The Cairo bulletin., 1911-05-10
A CRITICAL
POSITION
BY VERNON ARNOLD
Copyright by American Press Assoc
citation, 1911.

| division occupying strategic poln,
In Alsatia under General Puffenhein,
was encamped in a pleasant valley In
which there were scattered dwellings.
| Officers wives were not allowed to
accompany the army. and General ruf.
| fenheim was a great stlckler for tho
! enforcement of this order. He was al.
old bachelor. and crusty one al that.
| Women aroused In him satanic ire.
Half mile down the road from the
| generals headquarters was house
| which had been abandoned by tha
| French family who occupied 1t on the
approach Of the Germans. One day
Captain Schwab and Captain Henner
two young officers of the staff who hat.
left brides in Germany, passed this,
house.
| what scheme 1t would be. Schwab,
II we could bring our wives here ant
put them in that house."
| "Old Puff would rout them out be.
fore they had been there six hours and
we would be court martialed"
! Later the two officers decided to
make the experiment When their
wives appeared they brought with
them Fraulein Lena Borngeisser. {.
sister Of Mrs. Henner. FrauIein Born
geisser was very beautiful and other.
wise attractive woman. Indeed. shu
was the belle OF Stuttgart. where She
| lived, half the men there being In love
with her.
| One day General puffenheim rode rasG
the house just as Frau Schwhb waa
calling in excellent German to Frau
| Henner. who was leaning olt of an
upper window. The general refined in
| his horse.
| Captain" he said to Schwab. who
| was attending him at the time. there
! are German women In that house. The
| people about here are all French Tha.
house was deserted by Its oeeupantN
| when we came here, | know that. TO
| thought of making II my headquar-
tiers. That woman-or lady-speak5
| German | should not be surprised X
some of our officers have been bringing;
| their wives here"
Now. the two ladies had seen the
! general rein In his horse and sur.
| vey them like thundercloud. Mrs,
| Schwab went into the house. and Mrs.
| Henner disappeared from the window.
| The general spurred his horse to the
| gate. dismounted and directing his aiG
to follow him, stnlked up to the house.
The two wives sent Fraulein Rorngeis
ser to receive him, Captain Schwab
stood back and put his finger TO hii
| lip. looking knowingly at the youn;.
lady as a signal That she must give
away nothing and not recognize him,
| She received the general with a mos
| engaging smile.
"Ah. mem Herr General"' she ex.
claimed enthusiastically. How glad
we are to see troops from the father
land. hope you have come to redeem
our fair Alsata and bring 1t under TIL,
rule from which 1t was originally
torn
The general had approached tho
house like lion: he entered 1t like q
lamb The frauIein made up pau.
sib.e story accounting for the honsN
being occupied by Germans. invited
him and his mid to he seated and chat
tered Ike a magpie. Indeed. she
talked so vOluhly that the general had
but little opportunity to ask questions
which would have shown the veal;
spot In her story. When he rose To
depart she pressed him to come again
and would not consent to his goint:
until he had promised to do so.
The result OF this reception was tina
the next day the general set on al
tended only by single orderly and
made call on Fraulein Borngefssef
The same evening the two captains o.
his staff stole away and called upon
their wives. The party discussed IN"
matter OF the generals visits anxious
Iy, for II he should discover what wa
going on the officers commissions
would not be worth the parchment:
thpy were printed on. All agreed tina
their safety depended on the skill with
which the fraulein kept the genera
from getting the facts.
The young lady was equal to the oc'
caSion She threw spell around the
elderly bachelor, going 50 far as t.
elicit n proeosal. This she held In
allegiance until she could consult he
heart and her parents. The genera
was forced to wait.
A climax came Mt last. One morning
the officer OF the day announced to
the general that the wives OF two Of
his officers were living In close prox
unity to the camp.
"Where? Who has disobeyed the Or
der In this mattcr?" snapped the gen
eral
1.-The house IN white one with four
pillars In it's front. 1t Is the first house
on the right beyond the stream"
The general stood looking at the otfi-
Ger without speaking for a time, then
found voice to ask:
"Whose wives are there?"
"The wives of Captains Schwab and
Henner."
The general staggered
'The matter will be attended to-" he
gasped. THAT will do"
Fortunately for all concerned the di.
vision of General puffenheim was or.