CHAPTER XXI
ON THE STREET
As Mr. Cook left the room the two boys heard the automobile come up thedriveway and stop in front of the house. Mrs. Cook and Louise were tospend the evening with an aunt of Bob's a short distance down the street,and Mr. Cook was to take them there in the car. Bob and Hugh waited untilthey should all leave for they did not want to be seen by any one intheir disguises.
Presently they heard the car start off and they knew the coast was clear.Silently they slipped down stairs and out the front door. By the side ofthe house they paused for a consultation.
"These whiskers itch awfully," exclaimed Bob.
"So does this mustache," said Hugh. "I guess we'll have to endureit though."
"Where shall we wait?"
"Won't Lena come out the back door?"
"I guess so. At any rate she'll have to come around and go down the frontwalk, there's no other way for her to get out of the yard."
"Let's cross the street and wait there then."
They followed that plan and presently were standing side by side in theshadow of a tree on the opposite side of the street. Lena could beexpected to appear at any minute and they kept a sharp lookout for her.
"What do you suppose is ahead of us to-night?" asked Hugh in a low tone.
"I wish I knew."
"I hope we aren't going off on a wild goose chase."
"You've been saying right along that we ought to watch Lena," Bobreminded his friend.
"I know that and I think it's a good plan. All I say is that she may foolus in some way if we're not careful."
"How do you suppose Mr. Wernberg's getting along in the hospital?"
"I don't know," said Hugh. "I must say though that I'm moreinterested in Lena."
"I'd like to see our old friend, the false detective."
"So would I. What do you suppose he is--"
"Ssh," hissed Bob suddenly.
Around the corner of the Cooks' house came a woman. She walked brisklyand a moment later had reached the street. She gazed apprehensively upand down while the two boys shrank farther back into the shadow; then shestarted off in the direction of the city's business district.
"That's Lena," whispered Bob. "Come on."
On the opposite side of the street and perhaps a hundred paces in back ofthe hurrying woman the two boys followed.
"We'll have to keep closer than this when she gets down town,"whispered Hugh.
"I know it," agreed Bob. "She'd get suspicious now though."
Now and again Lena stopped and glanced behind her. Every time she did sothe boys stopped too; evidently she was afraid of being followed. Theymet few people and those who did pass them apparently took them for acouple of tramps, for they paid no particular attention to them.
A little distance down the street Lena turned the corner to her right.The two boys as a consequence had to run in order not to lose sight ofher. They were fearful lest she should slip away from them and thereforewere greatly relieved when they came to the turn and saw her still infront of them.
A few moments later she turned again, and then presently, turned still athird time.
"She's trying to lose us," whispered Bob.
"Maybe not," said Hugh. "This is Elm Street."
"Where's twelve eighty-two!"
"On the next block."
The white stucco house was on the same side of the street with the boys,and as Lena came opposite it she crossed over. Bob and Hugh stopped shortunder a large maple tree whose trunk cast a shadow affording ampleprotection from a nearby arclight. From this vantage point they watchedthe woman they were trailing.
"She's going in," whispered Bob, clutching Hugh's arm excitedly.
Lena turned in from the side walk and started toward the steps of thewhite stucco house, number twelve eighty-two. Half-way up she pausedirresolutely. She acted as if she was puzzled as to what she should do;finally she turned, descended the steps rapidly and continued on downthe street.
"That was queer," whispered Bob.
"It looked as though she lost her nerve."
"Why should she be scared to go in where her gang is!"
"Don't ask me. Come on."
Once again they took up the chase. Lena seemed to walk more swiftly thanever now, and it was not an easy task to keep pace with her and still notbe seen. The night was dark with low-hanging clouds, the street lampsaffording the only light available. Ahead they could see the reflectionfrom the lights of the main street of the city.
"Do you suppose she dropped a note or anything on that porch back there?"demanded Hugh suddenly.
"I didn't see her do anything like that," said Bob.
"Nor I. At any rate I guess the best thing we can do is to stickclose to her."
"Yes, and we'd better keep closer too, now that we are coming to wherethe stores are. We'll lose track of her if we don't."
"Do you suppose any one will notice that we're disguised?"
"I hope not. There's usually a big crowd on the streets Saturdaynight though."
"We'll hope for luck," said Hugh earnestly.
They quickened their paces until they were scarcely more thanseventy-five feet in back of Lena. There were many people passing them inboth directions now, and apparently Lena was not as suspicious as she hadbeen; she glanced behind her no more.
Presently they turned into the main street. The sidewalks were throngedwith people and everything was lighted up brilliantly in the glare ofarclights and shop windows. Lena was just ahead of the boys and it wasnot an easy task to follow her in the crowd.
Music sounded down the street. A troop of cavalry was approaching andevery one lined the curb to see them pass. Lena stopped and the boystook their places directly behind her. Every trooper was mounted on acoal black horse, and they made a fine showing as they drew near; thecrowd began to cheer and many waved small American flags that they werecarrying. Women waved their handkerchiefs as the horsemen passed, andmuch to both Bob's and Hugh's surprise Lena waved her handkerchief andclapped her hands with the others.
"What do you think of that?" whispered Bob.
"Bluff," said Hugh. "She's clever."
The crowd began to break up and presently was moving up and down thestreet again. Lena started on her way once more, and almost at her heelsfollowed Bob and Hugh. They were beginning to wonder whether they werefollowing a false clue. It might be that Lena had dropped a message onthe porch of the house on Elm Street, and if so her work was probablydone and there could be no object in following her farther.
Suddenly Hugh seized Bob by the arm. "Look at this man coming," hehissed.
Not thirty feet distant and walking directly toward them was the falsedetective. There could be no mistaking him. Bob and Hugh, forgetting forthe moment that they were disguised were fearful lest he should recognizethem as well. A moment later, however, an interesting event happenedright before their eyes, and they forgot all else.
As the "detective," the man with whom they had fought that morning, theman who had blown up the deserted house, and whom they suspected ofhaving tried to blow up the railroad bridge in the afternoon, passed Lenahe held a slip of paper in his left hand. As she went by she took it withher left hand, though as far as the boys could see the two conspiratorshad not even looked at each other.
Lena continued on down the street as if nothing had happened, while thedetective also kept on as though unconscious of having seen Lena at all.He passed the two boys without even a glance.
Bob and Hugh stopped short.
"What do you think of that?" demanded Hugh. "What'll we do?"
"Follow them," said Bob quickly. "You follow him and I'll trail Lena."
Without another word the two boys separated.
Bob Cook and the German Spy Page 21
