he police station and had a somewhat
lengthy conference with Chief Farnum, who knew her father and treated
the girl detective with professional consideration. After this she
hunted up the two government agents--old Jim Crissey and young Norman
Addison--who knew her well as "John O'Gorman's clever kid, the pride of
her doting Daddy." They listened to her with interest and genuine
respect for her talent and not only promised their assistance whenever
it might be needed but congratulated her warmly on her good work.

This concluded Josie's afternoon labors, and it was with a sense of
triumphant elation that she returned to her hotel to rest and prepare
for the expected crisis.

CHAPTER XXI
SURPRISES

Josie went to dinner as soon as the dining room opened. When she came
out she met Abe Kauffman going in. He stopped and spoke to her.

"Sell any brains yet?" in a jocular way.

"Not to-day," she replied, with her innocent, baby-like stare.

"Well, I didn't sell any suspenders, either. There are no spenders for
_sus_penders. Ha, ha, ha!"

"That doesn't seem to worry you much," asserted Josie, pointedly.

He gave a shrug.

"Well, to-morrow morning I leave by the 5:30 train east, so if I don't
see you any more, I hope the brains will find a market."

"Thank you."

She went on, glad to escape the man. "He told me about leaving on the
5:30, and is probably giving everyone else the same information, so he
can't be connected with the explosion," she reflected. "Clever Mr.
Kauffman! But not clever enough to realize he is near the end of his
infamous career."

Josie's plans, perfected during that afternoon, primarily involved the
shadowing of Abe Kauffman every moment, from now on. Abe Kauffman and
his black satchel. For it grew dark early at this time of year, and
already the brief twilight was fading. So the girl hastened to her room
and exchanged her gray walking suit for a darker one that was
inconspicuous and allowed free movement. Then she slipped her little
pearl-mounted revolver--her father's gift--into her handbag and decided
she was ready for any emergency.

Having extinguished the light in her room, she glanced from the window
into the alley below, where the shadows were now gathering deeply.

"I think Kauffman will go down the fire-escape and drop into the
alley," she mused; "but he must first come to his room for the black
satchel, in any event, and from that instant I must never lose sight of
him."