of campaign originated with him. She always came to him
and he always backed her up. She declared the moral support he gave her
was better than the good advice he thought he gave her.

"Nothing else," replied the kind chief. "But don't run any risks. A man
like this Chester Hunt and a woman like this Dink person are often
capable of any crime to attain their ends."

"I'll be careful," said Josie, "but I can't promise not to run risks. I
don't see what fun there is in the business without some few risks."

"Bless me, child, you are surely your father's own daughter! Pity you
weren't a son!"

"Pity nothing!" answered Josie hotly. "You have plenty of sons on your
police force. I should think you'd be glad of an occasional daughter.
Slater is a son of somebody and didn't he let the Markles get off?
Don't talk to me about sons!"

"All right, daughter, never again!" grinned the chief.

From the police station Josie went back to the Higgledy-Piggledy Shop.
She found Elizabeth Wright and Irene attending to business, which was
flourishing.

"We are missing you a lot, but I fancy we can manage," said Elizabeth.
"The laundry work is not urgent and if it does become so we shall have
to turn it down. I'd do it if I could but I'm the bummest ever."

"Just tell them I'm off on a trip for my health," suggested Josie. "You
can call it lungs or heart or just plain head if you'd rather, but I've
got to be away for many days." She then told the girls all the
complications concerning the children who had recently been gent to the
home. "Keep your eyes and ears open for me, but your mouths shut,
please. You two girls might pick up a lot to help me out. Now I must
transform the plain Josie into a giddy miss after a job selling
household and jewel novelties."

"Have you got the job?" laughed Irene.

"No, but I'm going to fix up so pretty and talk so silly I'll be sure
to get it. There is an ad in the morning paper for canvassers for
southern cities."

"Why do you go after that kind of job?" asked Elizabeth.

"Because nobody can pick up so much information concerning neighbors as
a canvasser."

Josie disappeared into her sleeping compartment, packed her suitcase,
and in half an hour emerged a changed being. The henna wig again served
its turn and her countenance was so made up that her best friends had
difficulty in recognizing her. Mary Louise, who came in at that moment,
almost had hysterics when the same old Josie spoke from