“You remember when you were all over at our house for dinner one night, and papa was home, he told us something about the big case he was working on, the Atterbury case, and he said he suspected that German agents were mixed up in it?  Well, yesterday he got hold of some letters that proved it.  There was one from a German Prince, Prince Karl Augustus of Hohenburg, to some man in this country, written before the war, promising to pay money to have strikes started and machinery damaged if this country went into the war.  This very Atterbury was mentioned in the letter, and it made papa’s case complete against him.  The letter had gotten into the wrong hands and somebody turned it over to papa.  It was so important that papa had to take it to Washington.  That’s why he came home unexpectedly last night; he planned to go this morning.  He brought the letter home with him and locked it in his desk upstairs.  This morning a Secret Service agent came out from Philadelphia to go along with papa and papa went to get the letter and it was gone.”

“But what has Veronica——­”

Agony drew another long breath and hastened on.  “Why, papa says that Veronica asked to use the telephone in the study last night, and she was in there a long time alone, and soon afterward she disappeared from the party.  The letter was in his desk when she went in there; nobody else went in after her.  It looks as though she took it, and the Secret Service man arrested her.”

“But I thought Veronica was upstairs in bed!” gasped Sahwah.

“She came over to our house about nine o’clock this morning,” said Agony, “and told us about Nyoda’s husband being injured and her going away in such a hurry.  She was downstairs with me when papa discovered that the letter was gone, and the agent arrested her right away.”

Sahwah’s head was in a whirl, and she sat down weakly on the stairs.  Then she raised her head and said with a flash of spirit, “Veronica never took any letter out of your father’s desk!  I don’t believe it!  Whatever would she want with such a thing as that?”

“But,” continued Agony, “don’t you see?  This Prince Karl Augustus of Hohenburg is a friend of hers, she played for him and his wife gave her a ring!  She’s taken that letter away so it can’t be used in the trial to prove that he was connected with the business!”

“I don’t believe it!” said Sahwah flatly.  Her blood rose to fighting pitch even while her heart misgave her.  “Agony Wing,” she raged, “do you think for a moment that Veronica would have anything to do with enemy agents?  What if she did know that old prince.  She didn’t like him.  Do you think she’d steal letters for him?”

“It does seem awfully odd,” said Agony, “the fuss she always made about wanting to be an American.  Papa could hardly believe it of her, either, but the Secret Service man and Mr. Prince are perfectly sure she did it.”

“Mr. Prince!” exclaimed Sahwah in wrath.  “What’s he got to do with it?”