PLANNING IN SECRET.
Without a word of comment relative to this remarkable information, Miss
Ladd turned and started back upstairs, and Katherine followed. In the
hall at the upper landing, the Guardian whispered thus in the ear of her
roommate:
“Sh! Don’t say a word or commit an act that could arouse suspicion. He’s
probably listening, or looking, or both. Just forget this subject and
talk about the new middy-blouse you are making, or something like that.
Don’t gush, either, or he may suspect your motive. We want to throw him
off the track if possible.”
But Katherine preferred to say little, for she was tired, and made haste
to get into bed. It was not long before the subject of their plans and
problems and visions of spies and “jam-stained fists” were lost in the
lethe of dreamland.
They were awakened in the morning by the first breakfast bell and arose
at once. They dressed hurriedly and went at once to the dining-room,
where they found two of the girls ahead of them. The others appeared
presently.
As the second bell rang, Pierce Langford sauntered into the room and
took a seat near the table occupied by Helen Nash and Violet Munday. He
looked about him in a half-vacant inconsequential way and then began to
“jolly” the waitress, who approached and sung off a string of alternates
on the “Hooverized” bill of fare which she carried in her mind. She
coldly ignored his “jollies,” for it was difficult for Langford to be
pleasing even when he tried to be pleasant, took his order, and
proceeded on her way.
The girls paid no further attention to the supposed spy-lawyer during
breakfast, and the latter appeared to pay no further attention to them.
After the meal, Miss Ladd called the girls together and suggested that
they take a walk. Then she dismissed them to prepare. Twenty minutes
later they reassembled, clad in khaki middy suits, brown sailor hats,
and hiking shoes, and the walk was begun along a path that led down a
wooded hill behind the hotel and toward the nearest lake.
It was not so much for exercise and fresh air that this “hike” was taken
as for an opportunity to hold a conference where there was little
likelihood of its being overheard. They picked a grassy knoll near the
lake, shaded by a border of oak and butternut trees, and sat down close
together in order that they might carry on a conversation in subdued
tones.
“Now,” said Miss Ladd, “we’ll begin to form our plans. You all realize,
I think, that we have an obstacle to work against that we did not reckon
on when we started. But that need not surprise us. In fact, as I think
matters over, it would have been surprising if something of the kind had
not occurred. This man Langford is undoubtedly here to block our plans.
If that is true, in a sense it is an advantage to us.”
“Why?” Hazel Edwards inquired.
“I don’t like the idea of answering questions of that kind without
giving you girls an opportunity to answer them,” the Guardian returned.
“Now, who can tell me why it is an advantage to us to be followed by
someone in the employ of the people whom we have been sent to
investigate.”
“I think I can answer it,” Hazel said quickly, observing that two or
three of the other girls seemed to have something to say. “Let me speak
first, please. I asked the foolish question and want a chance to redeem
myself.”
“I wouldn’t call it foolish,” was the Guardian’s reassuring reply. “It
was a very natural question and one that comparatively few people would
be able to answer without considerable study. And yet, it is simple
after you once get it. But go ahead and redeem yourself.”
“The fact that someone has been put on our trail to watch us is pretty
good evidence that something wrong is going on,” said Hazel. “You warned
us not to be sure that anybody is guilty until we see the jam on his
fist. But we can work more confidently if we are reasonably certain that
there is something to work for. If this man Langford is in the employ of
the Grahams and is here watching us for them, we may be reasonably
certain that Aunt Hannah was right in her suspicions about the way
little Glen is being treated, may we not?”
“That is very good, Hazel,” Miss Ladd commented enthusiastically. “Many
persons a good deal older than you could not have stated the situation
as clearly as you have stated it. Yes, I think I may say that I am
almost glad that we are being watched by a spy.
“But I didn’t call you out here to have a long talk with you, girls.
There really isn’t much to say right now. First I wanted you all to
understand clearly that we are being watched and for what purpose.
Langford convicted himself when he asked for the double room next to the
one occupied by Katherine and me and offered to pay the regular rate for
two. He thinks that he is able to maintain an appearance of utter
disinterest in us and throw us off our guard. But he overdoes the thing.
He makes too big an effort to appear unconscious of our presence. It
doesn’t jibe at all with the expression of decided interest I have
caught on his face on two or three occasions. And I flatter myself that
I successfully concealed my interest in his interest in us.
“Now, there are two things I want to say to you, and we will return.
First, do your best, every one of you, to throw Langford off the track
by affecting the most innocent disinterest in him as of no more
importance to us than the most obscure tourist on earth. Don’t overdo
it. Just make yourselves think that he is of no consequence and act
accordingly without putting forth any effort to do so. The best way to
effect this is to forget all about our mission when he is around.
“Second, we must find out where the Graham cottage is and then determine
where we want to locate our camp—somewhere in the vicinity of the Graham
cottage, of course.”
“Let me go out on a scouting expedition to find out where they live,”
Katherine requested.
“And let me go with her,” begged Ruth Hazelton.
“All right,” Miss Ladd assented. “I’ll commission you two to act as
spies to approach the border of the enemy’s country and make a map of
their fortifications. But whatever you do, don’t get caught. Keep your
heads, don’t do anything foolish or spasmodic, and keep this thing well
in mind, that it is far better for you to come back empty handed than to
make them suspicious of any ulterior motive on your part.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------