ds, and so did Professor Dyer,
and that shamed Silas Herring into buying a big bunch of them also."

"H-m-m," murmured Josie contentedly. "Then neither of the three had
purchased any bonds until then?"

"I think not. Gran'pa Jim had himself tried to sell Mr. Herring and had
been refused."

"I see. How much did the supervisor invest in bonds?"

"One hundred dollars."

"Too little. And the Professor?"

"Five hundred."

"Too much. He couldn't afford it, could he?"

"He said it was more than his salary warranted, but he wanted to be
patriotic."

"Oh, well; the rich grocer took them off his hands, perhaps. No
disloyal words from the Professor or the supervisor?"

"No, indeed; they rebuked Mr. Herring and made him stop talking."

Josie nodded, thoughtfully.

"Well, who else did you find disloyal?"

"No one, so far as I can recollect. Everyone I know seems genuinely
patriotic--except," as an afterthought, "little Annie Boyle, and she
doesn't count."

"Who is little Annie Boyle?"

"No one much. Her father keeps the Mansion House, one of the hotels
here, but not one of the best. It's patronized by cheap traveling men
and the better class of clerks, I'm told, and Mr. Boyle is said to do a
good business. Annie knows some of our girls, and they say she hates
the war and denounces Mr. Wilson and everybody concerned in the war.
But Annie's a silly little thing, anyhow, and of course she couldn't
get out those circulars."

Josie wrote Annie Boyle's name on her tablets--little ivory affairs
which she always carried and made notes on.

"Do you know anyone else at the Mansion House?" she inquired.

"Not a soul."

"How old is Annie?"

"Fourteen or fifteen."

"She didn't conceive her unpatriotic ideas; she has heard someone else
talk, and like a parrot repeats what she has heard."

"Perhaps so; but--"

"All right. I'm not going to the Liberty Girls' Shop to-morrow, Mary
Louise. At your invitation I'll make myself scarce, and nose around. To
be quite frank, I consider this matter serious; more serious than you
perhaps suspect. And, since you've put this case in my hands, I'm sure
you and the dear colonel won't mind if I'm a bit eccentric in my
movements while I'm doing detective work. I know the town pretty well,
from my former visits, so I won't get lost. I may not accomplish
anything, but you'd like me to try, wouldn't you?"

"Yes, indeed. That's why I've told you all this. I feel something ought
to be do