She has three
brothers fighting on the Allies' side. We can leave her out of it."
"Who else could have taken it?"
"There's only one answer," said Carter slowly and impressively. "Some
one went into that store between the time you copied the message and
the time I met you at the drug-store. You told me no one but a couple of
girls had entered. Was there any one else? Think--think!"
"There was no one," said Jane thoughtfully, "no one except the two girls
together. I never thought of suspecting them."
"What did they look like? Could you identify them?"
"I did not notice them particularly," Jane confessed. "I was expecting
Mr. Hoff's confederate to be a man."
"They're using a lot of women spies," asserted Carter. "Don't you
remember what the girls looked like?"
"One of them," said Jane thoughtfully, "wore an odd-shaped hat, a sort
of a tam with a red feather."
"Would you know the hat again if you saw it?"
"I think--I'm sure I would."
"Well, that's something. Watch for that hat, and if you ever see it
again trail the girl till you find out where she lives. If you locate
her telephone Mr. Fleck at once. And now, what has happened to you?"
"I've so much to tell, important, very important, I think."
She hesitated, wondering how much Carter was in the chief's confidence.
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