as she kept her eye on
the bomb, she would be able to control the situation.

CHAPTER XXII
A SLIGHT MISTAKE

From the edge of the town to the steel works the road led through a
common, overgrown with brush and weeds. There was no moon and although
the distance was not great it was a lonely, dark and "creepy" place. As
soon as the girl saw Kauffman take the road to the works she decided to
get there before he could do so. Knowing well she could not be seen,
she branched off through the brush, and finding her way by instinct
rather than sight, ran swiftly in a half circle over the fields and
struck the road again considerably in advance of the more deliberate
Kauffman.

She now set off at her swiftest run and on reaching the manager's
office, in the front of the main building, perceived that it was
lighted.

Josie rapped upon the door and it was opened by one-armed Joe Langley,
the night watchman.

"Quick!" she said, "let me in and hide me somewhere, where I can't be
seen."

Joe pulled her in, closed the outer door and locked it, and then faced
her.

"What's up?" he demanded.

"There's a man coming here with a bomb in a black satchel," she panted.
"He intends to blow up this building, in which all the shells axe
stored. I want to catch him in the act, Joe, and you must hide me
somewhere."

Joe glanced around with a puzzled look.

"Where?" he asked helplessly.

So Josie looked around her, too. This end of the long building was
partitioned off for offices, as it fronted the town. The central
section was a big space containing a table, benches, etc., while on
either side were little glass rooms with partitions between them
reaching about seven feet in height, the ceiling being some twelve feet
from the floor. The first room to the left of the entrance was marked
"Manager" on its glass door; the next office "Purchasing Agent," and
the third "Chief Engineer." On the right hand side, the corresponding
offices were marked "Secretary," "Examiner," and "Superintendent." All
the office doors were locked except that of the Purchasing Agent, which
stood ajar. Josie sprang into that office and cast a hurried glance
around. The glass division between that and the manager's office was
"frosted" with white paint, but so carelessly done that she found
places where she could see through into the office of the manager. Also
she could see into the main, or reception room, even with her door
closed.

While she examined