way, and if you made the right contacts you could make oodles of money. Believe me, I know. I haven’t been asleep all the time since I got married, and my husband is as smart as a whip. Perhaps I’ll put you on to two or three matters, if you stick by me long enough, Louella. And believe me, my clever friend, life isn’t just made up of catching the right man and making him fall in love with you. It’s nine-tenths of knowing what to do with him when you’ve got him, and how much you can make out of him.”
“Now, Jessica, that sounds very worldly indeed. I never would have suspected you of having been at one time almost a member of this dear, silly Graeme family. And now, my dear, since you don’t seem satisfied to be utterly done with those innocent dears, I have a little scheme for you, and it has to do with your attendance at that church service in Harper Memorial Church next Sunday night. I would suggest that you plan to be there, and to perhaps sit in the top gallery. Get Alida to go with you, and keep a watchful eye out for Rodney. I’m almost positive he’s going to that meeting and will probably sit in the gallery himself. He seems to want to keep in the background at present. And if you and Alida should be sitting nearby, it will be easy to slip over and sit beside him and get to talking. I can put you on to two or three matters that Naval Intelligencers ought to be able to answer without a suggestion that there was anything out of order in your asking questions, or their answering them, especially if it was done under the guise of a very loving old friend, merely wanting to get near Rod’s work, because of old times. And my dear, I’ll write two or three questions for you, which if you could write up the answers you get, I could get you good pay for the articles. You would be just the one to write them, for you are clever enough to disguise your intentions, both in asking the questions and in writing them up, anonymously of course, afterward. Think it over, my dear, and I’ll see what I can do. And now, really, I must go. I have an appointment at the hairdresser’s.”
“Well, that sounds most interesting. I certainly could use a little extra money,” said Jessica, “even though I am married, and if I couldn’t win the personal attention I’d like from my old beau, at least I could find a way to punish him for his indifference.”
And so the meeting ended, and the girls went out to talk it over. Not that Alida was a very wise adviser, but she certainly could gush and encourage anything that sounded like a lark, or an interesting intrigue.
Chapter 8
D ad,” said Kathie quietly the next morning when her father came downstairs a bit early to attend to something in the barn, “wouldn’t there be some way to get that key away from Cousin Louella? I was worried to death all last evening while that lovely Sanderson girl was here, lest Cousin Louella would barge in on us again and butt in on all the conversation. Dad, she is simply impossible!”
“Yes, I know,” said Father Graeme. “I have been thinking about that. I’ll get the key. There’s no reason why she should have a perpetual right to open our door without notice. I’ll see to that today. But don’t say anything to anybody about it yet. I don’t want your mother worried.”
“Yes, I understand, Dad. Thank you so much. You don’t know what a trial she has been. I’ll be kind to her when we meet, but it’s awful to have her turning up in the most embarrassing times. You know how she comes right into the room when we are having family prayers and sits there scorning us. She takes no pains to hide her dislike of it. She told me the other day that she couldn’t understand why we hadn’t protested against such old-fashioned ideas. She said nice people nowadays didn’t flaunt their religion in the faces of outsiders.”
“Poor soul!” he said with a sad little smile on his kindly face. “Poor soul! She certainly needs
“Now, Jessica, that sounds very worldly indeed. I never would have suspected you of having been at one time almost a member of this dear, silly Graeme family. And now, my dear, since you don’t seem satisfied to be utterly done with those innocent dears, I have a little scheme for you, and it has to do with your attendance at that church service in Harper Memorial Church next Sunday night. I would suggest that you plan to be there, and to perhaps sit in the top gallery. Get Alida to go with you, and keep a watchful eye out for Rodney. I’m almost positive he’s going to that meeting and will probably sit in the gallery himself. He seems to want to keep in the background at present. And if you and Alida should be sitting nearby, it will be easy to slip over and sit beside him and get to talking. I can put you on to two or three matters that Naval Intelligencers ought to be able to answer without a suggestion that there was anything out of order in your asking questions, or their answering them, especially if it was done under the guise of a very loving old friend, merely wanting to get near Rod’s work, because of old times. And my dear, I’ll write two or three questions for you, which if you could write up the answers you get, I could get you good pay for the articles. You would be just the one to write them, for you are clever enough to disguise your intentions, both in asking the questions and in writing them up, anonymously of course, afterward. Think it over, my dear, and I’ll see what I can do. And now, really, I must go. I have an appointment at the hairdresser’s.”
“Well, that sounds most interesting. I certainly could use a little extra money,” said Jessica, “even though I am married, and if I couldn’t win the personal attention I’d like from my old beau, at least I could find a way to punish him for his indifference.”
And so the meeting ended, and the girls went out to talk it over. Not that Alida was a very wise adviser, but she certainly could gush and encourage anything that sounded like a lark, or an interesting intrigue.
Chapter 8
D ad,” said Kathie quietly the next morning when her father came downstairs a bit early to attend to something in the barn, “wouldn’t there be some way to get that key away from Cousin Louella? I was worried to death all last evening while that lovely Sanderson girl was here, lest Cousin Louella would barge in on us again and butt in on all the conversation. Dad, she is simply impossible!”
“Yes, I know,” said Father Graeme. “I have been thinking about that. I’ll get the key. There’s no reason why she should have a perpetual right to open our door without notice. I’ll see to that today. But don’t say anything to anybody about it yet. I don’t want your mother worried.”
“Yes, I understand, Dad. Thank you so much. You don’t know what a trial she has been. I’ll be kind to her when we meet, but it’s awful to have her turning up in the most embarrassing times. You know how she comes right into the room when we are having family prayers and sits there scorning us. She takes no pains to hide her dislike of it. She told me the other day that she couldn’t understand why we hadn’t protested against such old-fashioned ideas. She said nice people nowadays didn’t flaunt their religion in the faces of outsiders.”
“Poor soul!” he said with a sad little smile on his kindly face. “Poor soul! She certainly needs
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