Mary Louise and the Liberty Girls

by L. Frank Baum

you. It--it's too blamed terrible, that'swhat it is! Leave me alone an' let me turn honest. Why don't you do thejob yourself?"

  "I think I will," said the other calmly. "If you intend to turn down agood thing, I'll do my own work and save the money. But remember,Linnet, silence is your only salvation. Don't talk at all; if you do,you're liable to say the wrong thing--and you can't afford to do that."

  "I'm no fool," responded the night clerk, a shade of relief in histone. "But don't come to me again, Professor. I'm done with you."

  Professor! Josie felt a distinct shock. She had to flatten herselfagainst the wall, too, and remain rigid, for the man abruptly turnedthe corner and marched down the driveway. Half way to the brilliantlylighted street he dodged behind the building opposite the hotel,threading his way through narrow back yards. Josie followed, swift andsilent. Finally they reached a place where the man was forced to passbeneath the rays of a lamp and Josie was near enough to see his face.It was, in reality, Professor John Dyer.

  That assurance was all the girl wanted, just now. She let him go hisway and turned to regain the hotel. It was not quite eight o'clock, yetshe felt it important to keep an eye on Kauffman and the bomb. Thebomb, especially, for until Dyer took possession of the infernalcontrivance he could do no mischief.

  In the hotel lobby she entered a public telephone booth and called upJim Crissey; then she went straight to her room. She could hear a lowwhistling in 45, which informed her that Kauffman had not yet gone outand that he was in a cheerful mood.

  "I'm beginning to understand their method of work," Josie reflected."Kauffman prepares the bombs, or brings them here under the guise of asuspender salesman; Dyer arranges for their being placed, havingsecured information as to where an explosion will do the most damage tothe government, and Tom Linnet is used as the tool to do the actualwork. Mrs. Charleworth probably assists Dyer in getting specialinformation, and advises the gang, but doesn't take an active part inthe perpetration of the crimes. Her brains and position would naturallyplace her at the head of the conspirators in Dorfield, although I'mpretty sure Kauffman, as the agent of the Master Spy, can dictate whatthey must do."

  Kauffman slammed his door and locked it. He was going out. Josie openedher own door a crack to look after him. He was walking deliberatelydown the corridor, openly carrying in his left hand the black satchel.

  To Josie this seemed the essence of effrontery. He had no intention ofusing the fire-escape, after all. He trusted in bravado, as so manycareless criminals do. As she stealthily followed him, she observed theman stop in the office and exchange commonplaces with one or two guestswhom he knew.

  In reality, this was his safest plan. The black bag did not looksuspicious. Presently the bomb would be turned over to Dyer andKauffman's responsibility would then end. His very boldness wascalculated to prevent suspicion.

  Leaving the hotel, Kauffman walked leisurely up the lighted street.Only when he turned a corner did Josie momentarily lose sight of him.There were many pedestrians at this hour and they masked the girl'sform and for a while enabled her to keep near to the man she wasshadowing. The only thing that puzzled Josie was the fact that Kauffmanwas proceeding in a direction exactly opposite that taken by Dyer ashort time before. Dyer went south and Kauffman was going north.

  When the business section of Dorfield was passed, the streets becamemore deserted. They were not well lighted either, which favored Josiethe more.

  Kauffman kept steadily on, and as the houses along the way thinned,Josie decided he was headed directly for the steel works. That upsether calculations a bit, for she knew he had not seen Dyer since thelatter's interview with Tom Linnet, nor had he seen Linnet; thereforehe could not know that any arrangements he had previously made withthem had fallen through. The German's present actions, however,indicated that he had decided to place the bomb himself, without theassistance of his fellow conspirators. Had he been warned of Linnet'sdefection? Had he means of communicating with Dyer unknown to Josie?Dyer was a mystery; even his wife believed he was now on his way toWashington.

  Surprises, in Josie's line of work were not uncommon, and this was notime to consider whys and wherefores. The one thing she was sure of wasthat the bomb was in the black satchel and the black satchel inKauffman's hand. No matter where the other conspirators might be or howthey were implicated in tonight's plot, as long as she kept her eye onthe bomb, she would be able to control the situation.

  CHAPTER XXIIA SLIGHT MISTAKE

  From the edge of the town to the steel works the road led through acommon, overgrown with brush and weeds. There was no moon and althoughthe distance was not great it was a lonely, dark and "creepy" place. Assoon as the girl saw Kauffman take the road to the works she decided toget there before he could do so. Knowing well she could not be seen,she branched off through the brush, and finding her way by instinctrather than sight, ran swiftly in a half circle over the fields andstruck the road again considerably in advance of the more deliberateKauffman.

  She now set off at her swiftest run and on reaching the manager'soffice, in the front of the main building, perceived that it waslighted.

  Josie rapped upon the door and it was opened by one-armed Joe Langley,the night watchman.

  "Quick!" she said, "let me in and hide me somewhere, where I can't beseen."

  Joe pulled her in, closed the outer door and locked it, and then facedher.

  "What's up?" he demanded.

  "There's a man coming here with a bomb in a black satchel," she panted."He intends to blow up this building, in which all the shells axestored. I want to catch him in the act, Joe, and you must hide mesomewhere."

  Joe glanced around with a puzzled look.

  "Where?" he asked helplessly.

  So Josie looked around her, too. This end of the long building waspartitioned off for offices, as it fronted the town. The centralsection was a big space containing a table, benches, etc., while oneither side were little glass rooms with partitions between themreaching about seven feet in height, the ceiling being some twelve feetfrom the floor. The first room to the left of the entrance was marked"Manager" on its glass door; the next office "Purchasing Agent," andthe third "Chief Engineer." On the right hand side, the correspondingoffices were marked "Secretary," "Examiner," and "Superintendent." Allthe office doors were locked except that of the Purchasing Agent, whichstood ajar. Josie sprang into that office and cast a hurried glancearound. The glass division between that and the manager's office was"frosted" with white paint, but so carelessly done that she foundplaces where she could see through into the office of the manager. Alsoshe could see into the main, or reception room, even with her doorclosed.

  While she examined this place a knock came on the outer door--a loud,imperative knock.

  "This will do," whispered Josie to Joe. "Go an let him in, but don'tlet him suspect I'm here."

  Joe was not quick-witted, but on the battlefields of France he hadlearned prompt obedience to orders. Josie, as a government agent, wasnow his commander, so he merely nodded to her as he walked over tounlock the outer door.

  Kauffman stepped in, satchel in hand.

  "You're the watchman, I suppose," he said cheerfully. "Is Mr. Coltonhere?"

  "No," answered Joe.

  "I was to meet him here at this time," said Kauffman.

  "He said he'd be back this evening," returned Joe, just recalling thatfact, "but he isn't here yet."

  "All right," said the man, "I'll wait."

  He carefully placed the satchel on the table and sat down on a bench.Joe regarded him suspiciously, remembering the girl's warning, but saidnothing more. Josie was watching Kauffman from her retreat, but as herlittle office was dark and the German sat under a bright light it wasimpossible for him to know that his every movement was underobservation.

  The minutes dragged. A big clock on the wall ticked with an ominoussound. Kauffman drew out his watch and compared it with the clock. Heappeared to grow restless.

  Josie's quick ears caught the distant sound of
a motor car coming downthe road. Perhaps Kauffman heard it also. He rose from his seat andgoing to the table unlocked the black satchel, pressed the top open andlooked inside it. Still bending over the satchel he placed a cigarettein his mouth, lighted a match and applied the flame to his cigarette.His back was toward Josie but she comprehended instantly the action.

  "He has lighted the fuse!" she murmured, triumphantly.

  The motor car came to a sudden halt outside the door, which Joe hadleft unlocked; but while the German turned expectantly toward the doorthe maimed soldier, hearing Josie's whisper, approached her little roomand slightly opened her door.

  "He has