FLORA BETRAYS A STATE SECRET
Alfred Thornton had not come to spend several weeks in camp with Tom
Curtis and a dozen other of his acquaintances solely for the pleasure
of the outdoor life and sports. He had a secret and far more important
mission. His father was a steel magnate. He was also a silent but
deeply interested partner in one of the largest ship-building concerns
in the United States. The elder Mr. Thornton and his associates had
heard rumors of Lieutenant Lawton's probable invention.
If the young officer could be induced to sell the model of his
destroyer to their concern, it would mean millions of dollars. If their
company alone could make the fastest torpedo-boat destroyer in the
world, not only would the United States Government be forced to buy
such boats from them, but every government in Europe would have to seek
them to find out the secret of the highest speed ever attained by such
a craft.
Alfred Thornton had been appointed to watch Lieutenant Jimmy Lawton. He
was to make him an offer for his patent, if it could be managed without
the knowledge of the Government authorities. In any case, he was to
wire his father the moment he believed Lieutenant Lawton had completed
the model of his boat.
It was easy, therefore, to see why Alfred Thornton had cultivated the
friendship of Flora Harris. He wished to be about Fortress Monroe in
order to hear the gossip of the Army and Navy people, to see Lieutenant
Lawton, yet never in any way to be suspected of spying upon him. For
this reason Alfred had chosen to live over in the camp with Tom Curtis
and his friends, rather than to be any nearer the scene of action.
It occurred to the young man on the night of the first rehearsal of
their play in Mrs. Curtis's private drawing room that he had been
paying too much attention to Madge. He did not wish to estrange Flora
Harris. He must be more careful. For this one evening, at least, he
would leave Madge to herself. Had Madge been able to read his thoughts
she would not have been disturbed at his decision. She was growing
tired of her new acquaintance. She thought him dull and too curious
about other people's affairs. He was too fond of referring to Phil's
friendship for Lieutenant Lawton in a joking manner. For the moment
Lieutenant Lawton and the mysterious box occupied her thoughts so
completely that she forgot Alfred Thornton's existence.
She saw Lieutenant Lawton come into the drawing room, watched him as he
explained his unexpected appearance to Mrs. Curtis. Then, looking pale
and worried, he took his seat next to Phyllis, though he did not have a
chance to say a word to her that would not be overheard. For once Miss
Jenny Ann Jones, who had always been the most lenient of chaperons,
determined to play the part of a stern dragon. She decided that, of
late, the young man had been altogether too attentive to Phyllis. She
sat on the girl's side and took part in the conversation between her
and the young lieutenant. When he proposed that Miss Alden walk with
him in the hotel garden, Miss Jones quietly rose and went out with
them.
Lieutenant Lawton was desperate. He must give Phyllis the box which he
desired her to keep for him before the evening was over. Yet how could
he appoint the time and place where she could receive it if he never
had a moment with her in private? Miss Jenny Ann entered first the
revolving door that formed the ladies' entrance to Mrs. Curtis's hotel.
Before the door swung around again Lieutenant Lawton had time to
whisper:
"You and Miss Morton meet me, if you can, by the tree on the south side
of the hotel porch just before you start for the houseboat."
Phil had just time to nod in reply when she caught Miss Jenny Ann
gazing at her reproachfully through the glass of the door.
If Phyllis had not thought Lieutenant Jimmy Lawton a patriot and a
genius, she would never have undertaken to help him without being
allowed to confide her part in the affair to her chaperon. But if Madge
were romantic in her way, Phil was equally so in hers. While Madge
dreamed of lovely ladies and romantic knights in the days of chivalry,
Phyllis had visions of the glory of self-sacrifice, of patriotism, of
doing great deeds for other people. She wanted to study medicine
because she thought some day she might be able to go as a hospital
nurse on the field of battle. To be able to help Lieutenant Lawton in
even the smallest way to do a service for his country was a source of
great delight to Phil. She was actually thrilled by it.
Madge, who had been watching her friend, wished that she would not show
her feelings so plainly. Across the room she could see that Phyllis was
pale and restless. Once or twice Madge saw Alfred Thornton staring at
Phyllis; then he turned to hold a whispered conversation with Flora
Harris.
Early in the evening Lieutenant Lawton disappeared from the drawing
room. As soon as the rehearsal of their play was over Alfred Thornton
made his escape.
Lieutenant Jimmy did not go to his work-shop; he went to his quarters.
Half an hour later he returned with a square box in his hand, which
looked like a five-pound box of candy. Instead of returning to the room
where Mrs. Curtis and her guests were, he strolled nervously about the
grounds of the hotel. It was dark under the tree where he had asked
Phil and Madge to meet him. About ten minutes before he could look for
them he went cautiously toward this tree and waited with his back close
against it.
A figure, coming up behind him suddenly, startled him. The man had time
only to lean over and say, "Two hundred thousand dollars!" when a sound
of voices was heard at the southern end of the hotel veranda.
Phyllis also had found it difficult to have a private word with Madge,
but toward the close of the evening she did have time to whisper the
account of her appointment.
When Miss Jenny Ann suggested that it was time to leave for their
houseboat, Madge and Phyllis went hurriedly, ahead of the others, into
Mrs. Curtis's dressing room. They slipped into their evening coats,
and, taking their pink and blue chiffon scarfs in their hands, they
reached the hotel veranda before any one missed them.
There were few people staying in the big summer hotel, for it was late
in the season. The night was cool and the big front porch was almost
deserted. The two girls felt like conspirators. They were perfectly
willing to keep Lieutenant Lawton's box for him. But why was he so
mysterious?
At the southern end of the long veranda they plainly espied the figure
of a man walking slowly up and down in the darkness. It was too dark to
distinguish Lieutenant Lawton's uniform. The girls called faintly to
the man under the trees. He did not hear them, nor move in their
direction.
"Come on, Madge," whispered Phyllis impatiently. "If we are going to
help Lieutenant Lawton by taking care of his box for him, we may as
well go out on the lawn to receive it. Miss Jenny Ann will be after us
in a minute, if we don't hurry. I believe she thinks I am getting into
mischief. She told me yesterday that she thought we were all behaving
in much too grown-up a fashion."
They were talking as they walked toward the solitary figure they had
seen standing under the tree. "Lieutenant!" Phyllis called softly. The
young officer did not reply. The girls drew nearer. The man was not
Lieutenant Lawton!
Alfred Thornton was grinning maliciously. "Were you looking for
Lieutenant Lawton?" he inquired. "He was here a few minutes ago. He has
gone back to his home. I can look him up for you if you are really
anxious to see him, Miss Alden."
Phyllis turned pale with embarrassment. She made no reply.
Madge answered for her. "No, Mr. Thornton," she returned quietly, "it
won't be necessary. We _did_ wish to see Lieutenant Lawton on a little
matter of business. It was not important. We shall probably see him
some other time. We are sorry to have disturbed you."
Madge spoke calmly, but her cheeks were flushed. It did look rather
ridiculous for them to be searching the hotel grounds for a young man
who had not even waited to see them.
Alfred Thornton insisted on walking back to the hotel with Phyllis and
Madge. He even accompanied them to the motor launch, but as the girls
were going aboard he purposely dropped behind the party, apparently to
talk to Flora Harris. He had seen Lieutenant Lawton reappear among the
group of his friends. The young officer went straight up to Phyllis,
handing her the oblong box under the cover of the darkness. "Here is
the box," he whispered, when he caught Miss Jones looking directly at
him.
Phil took the box. It was extremely heavy. She could scarcely hold it.
But she never put it down until she had safely reached the shelter of
the houseboat and had placed it at the bottom of her steamer trunk.
Alfred Thornton did not cross to the camping grounds with Tom Curtis in
his motor launch that night. He had decided, for reasons best known to
himself, to spend the night on the Virginia side of the bay. After
seeing Madge and Phyllis to the launch, he returned to the hotel in
time to walk home with Flora Harris.
"By the way," she exclaimed, as they were about to say good night,
"didn't you once ask me to tell you if I ever heard that Lieutenant
Lawton were about to leave Fortress Monroe? Why did you wish to know?"
Alfred Thornton glanced sharply at his companion. His father had
promised him ten thousand dollars if he managed his detective work
successfully. Was it possible that this girl possessed valuable
information concerning the affairs of Lieutenant Lawton?
"Oh, I have a personal reason," he answered with an assumed
carelessness.
Flora Harris was not deceived. She had read eagerness in his quick
glance. She therefore intended to tell him that which he wished to
know, because she desired having him on her side if any difficulty
should arise between herself and Madge Morton.
"Well," she continued, after a moment's pause, "I am telling you a
state secret, and one I really have no right to know. I believe that
Lieutenant Lawton leaves for Washington within a few days. He has
finished the model of that old torpedo-boat destroyer that everybody is
making such a fuss about. It is a great secret, so don't let any one
know that I have told you. Lieutenant Jimmy came to see Father to-day
and had a long talk with him. Afterward I overheard Father tell Mother
that things were O.K. with Jimmy Lawton, but she was not to mention
the subject to a soul."
Flora laughed. She did not in the least realize the importance of the
information she had just given. Yet she did know enough to understand
that she should never have repeated a word that she had heard within
her father's house that in any way referred to Government business.
"Oh, well, you needn't worry over having told me," assured Alfred
Thornton. "As I am a friend of Lawton's, naturally I am interested in
anything pertaining to his invention. He has been so very stiff and
close-mouthed about it, he would be rather surprised if he knew that
I'd found out something about it, after all."
"Don't you dare let him know that I told you anything!" exclaimed Flora
in alarm. "If you do, it will go straight to Father and then---- I wish
I hadn't told you," she concluded regretfully.
Flora's sudden change of mood caused Alfred Thornton to purposely look
offended and say haughtily, "I am sorry you have such a bad opinion of
my honor."
Flora, who had not intended to make the young man angry, tried
instantly to apologize, and after a certain amount of sulky hesitation
he condescended to accept her apology. If she had seen the expression
of triumph that gleamed in his eyes as he turned from her door and
strode down the walk, she would have been still more alarmed.
That night Alfred Thornton sent a telegram to his father. It was
written in a code that had been arranged between them. When the
messenger boy departed the young man went to his room in the hotel with
the air of one whose mission had been accomplished.