erty Bonds, and she
passed on to the next store. During the morning Mary Louise discovered
several more of the traitorous circulars. Some merchants would not
admit having received the warning; others, through their arguments,
convinced the girl they had not only read the screed but had been
influenced by it. Perhaps it did not seriously affect her sales of
bonds, but she felt that it did and her indignation grew steadily. By
noon she was tingling with resentment and when she joined the other
Liberty Girls at luncheon, she found them all excited over the circular
and demanding vengeance on the offender--whoever he might happen to be.

"Isn't it dreadful!" exclaimed Lucile Neal, "and what could the person
hope to gain by it?"

"Why, he wanted to kill the Liberty Bond sale," explained Alora Jones.

"A suspicion that this money is to be misapplied, or that officials
will steal part of it, is likely to prevent a lot of foolish people
from investing in the bonds. All this morning I could see that men were
influenced by this circular, which has been pretty generally
distributed."

"Yes; one or two repeated the very words of the circular to me," said
Laura Hilton; "but I just asked them if they considered the United
States able to pay its bonds and they were forced to admit it was a
safe investment, however the money might be used."

"I'd like to know who sent that circular," exclaimed Edna Barlow.

"I'm going to find out!" asserted Mary Louise.

"How, my dear?"

"There must be ways of tracing such a bunch of circulars as were mailed
last evening. I'm going to see the Chief of Police and put him on the
trail."

"Do you know," said Edna, a thoughtful and rather quiet girl, "I
already have a suspicion who the traitor is."

"Who?" an eager chorus.

"I'm not sure I ought to speak his name, for it's only a suspicion and
I may be wrong. It would be an awful thing to accuse one unjustly of
such a dastardly act, wouldn't it? But--think, girls!--who is known to
be against the war, and pro-German? Who did we consider an enemy to the
cause of liberty until--until he happened to buy some bonds the other
night and indulge in some peanut patriotism to disarm a criticism he
knew was becoming dangerous?"

They looked at one another, half frightened at the suggestion, for all
knew whom she meant.

"Perhaps," said Alora, slowly, "Jake Kasker really believes in the
bonds. He certainly set the example to others and led them to buy