthestist'shome.Hatchwasalittleedattheuerminationoftheaffair，andwasthoughtfullysilentforatime.
"Mallorydoesshowanoofhumanintelligehe?"hesaidatlastquizzically.
"NotthatIever;remarkedTheThinkiily.
"Buthefouure，"Hatsisted.
"Ofcoursehefoundit.Itutthereforhimtofind."
"Putthereforhimtofind!"repeatedthereporter."Didn'tJe?"
"Ifhedid，he'safool."
"Well，ifhedidn'tstealit，whoputitthere?"
"DeLesseps."
"DeLesseps!"echoedHatch."Whythedeucedidhestealafiftythousand-dollarpidputiti'strunktobefound?"
&hinkiedaroundiahiment."Attimes，MrHatch，Iamabsolutelyamazedatyourstupidity，"hesaidfrankly."IderstanditinamanlikeMallory，butIhavealwaysgivefanastute，quick-wittedman."
Hatchsmiledatthereproach.Itwasimehehadheardofit.ButnothingbearingontheprobleminhandwassaiduntiltheyreachedTheThinkingMae'sapartments.
"Theoioninmymind，MrHatch，"saidthestistthen，"iswhetherornotIshouldtakethetroubletorestoreMrKale'spictureatall.Heisperfectlysatisfied，andwillprobablyhediffere;
ðing."GreatScott!"heexclaimed."DoyoumeaurethatMalloryfoundwas-"
"Acopyinal，"supplemeist."PersonallyIknownothiart;therefore，Iotsayfromobservationthatitisacopy，butIknowitfromthelogicofthethiheinalwastheframe，theknifeswervedalittleattheupperrighthahevasremainioldmethat.ThepicturethatMrMalloryfounddidnotdihthetheframe.Theisobvious."
"AnddeLessepshastheinal?"
"DeLessepshastheinal.Howdidhegetit?Inanyoneofadozehaverolleditupandstuderhisighthavehadafederate.ButIdon'tthinkthatanyordiheftealedtohiIamgivifclever，asImustthe>
"Forinstance，heaskedforpermissiontocopytheWhistler，whichyousawwasthesamesizeastheRubens.Itwasgranted.Hecopieditpractiderguard，alwayswiththecethatMrKalehimselfwoulddropin.Ittookhimthreedaystocopyit，sohesays.Hewasaloheroomallthattime.HekMrKalehadideaadva，whatwouldhavebeeohavecopiedtheRubensinoil?Hecouldhaveremoveditfromtheframeimmediatelyafterhevaseditover，ainapositionnearhimwhereitcouldbequicealedifhewasied.Remember，thepictureisworthfiftythousanddollars;therefore，wasworththetrouble.
"DeLessepsisanartist-weknowthat-ahamahi，hehadnofears.osehisideaallalongwastousethecopyoftheRubensasasortofdecotawaywiththeinal.YousawthatMallorydidn'tknowthedifferewassafeforhimtosupposethatMrKalewouldn't.Hisoilhecouldgetawaygracefullywasofsomecritioisseur，perhaps，seeingthecopy.Hisboldnessweseereadilyihathepermittedhimselftodiscoverthetheft;thathediscovereditafterhehadvoluoassistMrKaleinthegeneralwthepithegallery.JusthowheputthepiJenning'strunkIdon'thappentoknow.Weemanyways."Helaybahisispeakieadilyturnedupward，fingersplacedpreciselytiptotip.
"Theonlythingremainingistogogetthepicture.ItisindeLesseps'roomnow-youtoldmethat-aissafe.Idaresayheknowsthatifhetriedtorunawayitwouldiablyputhimundersuspi."
"ButhowdidhetakethepitheKale'shome?"askedHatch.
"HetookitwithhimprobablyunderhisarmthedayheleftthehousewithMrKale，"wastheastonishingreply.
Hatchwasstaringathimieramomeistaroseaheadjoiningroom，aelephoherejingled.Whehepickeduphishataogether.
DeLessepswasiheirtup，aheyversedoftheerallyfortenminutes，whilethestist'seyeswereturnedinquirihereabouttherooAtlastthereothedoor.
"ItisDetectiveMallory，MrHatarkedTheThinki;Openthedoorforhi"
DeLessepsseemedstartledforjusto，thenquiallory'seyeswerefullofquestioered.
"Ishouldlike，MrMallory，"begahinkily，"tocallyourattentiontothisrKale'spicturebyWhistler-overthemantelhere.Isn'titext?Youhaveseentheinal?"
Mallrunted.DeLesseps'fasteadapprepliment，blanchedsuddenly，andhishaly.Againhereselfandsmiled.
"Thebeautyofthispictureliesnotonlyinitsfaithfulheinal，"thestistwenton，"butalsoihatitairaordinaryces.Forinstan'tknowifyouknow，MrMallory，thatitispossiblesotobiyaherohingsintoapastewhichwouldeffectuallyblotoutanoilpainting，ahesametimeasurfaceforwatercolorwork."
"Thiswatercolor-thiscopyofWhistler，"uedthestistevenly-"ispaintedonsuchapasteasIhavedescribed.Thatpasteinturheiure.Itberemovedithoutdamagetothepicture，whioil，sothatinsteadofacopyoftheWhistlerpainting，wehaveaninalbyRubens，worthfiftythousanddollars.Thatistrue;isn'tit，MrdeLesseps?"
Therelytothequestion-nowasanhourlater，afterdeLessepswassafelyiHatchcalledupTheThinkielephoneandaskedoion.
"HowdidyouknowthatthewatercoloraiheRubens?"
"BecauseitwastheonlyabsolutelysafewayinwhichtheRubenscouldbehopelesslylosttothosewhforit，aimeperfectlypreserved，"wastheaheThinki;ItoldyoudeLessepswasa，andalittlelogicdidtherest.Taysmakefour，MrHates，butallthetime."
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