Part 29 (1/2)

”Miss Dodge?” she inquired as Jennings held open the portieres and she entered the library where Elaine and Aunt Josephine were.

If Elaine had only known, it was the domino girl of the night before who handed her a note and sat down, looking about so demurely, while Elaine read:

MY DEAR MISS DODGE,

The bearer, Miss Bertholdi, is an operative of mine. I would appreciate it if you would employ her in some capacity in your house, as I have reason to believe that certain foreign agents will soon make another attempt to find Kennedy's lost torpedo model.

Sincerely, M. DEL MAR.

Elaine looked up from reading the note. Miss Bertholdi was good to look at, and Elaine liked pretty girls about her.

”Jennings,” she ordered, ”call Marie.”

To the butler and her maid, Elaine gave the most careful instructions regarding Miss Bertholdi. ”She can help you finish the packing, first,”

she concluded.

The girl thanked her and went out with Jennings and Marie, asking Jennings to pay her taxicab driver with money she gave him, which he did, bringing her grip into the house.

Later in the day, Elaine had both Marie and Bertholdi carrying armsful of her dresses from the closets in her room up to the attic where the last of her trunks were being packed. On one of the many trips, Bertholdi came alone into the attic, her arms full as usual. Before her were two trunks, very much alike, open and nearly packed. She laid her armful of clothes on a chair near-by and pulled one of the trunks forward. On the floor lay the trays of both trunks already packed.

Bertholdi began packing her burden in one trunk which was marked in big white letters, ”E. Dodge.”

Down in Elaine's room at the time Jennings entered. ”The expressman for the trunks is here, Miss Elaine,” he announced.

”Is he? I wonder whether they are all ready,” Elaine replied hurrying out of the room. ”Tell him to wait.”

In the attic, Bertholdi was still at work, keeping her eyes open to execute the mission on which Del Mar had sent her.

Rusty, forgotten in the excitement by Jennings, had roamed at will through the house and seemed quite interested. For this was the trunk behind which he had his cache of treasures.

As Bertholdi started to move behind the trunk, Rusty could stand it no longer. He darted ahead of her into his hiding-place. Among the dog biscuit and bones was the torpedo model which he had dug up from the palm pot in the conservatory. He seized it in his mouth and turned to carry it off.

There, in his path, was his enemy, the new girl. Quick as a flash, she saw what it was Rusty had, and grabbed at it.

”Get out!” she ordered, looking at her prize in triumph and turning it over and over in her hands.

At that moment she heard Elaine on the stairs. What should she do? She must hide it. She looked about. There was the tray, packed and lying on the floor near the trunk marked, ”E. Dodge.” She thrust it hastily into the tray pulling a garment over it.

”Nearly through?” panted Elaine.

”Yes, Miss Dodge.”

”Then please tell the expressman to come up.”

Bertholdi hesitated, chagrined. Yet there was nothing to do but obey.

She looked at the trunk by the tray to fix it in her mind, then went down-stairs.