handkerchiefs.
All at once it came to Jane what it must mean. The arrangement of the
handkerchiefs must be some sort of a code. She studied the way they were
placed, committing the order to memory. "Red--two large--one small--one
large--one small." Of course it was a code, a signal to some one aboard
one of the ships.
The line of handkerchiefs completed old Lena once more took up her
glasses, first looking around as before to see if any one were on the
roof. How Jane wished that she, too, could see the ships from where she
stood. Was some traitor in the navy wigwagging to the old woman? She was
tempted to spring forward and seize her and stop this dastardly
signalling, but she remembered her duty. She was there to see that Dean
was not surprised by old Lena's return. So long as the woman kept
signalling he was safe.
Once more the laundress dropped her glasses and began frantically
rearranging the handkerchiefs. Again Jane noted their order--red--two
small--one large--three small--two large. Again the laundress resorted
to the glasses, and at last, apparently satisfied, began taking down the
rest of the laundry and making ready to leave the roof. Trying to act as
if she had just arrived, Jane stepped boldly forward.
"I wonder," she said approaching the woman, "if you can tell me where I
can find a good laundress."
"_Nicht versteh_" said old Lena, eyeing her suspiciously and hostilely,
and at the same time attempting to pass her with the basket of clothes.
Deliberately blocking the way, Jane repeated her question, this time in
German, feeling thankful that her language studies at school were not
wholly forgotten and that they had included such practical phrases as
those required to hire and discharge maids and complain about the
quality of their work.
"I know no one," the old woman answered her, this time in English.
Jane breathed fast with excitement. The laundress' slip of the tongue,
after denying that she understood, was evidence in itself of her
deliberate duplicity. Realizing her mistake, the old woman now sullenly
refused to answer any questions, merely shaking her head and trying to
dodge past and escape.
To prolong the questioning, Jane felt, would be only to arouse
suspicion, and reluctantly she allowed old Lena to precede her to the
elevator, anticipating her, however, in ringing the bell, pressing the
button four times as Dean had directed. As they descended together she
was almost in a pan
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