The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1918-05-07
sssssssssasssasss.ssaaaassssssssas
FOR FRITZ'S SAKE
BY MAUNA cowLEs.

1T Is perfectly outrageous for you to
20 ON talking German" Mrs. Van Ber-
gen told her daughter treda, as they
approached the hotel whore the Van
Bergens had their winter apartments.
Breda raised two Teutonic eyes to her
mother appeainglN But Fritz cam
not understand English" she said.
"Can you, FRITZ, dear?' AT which a
very long sllort-legged dachshund,
whose silky coat showed Fredas de-
voted care, wagged his tail and tapped
his ears.
"Well, OF course you will do as you
choose-you always do" said Mrs. Van
Bergen. But 1 thiES you are taking
risks. You are a perfec, Gretchen
type"
"l}ut Van Bergen isn't German--its
Holland Dutch insisted ITreda. "And
anyway, I'm sure l don't look like
spy
You can never tell" reiterated the
mother. Sometimes simple-lool5ing
people are shrewd enough, and it
would be just like the Huns to make
an accomplce of simple little
Gretchen-and that's what you look
like"
The next morning, as she was taxi
ing her breakfast in the Van Berger
apartment, with the cherished Fritz
sitiiug on O cushion in chair at her
side-i0r treda breakfastod an hour
or so before her parents--she glanced
at The headline in newspaper, emit
ted n liltle shrek Of fright, and then
began to fopdle FrS1's soft long ears
because she needed some encourage
mont. The article whose headlines she
had read told OF the taking Of girl as
a SPY, aud of The suspicion entertained
by the secret service men Of three or
four women accompiices. one Of them,
the account said, was blonde young
'G71sn girl of the perfect Gretchen
type. SoQu. however, Freda forgot her
fright and she was light hearted and
joyous when she starred forth from
the hotel with Fritz.
When Freda returned her mother
lald gone Out for shopping tour and
again her only companion was Fritz.
lie sat beside her as she praeticed a
Bectauyon sonata on the piano. The
telephone sounded nud presently her
maid came TO her 10 say that
q Mir. Drew wished to speak 10 her.
But as Freda had never heard of a
Air. Drew and did not wish to inter-
rupt her praeticing she asked the maid
10 lake The message
"Hc soys he is very sorry, miss, TO
disturb YOU, but alllhc wants TO know
is whether OF not yan're a German"
Freda th@lght Immediately of the
headlines she had seen in the paper.
Il can't imagine why he wants to
know" She said. "Will you please ask !
him who he is and what his business
Is"
The maid returned, saying that Mr.. |
Drew realized that he had been abrupt, |
)ut he would call and explain himself !
Il The apartment.
All Ereda fears returned and, gath
.ring Fritz in her arms, she hurried |
o her room.
Presently the maid came TO her
'oom, bearing a card. Under the name
If Mir. Drew there was the simple /
words, "Natopal Detective Bureau
md the address Of that concern.
"He says If he could please to see
'ou, ne would explain why he was in
ruding," the maid said.
Fredas round blue eyes We're round~
r and bluer than ever, and her heart
iad never before beaten so fast 'G
had only taken mothers advice" she
to Fritz in German. TELL
i'm Tm-Tm i'll" she said 10 the maid.
And if he starts to search the apart
lent," she added with trembling voice,
Why, youll know I've gone down the
ire escape"
Mr.. Drew did not attempt to search !
he apartment, but he told the maid
e was extremely sorry to have both
red Miss Van Bergen, and that he WAS
urprised that she was i'll, since he
ad seen her that morning.
Freda kept to her room the rest OF
he day. She did not want to 20 with
ut dinner, for she was hungry. Be
ides, if she said she was IN, she would
G treated as an invalid, and this she
etested. What she finally did was to
lip away before dinner time, leaving
ord with her mothers maid that she
ad gone to dine with a chun and
-ould he back right after dinner. The
hum with whom she wished to dine
as not at home, and what refresh
rents she did have that night she got
t a French pastry shop.
When she came back, she found her
lother and father, whom she had not
zen before that day, and there was
in her mothers manner as
be greeted her in the hall That told /
er that a guest WAS present, and that
le should be on her best behavior.
Thc guest was Henry Drew. Her "a |
Ter had recently discovered him TO
E the son Of one Of his best friends. ,
verything in Fredas parents man
ar showed supreme approval OF the
Dung nNn.
Il especially tried TO get in toueh
it'll you this morning" Mr.. Drew told
reda as soon as they could have
tile tete-a-tete conversation. 1T was ]
vfuIly impertinent of me, but you c
e I'm working for vy uncle-the one
81 hos a do+oafis-a huSiueSS-anu