“Isn’t it Kuno Kleist?� demanded Anne.
“I just saw Cousin Polly. Cousin Mayo’s gone away.�
“With Kuno Kleist, that German friend of his, the one he was in Mexico with. He was at Larkland. We saw him. And now Cousin Mayo’s gone away with him and——�
Patsy pinched Anne’s arm. Mr. Jake Andrews was coming up the walk, was, in fact, close to them before any one saw him. On being told that Mr. Osborne was not at home, he turned and went away.
“I’m sure he heard me, and I’m awful sorry,� Anne said. “It’s a secret, Dick, for Cousin Mayo didn’t——� And then she told the whole story.
“Oh, well! What you said didn’t make any difference,� said Dick. “Jake doesn’t know what you were talking about; he wouldn’t care if he did.� And then he told them about the deserters.
Anne and Patsy and Dick would have been dismayed if they could have followed Jake Andrews. He left The Village and went straight along the Redville road to the old Tolliver place. He gave a shrill whistle, and a minute later Mr. Smith sauntered out of the back door toward a clump of trees on a hillock. Andrews cut across the field and joined him on the wooded eminence where they were secure from observation.
“It’s like you said, Smittie,� declared Andrews; “them dog-gone old ’ristocrats need watching. Black Mayo Osborne knows a German spy�—Smith started violently—“friends with him, staying in his house. Them gals saw him; that German he was with down in Mexico.�
Mr. Smith had regained his composure. “He’s there, you say?�
“Gone now; that mischeevious Dick Osborne was at Larkland after the gals was there. The man’s gone away, and Black Mayo with him.�