Across the hall from the maid’s room and directly opposite was the door giving onto the stairway that led to The Tower. Next to it was the door of a second spare room. Then, toward the back of the house, were the bathroom door, wide open at present, and, next, the door to the kitchen stairway, closed. It was fair to assume that the burglar meant to make a thorough inspection of the premises, and that sooner or later, probably last of all, he would want to know what was in the room behind whose door Pud stood on guard. When that happened――well, Pud didn’t know just what he would do then, but meanwhile he had thought of a plan! Its success depended on two things; whether the burglar proved curious enough to want to know what lay at the top of The Tower stairway and whether the key of the stairway door was on the inside or out. That there was a key Pud knew for a fact. His heart beat a little faster as the light showed once more for an instant and the burglar, having made a thorough and, Pud hoped, profitless search of Lydia’s room, emerged again into the hall. Then the light traveled along the stairway spindles, swept the edge of the carpet and crept upward along the white panels of The Tower door. And then it went out, but not before Pud had seen, with intense satisfaction, the key! In the succeeding darkness there came the soft, padding sound of the man’s feet on the carpet and then the faint click of the latch. Again the light flared. The burglar was in the open doorway and the rays of the torch were exploring the stairs that led upward. A long moment passed. Then darkness fell once more and Pud’s heart sank. His plan had failed! He waited for the sound of the man’s steps again, but there was only silence out there. Uneasily, Pud’s hand tightened on the knob and he stood prepared to close and lock the door. But at that moment a sound came to him that brought a thrill of renewed hope, the sound of a stumbling step on the bare stairs! Momentarily The Tower doorway showed lighter against the gloom of the hall and Pud widened the aperture of his own door and craned his head out. Now he could hear unmistakably the creaking of the burglar’s feet on The Tower stairs. Pud crept out into the darkness. Once more there was a dim light across the way. The man had reached the little landing and was making the turn.