residence. Thewoman was unnerved, too, and had little to say on the journey.
The old colonel had retired, but Mary Louise was still up, reading abook, and she was shocked when Josie came running in and threw herselfinto her friend's arms, crying and laughing by turns, hysterically.
"What's the matter, dear?" asked Mary Louise in an anxious voice.
"I've b-b-bungled that whole miserable G-Ger-man spy plot!" wailedJosie.
"Wasn't there any plot, then?"
"Of course; but I g-grabbed the wrong end of it. Oh, I'm so glad Daddywasn't here to see my humiliation! I'm a dub, Mary Louise--a miserable,ignorant, foozle-brained dub!"
"Never mind, dear," said Mary Louise consolingly. "No one can knoweverything, Josie, even at our age. Now sit down and wipe that wet offyour face and tell me all about it."
Josie complied. She snivelled a little as she began her story, but soonbecame more calm. Indeed, in her relation she tried to place the factsin such order that she might herself find excuse for her erroneoustheories, as well as prove to Mary Louise that her suspicions of AbeKauffman and Mrs. Charleworth were well founded.
"No girl is supposed to know the difference between a bomb and acannon-ball--or projectile--or whatever it is," was her friend'scomment, when Josie had reached the scene in the manager's office, "andany man who is a German and acts queerly is surely open to suspicion.Go on, Josie; what happened next?"
Even Mary Louise was startled and horrified at the terrible retributionthat had overtaken Professor Dyer, although Josie's story had arousedher indignation toward him and prepared her for the man's finalinfamous attempt to wreck the steel plant.
"And what about Tom Linnet?" she asked.
"Chief Farnum is to arrest him to-night," said Josie. "He will confesseverything, of course, and then the whole plot will be made public."
"Poor Mrs. Dyer!" sighed Mary Louise.
But fate decreed a different ending to the night's tragedy. When thepolice tried to arrest Tom Linnet the young man was not to be found. Hehad not bought the cigar store, but with what funds remained to him, hehad absconded to parts unknown.
Chief Farnum wired his description to all parts of the country.Meantime, on the morning after the affair at the steel works, anearnest conference was held between Mr. Colton, Colonel Hathaway, JosieO'Gorman, Mrs. Charleworth, the Chief of Police and the two secretservice agents. At this conference it was deemed inadvisable toacquaint the public with the truth about John Dyer's villainy. Thegovernment would be fully informed, of course, but it seemed best notto tell the people of Dorfield that a supposedly respectable citizenhad been in the pay of the Kaiser's agents. It would be likely to makethem suspicious of one another and have a bad influence generally. Thecriminal had paid the penalty of his crimes. The murders he hadcommitted and attempted to commit were avenged.
So it was announced that the school superintendent had been killed byan accidental explosion at the munition works, and the newspapersstated that Mrs. Dyer did not desire a public funeral. Indeed, she wastoo overwhelmed by the tragedy to express any desire regarding thefuneral but left it all to Colonel Hathaway and Mr. Colton, whovolunteered to attend to the arrangements. The burial was veryunostentatious and the widow received much sympathy and did not sufferin the esteem of the community. Mrs. Dyer, in fact, was never told ofher husband's dishonor and so mourned him sincerely.
Immediately following the conference referred to, Josie brought theChief of Police and the secret service men to her room and in theirpresence dragged the old pedestal-desk from her closet. Mary Louise,who had been admitted, exclaimed in surprise:
"Why, Josie! I thought you sent the desk to Washington."
"No," answered Josie, "I merely shipped an empty box. I knew very wellthat Dyer would try to get back the desk, hoping I had not discoveredits secret, so I deceived him and gained time by proving that I hadsent a box home by freight."
"That explains his decision to take the projectile to Washington,"commented Detective Crissey, "he believed he could kill two birds withone stone--get back his papers and earn a big fee from Mrs.Charleworth."
"Also," added Josie, "he would be able to give the German Master Spyfull information concerning the projectile, and so reap another reward.But all his diabolical schemes were frustrated by Joe Langley'sbullet."
"Well, here's the desk," said Chief Farnum, "but where are thoseimportant papers, Miss O'Gorman?"
"And what do they prove?" added Crissey.
Josie slid back the panel in the square pedestal, disclosing the twocompartments filled with papers. These she allowed the police and thedetectives to read, arid they not only proved that John Dyer was in thepay of an organized band of German spies having agents in Washington,New York and Chicago, but Crissey was confident the notes, contractsand agreements would furnish clues leading to the discovery andapprehension of the entire band. So the papers were placed in hischarge to take to Washington, and their importance was a furtherargument for secrecy concerning John Dyer's death.
"So far as I am concerned," Josie said afterward to Colonel Hathawayand Mary Louise, "the spy case is ended. When they arrest Tom Linnetthey will be able to prove, from the scraps of paper I found in theprinting room of the hotel, that Linnet printed the circulars from copyfurnished by Dyer, and that Dyer and Linnet together directed theenvelopes, probably in the still hours of the morning at the hoteldesk, where they were not likely to be disturbed. The circulars may notbe considered legally treasonable, but the fact that Linnet personallyplaced the bomb that destroyed the airplane works will surely send himto the scaffold."
"I suppose you will be called as a witness," suggested Mary Louise,"because you are the only one who overheard his verbal confession ofthe crime."
"It wont take much to make Linnet confess," predicted Josie. "He isyellow all through, or he wouldn't have undertaken such dastardly workfor the sake of money. His refusal to undertake the second job was merecowardice, not repentance. I understand that sort of criminal prettywell, and I assure you he will confess as soon as he is captured."
But, somewhat to the astonishment of the officers, Tom Linnet managedto evade capture. They found his trail once or twice, and lost itagain. After a time they discovered he had escaped into Mexico;afterward they heard of a young man of his description in Argentine;finally he disappeared altogether.
The arms of the law are long and strong, far-reaching and mercilesslypersistent. They may embrace Tom Linnet yet, but until now he hasmiraculously avoided them.
CHAPTER XXVDECORATING
Colonel Hathaway and Mary Louise were walking down the street one daywhen they noticed that the front of Jake Kasker's Clothing Emporium wasfairly covered with American flags. Even the signs were hidden by afluttering display of the Stars and Stripes.
"I wonder what this means?" said the colonel.
"Let's go in and inquire," proposed Mary Louise. "I don't suppose theman has forgiven me yet for suspecting his loyalty, but you've alwaysdefended him, Gran'pa Jim, so he will probably tell you why he iscelebrating."
They entered the store and Kasker came forward to meet them.
"What's the meaning of all the flags, Jake?" asked the colonel.
"Didn't you hear?" said Kasker. "My boy's been shot--my little Jakie!"Tears came to his eyes.
"Dear me!" exclaimed Mary Louise, with ready sympathy; "I hope he--heisn't dead?"
"No," said Kasker, wiping his eyes, "not that, thank God. A shellsplinter took out a piece of his leg--my little Jakie's leg!--and he'sin a hospital at Soissons. His letter says in a few weeks he can goback to his company. I got a letter from his captain, too. The captainsays Jakie is a good soldier and fights like wild-cats. That's what hesays of Jakie!"
"Still," said Colonel Hathaway, with a puzzled look, "I do not quiteunderstand why you should decorate so profusely on account of so sad anevent."
"Sad!" exclaimed the clothing man, "not a bit. That's glory, the way_I_ look at it, Colonel. If my Jakie's blood is spilled for hiscountry, and he
can go back and spill it again, it makes great honorfor the name of Kasker. Say, once they called me pro-German, 'cause Isaid I hated the war. Don't my Jakie's blood put my name on America'shonor roll? I'm pretty proud of Jakie," he wiped his eyes again; "I'llgive him an interest in the business, if he comes back. And if hedon't--if those cursed Germans put an end to him--then folks will say,'See Jake Kasker over there? Well, he gave his son for his country--hisonly son.' Seems to me, Colonel, that evens the score. America gives usGermans protection and prosperity, and we give our