Mr. Campbell jumped up in much excitement.

“By Jove,” he exclaimed, “did you find that among my papers?”

Billie nodded her head sadly.  “It’s Nancy’s, too,” she said.

Mr. Campbell began looking over the papers.

“She may have dropped her handkerchief,” he said, “but I don’t think she got down to these.  They are exactly as I left them.  I suppose she rummaged around with her handkerchief in her lap and it fell in and was shoved back when I took out my papers later.”

The papers in a leather portfolio in the vase were safe, also.

For some time the father and daughter sat together, turning over the events of the morning in their minds.

“Papa,” said Billie, after a while, “let’s send Cousin Helen and Nancy and Elinor to the mountains, because they need the trip more than the rest of us, and suppose you and Mary Price and I stay here and ferret out the whole thing.  Of course the person who did it, and I know Nancy had nothing to do with it,” she added almost fiercely, “but the real person will be coming back for the rest of the drawings, and that will be our chance.  A detective in the house would give the alarm, but Mary and I might turn watchmen without arousing any suspicion, especially if some of the servants are mixed in it.”

Mr. Campbell ended by taking his daughter’s advice.

The very next morning Miss Campbell and two of the Motor Maids were packed off to Myanoshita, a summer resort in the mountains, with Komatsu to look after them, while the other two Motor Maids remained with Mr. Campbell.

“We’ll follow you by the end of the week,” he said.  “I hope you don’t begrudge a lonely man his daughter for that short time, Cousin.”

“I hope you won’t keep her in this awful heat any longer than you can help,” was his cousin’s reply.  For Miss Campbell had grown to regard Billie as her especial property.

CHAPTER XX.

THE TYPHOON.

The three conspirators had formed no particular plan for a campaign.  Mr. Campbell was certain of only one thing:  if poor Nancy Brown had foolishly got herself involved in this business, it would be better to keep the secret in the family, as it were.

“We’ll just give the child a good lecture and take her home,” he said to himself, biting off the end of his cigar and frowning at the disquieting thought.  “Whatever she did was through innocence, I am certain of that.  She may have been flattered or cajoled into it.  Who knows?  The little thing is miserable enough without being made more unhappy.  I suppose I should have sent for her and asked for a confession, but I hadn’t the nerve and that’s the truth.”

Several uneventful days passed after the departure of the others.  It was very hot and the girls kept indoors until after sunset.  But it was a dull, dispiriting time, and one morning they decided to take a spin in the “Comet,” leaving Mr. Campbell at home to look after things.  They had hardly gone when he was summoned to Tokyo by a messenger, and there was no one but the servants left in the house.