“What were you screaming about, then?” asked Mrs. Vail, inclined to be angry, while Olive looked amused and mystified.
“Emergency,” and Zizi grinned at her. “First aid to the injured,—or, rather, prevention, which is worth a pound of first aid!”
“You’re crazy!” said Mrs. Vail, a little annoyed at being fooled so. “I thought you were nearly killed!”
“When you knew a lady once who was nearly killed did she yell like that?” asked Zizi, with an innocent smile.
“Yes!” exclaimed Mrs. Vail; “but how did you know I once saw a lady nearly killed?”
“Mind-reading!” replied Zizi, and then Pennington Wise arrived, and we all shamelessly ignored Mrs. Vail and her yarns to listen to his report.
“There’s a lot doing,” he said, “and,” he added, gently, “I’m sorry to bring you unpleasant news, Miss Raynor, but you’ll have to know sooner or later——”
“I do know,” said Olive, bravely; “you’re going to tell me my guardian was—was not a good man.”
“That is so; it is useless to try to soften the truth. Amos Gately was the receiver of important Government secrets, learned by Sadie Kent, the telegrapher. She carried them to Rodman, who in turn transmitted them to Gately, who, it seems, had a way of getting the information to the enemy. Of course, the secret wireless station, recently discovered, was used, as well as other means of communication. I won’t go into details, Miss Raynor, but Amos Gately was the ‘man higher up,’ who thought himself safe from discovery because of his unimpeachable reputation for integrity, and also because of the infinite precautions he had taken. Indeed, if he had not fallen a victim to the personal charms of ‘The Link,’ his share in the wrong might never have been learned.”
Olive listened to all this, white-faced and still,—her lips a tense, drawn line of scarlet,—her expression a stony calm.