"I can't believe it. I won't believe it," she cried, rising to her feet in her excitement.
"They told a pretty straight story and they had no reason, as far as I can see, for telling any other kind."
"But what does Nancy know about opening a safe, Papa? It's absurd. And besides what would she want with plans for government improvements or whatever they are?"
"I'm just as much in the dark as you are, Billie. I'm only telling you what O'Haru and Onoye and Komatsu told me. She went into the library twice during the day; once for a little while in the morning, and after lunch when the servants were in the back of the house, Onoye saw her come out of the garden in a pouring rain. She marched straight to this room and locked the door behind her and here she remained until not long before we returned."
"Papa, I'll never go back on Nancy," cried Billie. "I'll never believe she did it—even—well, even if she were to tell me so herself! I know her as well as I know myself. I know all her ins and outs, you might say. She's simply incapable of doing a dishonest thing. Besides, what earthly use could she have with those papers?"
"Do you think she could be doing it for some one else?" asked Mr.
Campbell.
"No," burst out Billie, almost angrily. "Why, Papa, I'm ashamed of you,"
Mr. Campbell drew his daughter to him and kissed her.
"You are a good friend, Billie, and I'm going to give your friend the benefit of every doubt in her favor. I'm going to assume that she is innocent and that there is some big mistake somewhere. But I want you to help me because it will be necessary to get at the bottom of the business immediately. Now, Yoritomo Ito is one great big fanatic. I discovered that the other day when he called here in his foolish garb and demanded the hand of Miss Nancy. He was very angry over being turned down and just a bit threatening in his manner. Of course he resents outside people being called in for the work I am doing. He resents my presence in his country, in fact."
"I don't like him, Papa," broke in Billie, "and—you didn't know that he has been married and divorced?"