I got a better
way of thinking. It ain't for me to say whether the war's right or not;
my country's honor is at stake, so I'll back my country to the last
ditch."

Kauffman turned away.

"I guess you don't need any suspenders," he said, and walked out of the
store.

Kasker gave a sigh of relief and sat down again.

"Now, young lady," he began, "we'll talk about--"

"Excuse me," said Josie hastily. "I'm going, now; but I'll be back. I
want to see you again, Mr. Kasker."

She ran down the aisle to the door, looked up and down the street and
saw the thick-set form of the suspender salesman just disappearing
around the corner to the south. Instantly she stepped out. Josie was an
expert in the art of shadowing.

CHAPTER XVI
MRS. CHARLEWORTH

When Mary Louise reached home that evening she was surprised to find a
note from Josie which said:

"I've decided to change my boarding place for a week or so, although I
shall miss Aunt Sally's cooking and a lot of other comforts. But this
is business. If you meet me in the street, don't recognize me unless
I'm quite alone. We've quarrelled, if anyone asks you. Pretty soon
we'll make up again and be friends. Of course, you'll realize I'm
working on our case, which grows interesting. So keep mum and behave."

"I wish I knew where she's gone," was Mary Louise's anxious comment, as
she showed the note to Gran'pa Jim.

"Don't worry, my dear," advised the colonel. "Josie possesses the rare
faculty of being able to take care of herself under all circumstances.
Had she not been so peculiarly trained by her detective father I would
feel it a duty to search for her, but she is not like other girls and
wouldn't thank us for interfering, I'm sure."

"I can't see the necessity of her being so mysterious about it,"
declared the girl. "Josie ought to know I'm worthy of her confidence.
And she said, just the other day, that we're partners."

"You must be the silent partner, then," said her grandfather, smiling
at her vexed expression. "Josie is also worthy of confidence. She may
blunder, but if so, she'll blunder cleverly. I advise you to be patient
with her."

"Well, I'll try, Gran'pa. When we see her again she will probably know
something important," said Mary Louise resignedly.

As for little, red-headed Josie O'Gorman, she walked into the office of
the Mansion House that afternoon, lugging a battered suit-case borrowed
from Aunt Sally, and asked the clerk at the desk for wee