've had an idea that
there's some connection between the explosion at the airplane works and
the sender of these circulars."

Josie gave her a queer look.

"What connection do you suspect?" she asked quickly.

"Why, the man who wrote those circulars would not stop at any crime to
harass the government and interfere with the promotion of the war."

"Is that as far as you've gone?"

"Have you gone any farther, Josie?"

"A step, Mary Louise. It looks to me as if there is an organized band
of traitors in Dorfield. No one person is responsible for it all.
Didn't I say two different people addressed the circulars in disguised
handwriting? Now, a bomb has to be constructed, and placed, and timed,
and I don't credit any one person with handling such a job and at the
same time being aware that the utmost damage to the War Department's
plans would be accomplished by blowing up the airplane works. That
argues intelligent knowledge of national and local affairs. There may
be but two conspirators, and there may be more, but the more there are,
the easier it will be for me to discover them."

"Naturally," agreed Mary Louise. "But, really, Josie, I don't see how
you're going to locate a clue that will guide you. Have you attended
the trial of those suspected of the bomb outrage?"

"I've seen all the testimony. There isn't a culprit in the whole bunch.
The real criminal is not even suspected, as yet," declared Josie. "The
federal officers know this, and are just taking things easy and making
the trials string out, to show they're wide awake. Also I've met two
secret service men here--Norman Addison and old Jim Crissey. I know
nearly all of the boys. But they haven't learned anything important,
either."

"Are these men experienced detectives?"

"They've done some pretty good work, but nothing remarkable. In these
times the government is forced to employ every man with any experience
at all, and Crissey and Addison are just ordinary boys, honest and
hard-working, but not especially talented. Daddy would have discovered
something in twenty-four hours; but Daddy has been sent abroad, for
some reason, and there are many cases of espionage and sabotage fully
as important as this, in this spy-infested land. That's why poor Josie
O'Gorman is trying to help the government, without assignment or
authority. If I succeed, however, I'll feel that I have done my bit."

"Don't you get discouraged, dear, at times?"

"Never! Why, Mary Lo