hat to do next. She removed
the bomb, fuse, green bag--even the satchel--to the big lower drawer of
her bureau, and turned the lock.

"No one is likely to come in but the chambermaid, and she will be too
busy to disturb anything," Josie decided; and then she locked her room
door and went down stairs to breakfast.

CHAPTER XVIII
A HINT FEOM ANNIE BOYLE

Josie was late. In the breakfast room she found but one guest besides
herself, an old lady with a putty face. But there was also a young girl
seated at a near-by table who was grumbling and complaining to the maid
who waited upon her.

"It ain't my fault, Miss Annie," protested the maid. "The cook says you
ordered your breakfast half an hour ago, an' then went away. We tried
to keep it hot for you, and if it's cold it's your own fault."

"I was talking with Mr. Kauffman," pouted the girl, who seemed a mere
child. "I've a good notion to order another breakfast."

"If you do, cook will tell your father."

This threat seemed effective. The girl, with a sour face, began eating,
and the maid came over to take Josie's order. The tables were near
enough for conversation, so when the maid had gone to the kitchen Josie
said sweetly:

"That Mr. Kauffman's a nice man, isn't he? I don't wonder you forgot
your breakfast. Isn't this Miss Annie Boyle?"

"Yes," was the answer. "Do you know Abe Kauffman?"

"I've met him," said Josie.

"He an' Pa used to be good friends," said Annie Boyle, who did not seem
at all shy in conversing with strangers, "but Pa's soured on him
lately. I don't know why. P'raps because Abe is a German, an'
everybody's tryin' to fling mud at the Germans. But Abe says the
German-Americans are the back-bone of this country, and as good
citizens as any."

"He don't seem to like the war, though," remarked Josie carelessly.

"Well, do you know why? Abe's had two brothers and five cousins in the
German army, and all of 'em's been killed. That's why he's sore on the
war. Says his brothers deserved what they got for not comin' to America
an' bein' American citizens, like Abe is. But I know he's dreadful
sorry 'bout their bein' killed just the same. German folks seem to
think a good, deal of their families, an' so jest to mention the war
makes Abe rave an' swear."

"That's foolish," said Josie. "He'll get himself into trouble."

"Abe's no fool; he knows how far he can go, an' when to stop talkin'.
He'll cuss the war, but you never hear him cuss'n' the U