Mary Louise and the Liberty Girls

by L. Frank Baum

lighted the fuse of the bomb," she said to him excitedly. "Thebomb is in the satchel!"

  Joe turned quickly to the table. He dived into the bag with his onegood hand, drew out the heavy ball of steel and rushed with it to thedoor just as the manager, Mr. Colton, opened it and stepped in.

  So swift were Joe's actions that Kauffman had no time to interfere.Both he and the manager stared in amazement as Joe Langley rushedoutside and with all his might hurled the bomb far out upon the common.

  "Confound you!" cried Kauffman. "What did you do that for?"

  "What is it?" inquired the astonished manager.

  "A bomb!" cried Josie, stepping from her retreat and confronting them."A bomb with the fuse lighted, and timed to blow up this building afteryou had gone away, Mr. Colton. That man before you is a German spy, andI arrest him in the name of the law. Put up your hands, Abe Kauffman!"

  The little revolver was in her hand, steadily covering him. Kauffmangave an amused laugh, but he slowly raised his arms, as commanded.

  "I don't quite understand," said the puzzled manager, looking from oneto the other.

  "Well, I brought the new projectile, Colton, as I had agreed," answeredthe German, coolly, "but your quaint watchman has thrown it away. Asfor the girl," he added, with a broad grin, "she has fooled me. Shesaid she had brains, and I find she was mistaken."

  The manager turned to Josie.

  "May I ask who you are, Miss, and how you came to be in my office?"

  "I am Josie O'Gorman, an agent of the government secret service," shereplied, not quite truthfully. "I've been shadowing this man for sometime. I tell you, sir, he brought a bomb here, to destroy thisbuilding, and under pretense of lighting, a cigarette he has justlighted the time fuse. The bomb was in that satchel, but--" she addedimpressively, "as a matter of fact the thing was harmless, as I hadalready removed the powder from the fuse."

  Kauffman gave a low whistle.

  "How did you manage that?" he asked curiously.

  "Never mind how," she retorted; "I did it."

  Kauffman turned to the manager.

  "Will you please order your man to get the projectile?" he asked. "Itis lucky for us all that the thing isn't loaded, or there really wouldhave been an explosion." He now turned to Josie, with his hands stillin the air, and explained: "It is meant to explode through impact, andordering it tossed out there was the most dangerous thing you couldhave done."

  At the manager's command Joe took an electric searchlight and went outto find the steel ball.

  "If you please, miss," said Kauffman, "may I put down my arms? They aretired, and I assure you I will not try to escape."

  Josie lowered the revolver. Her face was red. She was beginning towonder if she had bungled the case. A second thought, however--athought of the papers she had found in the old desk--reassured her. Shemight have been wrong in some respects, but surely she was right in themain.

  "This man," said Mr. Colton, pointing to Kauffman, "is known to me as amunition expert. He bears the endorsement of the Secretary of War andis the inventor of the most effective shells we now manufacture. Whatyou have mistaken for a bomb is his latest design of projectile for aneight-inch gun. He had arranged to bring it here and explain to me itsmechanism to-night, and also to submit a proposition giving our companythe control of its manufacture. If you are a government agent, yousurely understand that these arrangements must be conducted with greatsecrecy. If we purchase the right to make this projectile, we mustfirst induce the government to use it, by demonstrating itseffectiveness, and then secure our contracts. So your interference, atthis time, is---ahem!--annoying."

  Josie's face was a little more red than before. A second motor car drewup at the door and to her astonishment Mrs. Charleworth entered andgreeted both the manager and Kauffman in her usual charming manner.Then she looked inquiringly at the girl.

  "Pardon me, madam," said Mr. Colton. "There has been a singularmisunderstanding, it seems, and our friend here has been accused ofbeing a German spy by this young lady, who is a government detective--or--or claims to be such. The precious projectile, in which you are sodeeply interested, has just been tossed out upon the common, but JoeLangley is searching for it."

  Mrs. Charleworth's face wore an amused smile.

  "We are so beset with spies, on every hand, that such an error is quitelikely to occur," said she. "I recognize this young lady as a friend ofthe Hathaway family, and I have met her at the Liberty Girls' Shop, soshe is doubtless sincere--if misled. Let us hope we can convince her--Miss O'Gorman, isn't it?--that we are wholly innocent of attempting topromote the Kaiser's interests."

  Joe came in with the steel ball, which he deposited upon the table.Then, at a nod from the manager, the soldier took his searchlight anddeparted through the door leading to the big room in the rear. It wastime to make his regular rounds of the works, and perhaps Mr. Coltonpreferred no listeners to the conversation that might follow.

  CHAPTER XXIIITHE FLASHLIGHT

  "Perhaps," said Josie, her voice trembling a little, "I have assumedtoo much, and accused this man," pointing to Kauffman, "unjustly. I wastrying to serve my country. But I am somewhat confused, even yet, inregard to this affair. Will you please tell me, Mrs. Charleworth, whatconnection you have with Mr. Kauffman, or with his--projectile?"

  "Very gladly," said the lady, graciously. "I am a stockholder in thissteel company--a rather important stockholder, I believe--and while Iam not a member of the board of directors, Mr. Colton represents myinterests. Two years ago we bought the Kauffman shell, and paidliberally for it, but Mr. Kauffman unfortunately invested his money ina transatlantic merchant ship which was sunk, with its entire cargo, bya German submarine. Again penniless, he began the manufacture ofsuspenders, in a small way, with money I loaned him, but was not verysuccessful. Then he conceived the idea of a new projectile, veryeffective and quite different from others. He asked our company tofinance him while he was experimenting and perfecting the newprojectile. The company couldn't undertake to do that, but I personallyfinanced Mr. Kauffman, having confidence in his ability. He has beensix months getting the invention made, tested and ready to submit togovernment experts, and up to the present it has cost a lot of money.However, it is now considered perfect and Mr. Kauffman has brought ithere to-night to exhibit and explain it to Mr. Colton. If Mr. Coltonapproves it from a manufacturing standpoint, our company will secure anoption for the sole right to manufacture it."

  "Mr. Kauffman has been in Dorfield several days," said Josie. "Why didhe not show you the projectile before?"

  "I have been out of town," explained the manager. "I returned thisafternoon, especially for this interview, and made the appointment forthis evening. I am a busy man--these are war times, you know--and Imust make my evenings count as well as my days."

  Josie scented ignominous defeat, but she had one more shot to fire.

  "Mrs. Charleworth," she stated, with a severe look, "John Dyer, theschool superintendent, was at your house last night, in secretconference with Mr. Kauffman and yourself."

  "Oh, so you are aware of that interview?"

  "Clever!" said Kauffman, "I'd no idea I was being shadowed." Then thetwo exchanged glances and smiled. "It seems impossible," continued theman, "to keep any little matter of business dark, these days, althoughthe war office insists on secrecy in regard to all munitions affairsand publicity would surely ruin our chances of getting the newprojectile accepted for government use."

  "I am awaiting an explanation of that meeting," declared Josie sternly."Perhaps you do not realize how important it may be."

  "Well," answered Mrs. Charleworth, a thoughtful expression crossing herpleasant face, "I see no objection to acquainting you with the objectof that mysterious meeting, although it involves confiding to you a bitof necessary diplomacy. Mr. Colton will tell you that the DorfieldSteel Works will under no circumstances purchase the right tomanufacture the Kauffman projectile--or any other article of munition--until it is approved and adopted by the War Department. Th
at approvalis not easily obtained, because the officials are crowded with businessand a certain amount of red tape must be encountered. Experience hasproved that the inventor is not the proper person to secure governmentendorsement; he labors under a natural disadvantage. Neither is Mr.Colton, as the prospective manufacturer, free from suspicion of selfishinterest. Therefore it seemed best to have the matter taken up with theproper authorities and experts by someone not financially interested inthe projectile.

  "Now, Professor Dyer has a brother-in-law who is an important member ofthe munitions board, under General Crozier, and we have