"Yes. One for Mr. Blake to watch. One to do the real work."
"Oh!" It was an ejaculation of dawning comprehension.
"The first detective will be a mere blind; a decoy to engage Mr.
Blake's attention. He must be a little obvious, rather blundering--so that Mr. Blake can't miss him. He will know nothing about my real scheme at all. While Mr. Blake's attention and suspicion are fixed on the first man, the second man, who is to be a real detective with real brains in his head, will get in the real work."
"Splendid! Splendid!" cried Old Hosie, looking at her enthusiastically. "And yet that pup of a nephew of mine sniffs out, 'Her a lawyer? Nothing! She's only a woman!'"
Katherine flushed. "That's what I want Mr. Blake to think."
"To underestimate you--yes, I see. Have you got your first man?"
"No. I thought you might help me find him, for a local man, or a state man, will be best; it will be easiest for him to be found out to be a detective."
"I've got just the article for you," cried Old Hosie. "You know Elijah Stone?"
"No. But, of course, I've seen him."
"He's Westville's best and only. He thinks he's something terrible as a detective--what you might call a hyper-super-ultra detective.
Detective sticks out big all over him--like a sort of universal mumps.
He never looks except when he looks cautiously out of the corner of his eye; he walks on his tiptoes; he talks in whispers; he simply oozes mystery. Fat head?--why, Lige Stone wears his hat on a can of lard!"
"Come, I'm not engaging a low comedian for a comic opera."
"Oh, he's not so bad as I said. He's really got a reputation. He's just the kind of a detective that an inexperienced girl might pick up.
Blake will soon find out you've hired him, he'll believe it a bona fide arrangement on your part, and will have a lot of quiet laughs at your simplicity. God made Lige especially for you."
"All right. I'll see him to-morrow."
"Have you thought about the other detective?"
"Yes. One reason I went to New York was to try to get a particular person--Mr. Manning, with whom I've worked on some cases for the Municipal League. He has six children, and is very much in love with his wife. The last thing he looks like is a detective. He might pass for a superintendent of a store, or a broker. But he's very, very competent and clever, and is always master of himself."
"And you got him?"
"Yes. But he can't come for a couple of weeks. He is finishing up a case for the Municipal League."
"How are you going to use him?"
"I don't just know yet. Perhaps I can fit him into a second scheme of mine. You've heard of Mr. Seymour, of Seymour & Burnett?"
"The big bankers and brokers?"
"Yes. I knew Elinor Seymour at Vassar, and I visited her several times; and as Mr. Seymour is president of the Municipal League, altogether I saw him quite a great deal. I don't mean to be conceited, but I really believe Mr. Seymour has a lot of confidence in me."
"That's a fine compliment to his sense," Old Hosie put in.
"He's about the most decent of the big capitalists," she went on. "He was my second reason for going to New York. When I got there he had just left to spend a week-end in Paris, or something of the sort. I had to wait till he came back; that's why I was gone so long. I went to him with a plain business proposition. I gave him a hint of the situation out here, told him there was a chance the water-works might be sold, and asked authority to buy the system in for him."
"And how did he take it?" Old Hosie asked eagerly.
"You behold in me an accredited agent of Seymour & Burnett. I don't know yet how I shall use that authority, but if I can't do anything better, and if the worst comes to the very worst, I'll buy in the plant, defeat Mr. Blake, and see that the city gets something like a fair price for its property."
Old Hosie stared at her in open admiration. "Well, if you don't beat the band!" he exclaimed.
"In the meantime, I shall busy myself with trying to get my father's case appealed. But that is really only a blind; behind that I shall every minute be watching Mr. Blake. Now, what do you think of my plans? You know I called you in for your advice."
"Advice! You need advice about as much as an angel needs a hat pin!"
"But I'm willing to change my plans if you have any suggestions."
"I was a conceited old idiot when I was a little sore awhile ago because you had called me in for my opinion after you had settled everything. Go right ahead. It's fine. Fine, I tell you!" He chuckled.
"And to think that Harrison Blake thinks he's bucking up against only a woman. Just a simple, inexperienced, dear, bustling, blundering woman! What a jar he's got coming to him!"
"We mustn't be too hopeful," warned Katherine. "There's a long, hard fight ahead. Perhaps my plan may not work out. And remember that, after all, I am only a woman."
"But if you do win!" His old eyes glowed excitedly. "Your father cleared, the idol of the town upset, the water-works saved--think what a noise all that will make!"
A new thought slowly dawned into his face. "H'm--this old town hasn't been, well, exactly hospitable to you; has laughed at you--sneered at you--given you the cold shoulder."
"Has it? What do I care!"
"It would be sort of nice, now wouldn't it," he continued slowly, keenly, with his subdued excitement, "sort of heaping coals of fire on Westville's roofs, if the town, after having cut you dead, should find that it had been saved by you. I suppose you've never thought of that aspect of the case--eh? I suppose it has never occurred to you that in saving your father you'll also save the town?"
She flushed--and smiled a little.
"Oh, so we've already thought of that, have we. I see I can't suggest anything new to you. Let the old town jeer all it wants to now, we'll show 'em in the end!--is that it?"
She smiled again, but did not answer him.
"Now you'll excuse me, won't you, for I promised to call on father this afternoon?"
"Certainly." He rose. "How is your father--or haven't you seen him yet?"
"I called at the jail first thing this morning. He's very cheerful."
"That's good. Well, good-by."
Old Hosie was reaching for his hat, but just then a firm step sounded on the porch and there was a ring of the bell. Katherine crossed the parlour and swung open the screen. Standing without the door was Bruce, a challenging, defiant look upon his face.
"Why, Mr. Bruce," she exclaimed, smiling pleasantly. "Won't you please come in?"
"Thank you," he said shortly.
He bowed and entered, but stopped short at sight of his uncle.
"Hello! You here?"
"Just to give an off-hand opinion, I should say I am." Old Hosie smiled sweetly, put his hat back upon the piano and sank into his chair. "I just dropped in to tell Miss Katherine some of those very clever and cutting things you've said to me about the idea of a woman being a lawyer. I've been expostulating with her--trying to show her the error of her ways--trying to prove to her that she wasn't really clever and didn't have the first qualification for law."