CHAPTER XXVITHE PLOT
When they were over the stones and in the lane again, walking arm inarm toward the village, Josie's logical mind turned from her ownfailure to a consideration of the story her father had just told her.
"I can't understand," she remarked, "how Joselyn came into this affair,what happened to him, or why he is once more the secret associate ofold Cragg."
"Joselyn," said the old detective, "is a clever grafter--in otherwords, an unmitigated scoundrel. Now do you understand?"
"Not quite," confessed Josie.
"He's Irish."
"Isn't his name Scotch?"
"Yes, but Joselyn isn't his name. If you're inclined to pick up hisrecord and follow it through, you'll probably find him pursuing hisvarious adventures under many aliases. He doesn't belong in thiscountry, you know, has only been here a few years, so his adventureswould probably cover two continents. The fellow always manages to keepjust within our laws, although sometimes he gets dangerously near theedge. The world is full of men like Joselyn. They don't interest me."
"Then he belongs to the band of Champions?" asked Josie.
"Yes. In going over Cragg's books and papers in his private office theother night, I found sufficient references to Ned Joselyn to figure outhis story with a fair degree of accuracy," said O'Gorman. "He was bornin Ireland, got into trouble over there with the authorities, and fledto America, where he met Annabel Kenton and married her. Getting intouch with Old Swallowtail, he joined the Champions and attended to theoutside business for Mr. Cragg, purchasing supplies and forwardingthem, with money, to the patriots in Ireland. I suppose he made a fairrake-off in all these dealings, but that did not satisfy him. Heinduced Cragg to invest in some wild-cat schemes, promising himtremendous earnings which could be applied to the Cause. Whether hereally invested the money turned over to him, or kept it for himself,is a subject for doubt, but it seems that the old man soon suspectedhim of double-dealing and they had so many quarrels that Cragg finallythreatened to turn him over to the authorities for extradition. Thatwas when our precious Ned thought it wise to disappear, but afterwardanother peace was patched up, owing largely to the fact that Joselynknew so much of the workings of the secret order that it was safer tohave him for a friend than an enemy."
"I'm thinking of his poor wife," said Josie. "Does she know now whereher husband is?"
"I think not. At first, in order to win the confidence of old Cragg,Ned applied considerable of his wife's money to the Cause, and whileshe would probably forgive his defalcations he thinks it wiser to keepaloof from her. She foolishly trusted him to 'settle' her mother'sestate, and I'm sure he managed to settle most of it on himself. Hisvalue to Cragg lay in his ability to visit the different branches ofthe Champions, which are pretty well scattered throughout the UnitedStates, and keep them in touch one with the other. Also he purchasedarms and ammunition to be forwarded secretly to Ireland. So you see itwas quite impossible for the old man to break with him wholly, rascalthough he knows him to be."
"I see," said Josie. "Joselyn has him in his power."
"Entirely so. A hint from him to the authorities would result in anembargo on any further shipments to the rebels in Ireland and socompletely ruin the usefulness of the order of Champions. The fellowseems to be a thorn deeply embedded in the side of Old Swallowtail, whowill suffer anything to promote the cause of Irish liberty."
"Ingua thinks her grandfather tried to kill Ned, at one time," remarkedthe girl.
"It's a wonder, with his rabid temper, that he didn't do so," saidO'Gorman. "But perhaps he realized that if he was hanged for Joselyn'smurder his beloved Order would be without a head and in sorry straits.Thousands of Irishmen are feeding the funds of the Champions, asidefrom what Cragg himself dumps into the pot. So the old fellow is in aresponsible position and mustn't commit murder, however much he maylong to, because it would jeopardize the fortunes of his associates.However, the end is not yet, and unless Joselyn acts square in hisfuture dealings he may yet meet with a tragic fate."
"I wonder what was in that package he took away with him the othernight?" mused Josie. "I was sure, at the time, it was counterfeitmoney."
"It probably contained the monthly printed circular to the variousbranches of the order. Jim Bennett prints them in that undergroundcavern and Ned Joselyn sees they are distributed."
"Well," said Josie with a sigh, "you've pricked my bubble, Daddy, andmade me ashamed. With all my professed scorn of theories, and myendeavors to avoid them, I walked straight into the theoretic mire andstuck there."
O'Gorman pressed her arm affectionately.
"Never you mind, my dear," in a consoling tone; "you have learned alesson that will be of great value to you in your future work. I darenot blame you, indeed, for I myself, on the evidence you sent me, camerushing here on a wild-goose chase. One never knows what is on theother side of a page till he turns it, and if we detectives didn't haveto turn so many pages, only to find them blank, we'd soon rid thecountry of its malefactors. But here we are at the Kenton gateway. Goto bed, Josie dear, and pleasant dreams to you."
"Will I see you again?" she asked.
"No; I'm off by the early train. But you must stay here and have yourvisit out with Mary Louise. It won't hurt you to have a free mind forawhile."
He kissed her tenderly and she went in.