THE TRAITOR
When the Liberty Girls met that evening at the home of Alora Jones, it
was found that Mary Louise had sold more bonds than any of the others,
although Laura Hilton had secured one subscription of fifty thousand
dollars from the Dorfield National Steel Works, the manager of which
industry, Mr. Colton, was a relative of the girl. Altogether, the day's
work had netted them two hundred and fourteen thousand dollars, and as
soon as she could escape Mary Louise rushed home to report their
success to her grandfather.
"In one day, Gran'pa Jim!" she cried exultantly, and the old colonel's
eyes sparkled as he replied:
"That makes our great mass-meeting look pretty small; doesn't it, my
dear? I consider it wonderful! With four more such days our quota would
be over-subscribed."
"That's what we shall try for," she declared, and then told him who the
biggest bond buyers had been--mostly those who had refused to listen to
the regular Committee or had not been influenced by their carefully
prepared arguments.
"It's just because we are girls, and they are ashamed to refuse us,"
she acknowledged. "It seems like taking an unfair advantage of them, I
know, but those who need urging and shaming, to induce them to respond
loyally to the nation's needs, deserve no consideration. We're not
robbing them, either," she added, "but just inducing them to make a
safe investment. Isn't that true, Gran'pa Jim?"
"What surprises me most," he responded, "is how you ever managed to
load your little head with so much mature wisdom. I'd no idea, Mary
Louise, you were so interested in the war and our national propaganda
for waging it successfully."
"Why, I read the newspapers, you know, and I've listened to you spout
patriotism, and ever since we joined the Allies against Germany, my
girl chums and I have been secretly organized as a band of Liberty
Girls, determined to do our bit in winning the war. This is the first
chance, though, that we've ever had to show what we can do, and we are
very proud and happy to-night to realize that we're backing Uncle Sam
to some purpose."
"This war," remarked the old soldier, thoughtfully, "is bringing the
women of all nations into marked prominence, for it is undeniable that
their fervid patriotism outranks that of the men. But you are mere
girls, and I marvel at your sagacity and devotion, heretofore
unsuspected. If you can follow to-day's success until Saturday, and
secure our quota of subscriptions to the bonds, not only Dorfield but
all the nation will be proud of your achievement."
"We shall do our best," replied the girl, simply, although her cheeks
glowed pink under such praise. "There are enough slackers still to be
interviewed to bring the quota up to the required amount and with
to-day's success to hearten us, I am sure we shall end the week
triumphantly."
Next morning the Liberty Girls sallied forth early, all six aglow with
enthusiasm. Mary Louise consulted her carefully prepared list and found
that her first calf was to be at McGill's drug store. She found Mr.
McGill looking over his morning's mail, but moments were precious, so
she at once stated her errand.
The old druggist glanced up at the girl under his spectacles, noted her
patriotic attire and the eager look on her pretty face, and slowly
shook his head.
"I'm sorry, Miss Burrows, but I can't afford it," he said evasively.
"Oh, Mr. McGill! I'm sure you are mistaken," she replied. "You can
afford insurance, you know, to protect your stock, and this money for
Uncle Sam is an insurance that your home and business will be protected
from the ravages of a ruthless foe."
He stared at her thoughtfully a moment. Then he selected a paper from
his mail and handed it to her.
"Read that," he said briefly.
Mary Louise read it. It was a circular, printed in small, open-faced,
capital type on plain white paper, and unsigned. It said:
"The Treasury Department is asking
us to invest billions in what are termed
Liberty Bonds. It has the 'liberty' to
lend these billions to irresponsible or
bankrupt nations of Europe, who are
fighting an unprofitable war. Some of
our dollars will equip an army of Amer-
ican boys to fight on Europe's battle-
fields. This may be good business. Our
excited politicians down at Washington
may think they are acting for our best
good. But what becomes of the money,
finally? Will our millionaire government
contractors become billionaires when the
money--our money--is spent? Do you
think the days of graft are past and
gone? Have politicians become honest
now that they are handling untold sums?
Let us consider these questions when we
are asked to subscribe for Liberty
Bonds."
"Why, this is treason!" cried Mary Louise, gasping from sheer amazement
and indignation. "It's a--a--treacherous, vile, disloyal insinuation.
Some German spy wrote that, and he ought to be hanged for it!"
The druggist nodded. He picked up the envelope that had contained the
circular and scrutinized it closely.
"Really, it looks like foreign handwriting; doesn't it?" he agreed,
handing her the envelope. "It is postmarked 'Dorfield' and was posted
last evening. The whole town is buzzing about the wonderful work of the
Liberty Girls yesterday. Perhaps your success is responsible for this--
this--opposition."
Mary Louise's cheeks were burning. Her eyes flashed.
"May I keep this--_thing?"_ she asked, with a shudder of disgust as she
thrust the circular into its envelope.
"Certainly, if you wish."
"And will you let an enemy attack like that influence you, Mr. McGill?"
He smiled, rather grimly.
"Yes. I'll invest five hundred in the bonds. I had already decided to
put in a hundred dollars, but for a moment this veiled accusation
bewildered me. You're right; it's treasonable. It will be hard for me
to raise five hundred, just now, but I'll do it. I want that to be my
answer to the German."
Mary Louise thanked him and hurried away. Next door was Lacey's Shoe
Store, and Mr. Lacey was reading a duplicate of that identical circular
when the Liberty Girl approached him.
The man bowed low to Mary Louise, a deference she felt rendered to her
red-white-and-blue uniform.
"Good morning!" he said pleasantly, recognizing the girl as one of his
good customers. "Glad to see you, Mary Louise, for if I give you a good
fat check it may take a nasty taste out of my mouth, acquired by
reading a bit of German propaganda."
"I know, Mr. Lacey," she replied earnestly. "I've seen that circular
before. Do you mind my having it--and the envelope?"
"I wouldn't touch the filth, if I were you," he protested.
"I'm going to run the traitor down," she said. "No man has the right to
live in Dorfield--or in America--who could be guilty of such
disloyalty."
He gave her the circular and his check for Liberty 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 a lot
of bonds. It doesn't seem reasonable, after that, to credit him with
trying to prevent their sale."
"Those pro-Germans," remarked little Jane Donovan, "are clever and sly.
They work in the dark. Kasker said he hated the war but loved the
flag."
"I'm afraid of those people who think devotion to our flag can cover
disloyalty to our President," said Mary Louise earnestly.
"But the flag represents the President, and Kasker said he'd stand by
the flag to the last."
"All buncombe, my dear," said Edna decidedly. "That flag talk didn't
take the curse off the statement that the war is all wrong."
"He had to say something patriotic, or he'd have been mobbed," was
Lucile's serious comment. "I hadn't thought of Jake Kasker, before, but
he may be the culprit."
"Isn't he the only German in town who has denounced our going into the
European war?" demanded Edna.
"No," said Mary Louise; "Gran'pa has told me of several others; but
none has spoken so frankly as Kasker. Anyhow, there's no harm in
suspecting him, for if he is really innocent he can blame his own
disloyal speeches for the suspicion. But now let us check up the
morning's work and get busy again as soon as possible. We mustn't lose
a single minute."
"And, as we go around," suggested Alora, "let us keep our eyes and ears
open for traces of the traitor. There may be more than one pro-German
in the conspiracy, for the circular was printed by somebody, and there
are several kinds of handwriting on the addressed envelopes we have
gathered. We've no time to do detective work, just now, but we can
watch out, just the same."
Mary Louise did not mention the circular to Colonel Hathaway that
evening, for he was still ill and she did not wish to annoy him.
The next day she found another circular had been put in the mails,
printed from the same queer open-faced type as the first. Not so many
had been sent out of these, but they were even more malicious in their
suggestions. The girls were able to collect several of them for
evidence and were 'more angry and resentful than ever, but they did not
allow such outrageous antagonism to discourage them in their work.
Of course the Liberty Girls were not the only ones in Dorfield trying
to sell bonds. Mr. Jaswell and other bankers promoted the bond sale
vigorously and the regular Committee did not flag in its endeavors to
secure subscriptions. On account of Colonel Hathaway's illness,
Professor Dyer was selected to fill his place on the Committee and
proved himself exceedingly industrious. The only trouble with the
Professor was his reluctance to argue. He seemed to work early and
late, visiting the wealthier and more prosperous citizens, but he
accepted too easily their refusals to buy. On several occasions the
Liberty Girls succeeded in making important sales where Professor Dyer
had signally failed. He seemed astonished at this and told Mary Louise,
with a deprecating shrug, that he feared his talents did not lie in the
direction of salesmanship.
Despite the natural proportion of failures--for not all will buy bonds
in any community--on the fourth day following the mass-meeting
Dorfield's quota of one million was fully subscribed, and on Saturday
another hundred and fifty thousand was added, creating jubilation among
the loyal citizens and reflecting great credit on the Liberty Girls,
the Committee, and all who had labored so well for the cause.
"Really," said Professor Dyer, his voice sounding regretful when he
congratulated the girls, "our success is due principally to your
patriotic organization. The figures show that you secured subscriptions
for over half a million. Dear me, what a remarkable fact!"
"More than that," added Jason Jones, Alora's father, who was a wealthy
artist and himself a member of the Committee, "our girls encouraged the
faltering ones to do their duty. Many a man who coldly turned our
Committee down smiled at the pretty faces and dainty costumes of our
Liberty Girls and wrote their checks without a murmur."
"All the credit is due Mary Louise," declared Alora. "It was she who
proposed the idea, and who organized us and trained us and designed our
Liberty costumes. Also, Mary Louise made the most sales."
"Nonsense!" cried Mary Louise, blushing red. "I couldn't have done
anything at all without the help of you girls. No one of us is entitled
to more credit than the others, but all six of us may well feel proud
of our success. We've done our bit to help Uncle Sam win the war."