South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-04-26

stitutional in the nearby park Even
more joyous than usual she was.
perhaps. because as she passed Sc
dately from the elevator through
the lobby she CHANGED 10 see a Ger
tain well-built, thoroughly Ameri-
can young man whose eyes had
more than once met hers as they
Cined at adjoining tables in the hotel
dining room. There had never been
IN Introduction, but today the young
man raised mis- hat in a dignihel
manner as she passed in the lobby.
Somehow that little courteous cere-
mony made the world seem l!ze a
nicer place than ever 20 live in.
When Freda returned her mother
had gone out for a shopping tour
and again her only campaRion was
Fritz. he sat beside her as she prac-
ticed a Beethoven sonata on the pi-
ano The telephone sounded and
presently her mothers maid came
10 her 70 say that "a Mr.. Drew wish
cd 20 speak TO her. But as Freda hal
never heard of a Mr. Drew and did
not wish 70 interrupt her practicins.
she asked the maid 10 take the mes
sage.
He says he is very sorry. miss, to
disturb YOU, but all ne wants 10
know is whether or not you're a
German"
Freda thought immediately of the
headlines she had seen in the pa
per.
Il can't imagine why ne wants TO
know" she said. "Will you please
ask him who he is and what his bus
mess is"
The maid returned. saying that
Mr.. Drew realizd that he had been
abrupt, but he would call and ex-
plain himself at the apartment.
All Freda's fears returned. and
gathering Fritz in her arms, she
| pet in a volley of her best German.
that she didn't deserve TO be treat
ed like a spy. and that if they took
/ her away to prison even she would
not be separated from him.
Presently the maid came 10 her
room, bearing a card. Mr.. Drew had
/ failed 10 put any Of his personal
calling cards in his case this morn
/ ing. hence he had only a business
card 10 send TO her. Under the name
| Of Mr.. Drew there was the simple
words National Detective Bureau,
and the address of that concern.
He says if he could please TO see
/ you, he would explain why he was
| - ,,.fI aofI
Freda round blue eyes were
rounder and bluer than ever. and
! her heart had never before beaten
so fact. IF / had only taken moth
er's advice she whispered 10 Fritz
] in German. Tell him Pm-Tm ill.,
/ she said 10 the maid and if he
I starts to search the apartment" she
added with trembling voice, t'why,
! you'll know I've gone down the fire
J escape"
Mr.. Drew did not attempt 10
| search the apartment. but he told
/ the maid ne was extremely sorry
10 have bothered Miss Van Bergen,
and that he was surprised that she
vas i'll, since he had seen her that
morning. and had judged from her
/ appearance and from the fact that
| she was speaking German 10 her
/ dog. that she was of German origin.
/ That was his only reason for looN-
I Ing her up, he said. "One finds so
! few Germans about nowadays" he
| added in an embarrassed manner.
( Perhaps she will be able TO see me
| later"
Freda kept to her room the rest
of the day. and as she remained in
( confinement the suspicion grew upon
her that the good-loOking young
man who had spoken TO her that
, morning was no other than Mr..
/ Drew. She had often heard that men
/ enga ged to do detective work wre
usually ingenious in their appear
ance and of attractive personality.
She was in a quandary as 10 what
| 10 do about dinner. She did not
I want to tell her mother of the i'm
cident with the detective, for she
/ knew that might mean compul-
sorry parting with Fritz. She did not
want 10 20 without dinner. for she
was hungry. Besides, If she said
she was i'll, she would be treated as
an invalid. and this she detested,
What she finally did was 70 slip
away before dinner time, Leaving
word with her mothers maid that
she had gone TO dine with "a chum
and would be back risht after din
ner. The chum with whom she
wished TO dine was not at home, and
what refreshments she did have that
night she got at French pastry
shop. because she thought that nc
detective would ever suspect a Ger
man spy of making her headquar-
ters I'm such an establishment. Be-
sides Fritz was very fond of sweets
and she knew they would not refUsy
him admittance there.
When she came back, she found
her mother and father whom she
had not seen before that day. and
there was something i'm her mothers
manner as she greeted her i'm the
hall that told her that a guest was
. present. and that she should be or
her best behavior.
The guest was Henry Drew. Hel
father had recently discovered hin
20 be the son of his best friends. re
had dined with them and. express