Now her brain began to clear and she excused Hendon’s suspicion, realizing how entirely possible it was for him to think she had betrayed him. Yes, that was natural enough, and she was sorry. But what had Tracy in his mind? She had done nothing that would give him an excuse for saying that she was playing the part of spy or traitor. To be sure he had seen her with Larry Stanchfield and now with Lee Hendon, both in blue uniforms, but he was assuming too much without giving her a chance to set herself right. As far as Hendon was concerned, she could explain that to him when the opportunity arose. That is, if he asked her to. Time would attend to that, and in the meanwhile there was April, sobbing as if her heart would break. And Dorothea was perplexed about this also. She had been so sure that Lee was in touch with April and— It was perfectly plain that her cousin had no idea who the man was she had brought Val Tracy to capture, for the moment she saw it was Lee she straightway set about saving him. But then, why should April be crying as if her heart would break? “Perhaps I’m wrong after all,” Dorothea said to herself, but whatever the reason she could not stand by and see her cousin breaking her heart without a word of sympathy. Quickly she went to April and put an arm about her. But April sprang to her feet and turned an angry, tear-stained face. “Don’t touch me!” she cried passionately. “Don’t touch me. You are an ungrateful Yankee and you have been spying on us all the time you have been here!” “That is not true,” Dorothea began, but April cut her short. “Don’t attempt to deny it,” she exclaimed, “when you wear the proof of it!” and she pointed to the red velvet band on Dorothea’s wrist. CHAPTER XXV EXPLANATIONS Without another word April quitted the place and Dorothea stood alone in the woods, stunned by the sudden turn of events. Lee Hendon had accused her of betraying him; Val Tracy, for whose opinion she cared more than for all the rest, had taken for granted that she had been acting dishonorably; and April had openly said she was a Red String. She realized fully that, in the circumstances, all of their suspicions seemed fully justified. So far as Val was concerned this was the second time he had found her in communication with one of his enemies.