the conclusions they justifiedup to the present hour. This was to fix all facts firmly in her mindand to enable her to judge their merits. The story was concise enough,and perhaps Josie was quite unaware how much she had drawn upon herimagination. It read this way:
"Disloyal circulars have been issued from time to time in Dorfield,designed to interfere with sales' of Liberty Bonds, to cause resentmentat conscription and to arouse antipathy for our stalwart allies, theEnglish. These circulars were written by John Dyer, superintendent ofschools, who poses as a patriot. The circulars were printed in thebasement of the Mansion House by Tom Linnet, a night clerk, who waswell paid for his work. Papers found secreted in an old desk from theattic of Dyer's house prove that Dyer is in the pay of German agents inthis country and has received fabulous sums for his 'services,' saidservices not being specified in the documents. In addition to thesepayments, there were found in the desk notes of the Imperial GermanGovernment, for large amounts, such notes to be paid 'after the war.'
"Dyer is clearly the head of the German spy plot in Dorfield, but theperson who acts as medium between Dyer and the Master Spy is an allegedsuspender salesman calling himself Abe Kauffman. This Kauffman makesfrequent trips to Dorfield, giving orders to Dyer, and on one occasionKauffman, who stops at the Mansion House while in town, hired TomLinnet to place a bomb in the Airplane Factory, causing an explosionwhich destroyed many government airplanes and killed several employees.The sum paid Linnet for this dastardly act has made him rich and he hasbought or is about to buy a cigar store. Kauffman now has another bombin his possession, doubtless brought here to be placed, whenopportunity arrives, to do the most possible damage. Indications arethat he may attempt to blow up the steel works, where a large amount ofshells are now completed and ready for shipment to-morrow--meaning thatthe job must be done to-night, if at all. Perhaps Linnet will place thebomb; perhaps Kauffman will do it himself. Dyer has lost hisincriminating papers and notes and is on his way to Washington in anendeavor to recover them.
"Associated with Dyer in his horrible activities is Mrs. AugustaCharleworth, occupying a high social position, but of German birth andtherefore a German sympathizer. She is clever, and her brainssupplement those of Dyer, who seems more shrewd than initiative, beingcontent to execute the orders of others. Dyer was educated atHeidelburg, in Germany, which accounts, perhaps, for his beingpro-German, although I suspect he is pro-anything that will pay himmoney. Dyer and the Hon. Andrew Duncan, while political pals, are notconnected in this spy plot, but I suspect that Peter Boyle, theproprietor of the Mansion House may be one of the gang. I've noevidence yet that implicates Boyle, but he harbors Kauffman as a guestand ought to know that his night clerk is printing traitorouspropaganda. So far, the evidence incriminates Kauffman, Mrs.Charleworth, Dyer and Tom Linnet. I believe Mrs. Dyer to be innocent ofany knowledge of her husband's crimes; otherwise, she would never haveparted with that important desk--the desk that will prove his ruin andought to cost him his life.
"My plan is this," concluded the notation, "to catch Kauffman or Linnetin the act of placing the bomb to-night, make the arrest, round up theother guilty ones and jail them, and then turn the case over to thefederal officers for prosecution. A telegram to Washington will secureProfessor Dyer's arrest on his arrival there."
Josie read this through twice and nodded her red head with intensesatisfaction.
"All clear as crystal," she asserted gleefully. "I have proof of everystatement, and the finale can't go very wrong with such knowledge in mypossession. To-night, unless all signs fail, will prove a warm night--warm enough to scorch these dreadful, murderous tools of the Kaiser!"
And now Josie skipped over to the police station and had a somewhatlengthy conference with Chief Farnum, who knew her father and treatedthe girl detective with professional consideration. After this shehunted up the two government agents--old Jim Crissey and young NormanAddison--who knew her well as "John O'Gorman's clever kid, the pride ofher doting Daddy." They listened to her with interest and genuinerespect for her talent and not only promised their assistance wheneverit might be needed but congratulated her warmly on her good work.
This concluded Josie's afternoon labors, and it was with a sense oftriumphant elation that she returned to her hotel to rest and preparefor the expected crisis.
CHAPTER XXISURPRISES
Josie went to dinner as soon as the dining room opened. When she cameout she met Abe Kauffman going in. He stopped and spoke to her.
"Sell any brains yet?" in a jocular way.
"Not to-day," she replied, with her innocent, baby-like stare.
"Well, I didn't sell any suspenders, either. There are no spenders for_sus_penders. Ha, ha, ha!"
"That doesn't seem to worry you much," asserted Josie, pointedly.
He gave a shrug.
"Well, to-morrow morning I leave by the 5:30 train east, so if I don'tsee you any more, I hope the brains will find a market."
"Thank you."
She went on, glad to escape the man. "He told me about leaving on the5:30, and is probably giving everyone else the same information, so hecan't be connected with the explosion," she reflected. "Clever Mr.Kauffman! But not clever enough to realize he is near the end of hisinfamous career."
Josie's plans, perfected during that afternoon, primarily involved theshadowing of Abe Kauffman every moment, from now on. Abe Kauffman andhis black satchel. For it grew dark early at this time of year, andalready the brief twilight was fading. So the girl hastened to her roomand exchanged her gray walking suit for a darker one that wasinconspicuous and allowed free movement. Then she slipped her littlepearl-mounted revolver--her father's gift--into her handbag and decidedshe was ready for any emergency.
Having extinguished the light in her room, she glanced from the windowinto the alley below, where the shadows were now gathering deeply.
"I think Kauffman will go down the fire-escape and drop into thealley," she mused; "but he must first come to his room for the blacksatchel, in any event, and from that instant I must never lose sight ofhim."
Suddenly she discovered a form pacing slowly up and down the otherwisedeserted alley. Fearful that other detectives were on the watch, andmight disrupt her plans, she strained her eyes to discover thisperson's identity. There was but one light to relieve the gloom, andthat was far down the alley, a spot the prowler for some time avoided.Finally, however, he came to a point where the light touched his faceand Josie instantly recognized Tom Linnet.
"He is waiting for someone," she decided, "and Kauffman is still atdinner--killing time because it's yet too early to undertake hisnefarious task. Tom Linnet may be the tool he has selected, and I oughtto get in touch with the boy, somehow, before he meets the archconspirator. Kauffman is the one I prefer to land."
With this in mind, she hurried down, passed out at the front officedoorway and turned into a narrow drive at the south of the hotel, whichled to the rear alley. A great business block, now dark and deserted,loomed on the other side of the driveway, which was used by the baggageand supply wagons in the daytime.
When the girl reached the corner of the alley she found herself in verydeep shadow; so she ventured to protrude her head far enough to lookafter Tom Linnet. To her surprise the party he had been waiting for hadalready joined him, for she discovered two dusky forms pacing thealley.
It could not be Kauffman. While she hesitated whether to steal closeror maintain her position, the two advanced almost to her corner andpaused there--in the blackest spot they could find.
"I tell you I won't do it!" said Tom, in a hard, dogged tone that wastense with excitement. "I'm through, and that's all there is to it."
"That's a mistaken notion," was the quiet reply. "You're too deep inthe plot to draw back, and the pay is well worth while."
"I don't want any more money," growled Tom.
"You'll get two thousand for this night's work. Cash. And there is norisk; you know that."
"Risk? God, man! Can't you guess how I dream of those poor devi
ls Isent to their death in the airplane job? I hate the money I got!I--I--"
"See here," said the other voice impatiently, "that was a mistake, andyou know it. We didn't intend murder, but the explosion was delayed. Noone will get hurt to-night."
"Not through me," declared Tom.
"If you fail us, you'll come to grief."
"If I come to grief, so will you. Peach on me, and I'll blow the wholedeal." There was a moment's silence.
"Would three thousand satisfy you?" demanded the tempter.
"No," asserted Tom stoutly; "I'm goin' to quit. What's done can't beundone, but I'm through with