The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1918-07-25

II Is perfectly outrageous lot you u
go on talking German" Mrs. Van Ber-
gen told her daughter Freda, as they
approached the hotel where the Van
Bergens had their winter apartments.
Freda raised two Teutonic eyes to her
mother appealingly. But Fritz can
not understand English" she said.
"Can you, FRITZ, dear?" At which a
very long short-legged dachshund,
whose silky coat showed Freda's de-
voted care, wagged his tail and tapped
his ears.
swell, of course you will do as you
choose-you always do" said Mrs. Van
Bergen. But think you are taking
risks. You are a perfect Gretchen
type"
But Van Bergen isn't German-its
Holland Dutch" insisted Freda. "And
anyway, I'm sure 1 don't look like a
spy"
You can never tell" reiterated the
mother. Sometimes simple-loOking
people are shrewd enough, and it
would be just like the Huns to make
an accomplice of q simple little
Gretchen-and that's what you look
like"
The next morning, as she was TAX
ing her breakfast in the Van Bergen
apartment, with the cherished Fritz
sitting on a cushion In chair at her
side-fOr Freda breakfasted an hour
or so before her parents-she glanced
at the headline in q newspaper. emit
ted a little Shrek Of fright, and then
began TO fondle Fritz's soft long ears
because she needed some encourage
ment. The article whose headlines she
had read told Of the taking Of girl as
a spy, and of the suspicion entertained
by the secret service men Of three or
four women accompliceS. One of them,
the account said, was a blonde young
German girl of the perfect Gretchen
type. Soon, however, Freda forgot her
fright and she was light-hearted and
joyous when she started forth from
the hotel with Fritz.
When Freda returned her mother
had gone out for a shopping tour and
again her only companion was Fritz.
He sat beside her as she practiced
Beethoven sonata on the piano. The
telephone sounded and presently her
mothers maid came TO her to say that
a Mr.. Drew wished to speak to her.
But as Freda had never heard Of
Mr.. Drew and did not wish to inter-
rupt her practicing she asked the maid
to take the message.
"He says he is very sorry, miss, to
disturb you, but all he wants to know
is whether or not you're German"
Freda thought Immediately Of the
headlines she had seen in the paper.
II 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,
but he would call and explain himself
at the apartment.
All Freda's fears returned and, gath
ering Fritz in her arms, she hurried
to her room.
Presently the maid came to her
room, bearing a card. 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 in
truding," the maid said.
Freda's round blue eyes were round
er and bluer than ever, and her heart
had never before beaten so fast. IF
/ had only taken mothers advice" she
whispered to Fritz in German. Tell
him Tm-Tm ill.," she said to the maid.
"And if he starts to search the apart
ment," she added with trembling voice,
"Why, you'll know I've gone down the
fire escape"
Mr.. Drew did not attempt to search
the apartment, but he told the maid
he was extremely sorry to have both
cred Miss Van Bergen, and that he was
surprised that she was i'll, since he
had seen her that morning.
Freda kept to her room the rest or
the day. She did not want to go with
out dinner, for she was hungry. Be-
sides, if she said she was i'll, she would
be treated as an invalid, and this she
detested. What she finally did was to
slip away before dinner time, leaving
word with her mothers maid that she
had gone to dine with a chum and
would be back right after dinner. The
chum with whom she wished to dine
was not at home, and what refresh
ments she did have that night she got
at a French pastry shop.
When she came back, she found her
mother and father, whom she had not
seen before that day, and there was
something In her mothers manner as
she greeted her in the hall that told
her that guest was present, and that
she should be on her best behavior.
The guest was Henry Drew. Her IA
Their had recently discovered him to
be the son of one of his best friends.
Everything in Freda's parents man.
ner showed supreme approval Of the
young man.
II especially tried to get in touch
with you this morning" Mr.. Drew told
Freda as soon as they could have a
little tete-a-tete conversation. at was
awfully impertinent Of me, but you