She was still shoving against the pistol, and naturally John Ryder fell back before such pressure. When he dropped into the chair again Ruth screamed. "Huh!" exclaimed Miss Solomons, seeing the direction of Ruth's frightened gaze. "That lamp, eh? Opened the oil tank and dropped 'em in, did you? Likely place! But 'tain't new. All you crooks have the old stuff. Not an original one among you." She started for the table, still keeping Ryder covered. "What do you want?" gasped Ruth. "Mrs. Judson's rings," declared Miss Solomons decisively. "I dropped them into the doctor's medicine case. He took them with him when he was called downstairs," Ruth said and then, blessed with a sense of the ridiculous, she began to giggle. The house sleuth halted and looked from Ryder to his bride. Suspicion seemed fairly to sharpen her nose as she sniffed. "That's a likely story," she said. Ryder took a hand, now having gained his self-control. "Do give us credit for some originality, Miss Solomons," he said. "If we have stolen Mrs. Judson's gems we naturally would have an accomplice on whom to plant them. Who more likely than the doctor?" "Huh!" snorted Miss Solomons. The doctor himself appeared at the moment The house detective sprang forward and seized his black case. "What have you in this?" she demanded, having slipped her weapon out of sight. "Enough poison to even satisfy you, My Lady Sleuth," remarked Dr. Hoyle, evidently having his own private opinion of the house detective. "What mare's nest have you uncovered now?" "Mrs. Judson's rings have been nicked," observed Miss Solomons, quite unabashed. "I--I dropped them into your case," said Ruth apologetically. "So you did. Here they are," said the doctor, flashing the gems in question. "Satisfied, Miss Solomons? Then, if so, you and this--this gentleman, here, would better go away. You are likely to disturb my patient with your noise." Miss Solomons pulled the folded novel from the bosom of her blouse. "All right," she said shortly. "You'd better go and help James watch Van Scamp's 'Cheesemonger,'" Ryder observed. "That's about your limit as a sleuth." Miss Solomons, without changing countenance in the least, stalked away. Before the doctor could escape to the bedroom Ryder said: "I don't fancy my wife staying here all night to attend this woman. She has had an exciting day and evening. You'll have another patient on your hands if you don't have a care." Hoyle glanced at Ruth's laughing face and shook his head. "Not as long as she sees the funny side of the situation," he observed. "It is an imposition!" declared Ryder, with more heat. "Undoubtedly," observed the doctor, with a shrug of his shoulders; but Ruth placed her little pink palm, light as a rose leaf, upon his lips. "Don't speak so, Johnny," she whispered. "She needs some woman about her at this time." "She's not sick."