“I won’t have time to tell you all about these letters,” said Josie, “but I am going to give them over to your keeping and you hang onto them through thick and thin, until Ursula has her rights. Be sure to meet her on the train arriving at seven and take her to Miss Lucy’s. Tell Aunt Mandy to give her my room. I wish I had thought about that before. Perhaps I’ll have time to telephone from the station.”
“I’d like to take her out to my mother,” suggested Teddy.
“Sure you would, but she had better be right here in town, where we can put our hands on her. Watch out for Cheatham, though. Don’t tell anyone about the letters I purloined from his desk. He may take action if he finds out about it and have me arrested for housebreaking or something. The thing to do is to keep quiet. He won’t know the papers are gone unless he gets wind of what we are up to and goes over his pigeonholes.”
The taxi drew up at the station, giving Josie five minutes to spare before the Cincinnati train was called. She flew to a telephone booth and in a moment had Aunt Mandy on the wire.
“Aunt Mandy, please, if Mr. Teddy Trask brings a young lady to the house this evening, take good care of her and put her in my room. She is a great friend of mine, also of Mr. Trask’s, and she is in deep distress, so I am sure you will be kind to her.”
“Lawd love you, sho I will! I reckon she done los’ some er her foks. Anyhow, I’m gonter take de bes’ care er any frien’ er yourn.”
“Thank you! Thank you!” and Josie hung up the receiver.
As she darted from the booth she ran straight into Mr. Cheatham. He looked slightly puzzled as she bowed to him. Evidently he had forgotten that such a person existed. He took off his hat and gave a perfunctory nod. His brow was furrowed and he looked worried. Suddenly he saw Teddy and evidently the sight of the young man refreshed his memory as to who Josie was.
“Ah! seeing your friend off?” he asked endeavoring to be cordial.
“Yes. Are you going on a trip?”