THE FRAME-UP. During the two hours in which Hawley had been confined in a cell at police headquarters, waiting to be taken to court, Gale had suggested to Chief of Police Hodgins that it would be a good plan to take the prisoner’s camera to a professional photographer and have the film developed so as to make the case against the Camera Chap as complete as possible. The chief had agreed that this would be a wise precaution. He had a friend who ran a portrait studio a few doors from police headquarters, and he and Gale proceeded to this place. Without the slightest suspicion as to its contents, they handed Hawley’s camera to the photographer and accompanied him into his dark room so as to be able to swear conscientiously in court, later on, that they had been present when the film was taken out and developed, and could positively identify it. Great was their astonishment when the camera was opened and out popped a jack-in-the-box, with its fingers derisively extending from its nose. In addition to the cheap film camera--the one which Chief Hodgins now held as evidence--the Camera Chap had also purchased a toy which is to be found in every toy shop in the world. This article comes in all sizes. The jack-in-the-box which Hawley selected was small, and fitted snugly inside the cheap film camera after the roll of film had been removed. Before leaving the store, Hawley had taken out his pocketknife and removed the lid of the jack-in-the-box. Then he stuffed the rest of the toy inside the camera, compressing the spring so that when the little trapdoor in the camera was opened Jack would immediately pop out in a startling manner. By the light of the photographer’s ruby lamp, Hodgins and Gale exchanged glances of blank dismay. For a few moments the chief’s emotion was so profound that he was quite incapable of speech. He stood scowling at the papier-mâché figure, and from his throat came strange noises as though he were about to have a fit. “It looks as if we’ve been handed a nice, juicy lemon,” exclaimed Gale, with a grim laugh. “There’s no film there, of course.” “Not a bit of film,” replied the photographer to whom this question was addressed. “This funny little jumping jack occupies all the space where the film roll should go.” Gale turned regretfully to Hodgins. “Guess we don’t get Hawley this time, chief. I understand now why that stiff was so amused over his arrest. He didn’t expect that we’d open the camera before we got to court, and he figured on making us look like a couple of fools there.” What Chief Hodgins said in response cannot be printed here. He had recovered his power of speech by this time, and proceeded to make good use--or, rather, bad use--of it. “Well, at all events,” said Gale soothingly, “you’re lucky to have discovered this miserable trick here and now, instead of later on in court. You have at least saved your dignity, chief.”