The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-06-22


Epourri Of hanging emotions seefhed
through his mind. A feeling Of dis
taste that one who was, in all out
ward appearances. so square and true
SO refined, should lend her clever
ness to the furtherance Of German
plots, mingled with his feeling Of
personal disa appointment. He owned
frankly, to himself, that he did not
want Dixie Mason to be anything
but as good and true as she was
beautiful, that he had wanted her so
.oecause-he had cared for her. But
any such feeling was impossible now.
She had proved It, Her apparent
2rfendIiness with the German element
was born Of partnership in their
crimes; her interest In Won LertB had
come through the fact that she, too,
was a co-worker In Imperial Ger
inany's great game Of murder a CO.
plotter in the destruction of Amer
lean industries, American peace Of
mind, American nvesl He could see
no alternative but that he should blot
out this love for her that had grown
in spite Of him, and once more regis
ter q report against her.
Early the next morning he made
his report at the chiefs office.
I'VE will investigate the charge" he
was assured. You need concern
yourself no further with It." The
similarity of the announcement to
those following his other reports Of
Dixie Mason Jared strangely on
Grant. He could not fathom the mys
terry of events unless-a subtle hope
suddenly sprang into existence. Could
st be possible that there was some
good reason for her activities, other
than interest in the Germans? Might
It be that the main office was hold
ing information from him that would
explain It all? Grant pursued this
line Of reasoning because it held out
a hope for him and removed the
cause of his distrust for Dixie Mason.
But once moro it brought him up
against a blank wall of useless con-
lectures.
II Dixie Mason had been of the
Secret Service, she would have told
him so in the poweThouse instead Of
allowing him to think her a German
spy, arrest her, and then put her
to the trouble and danger of freeing
herself by such precarlous means. If
Nthe arrest had gone through, and she
had been q member Of the Service,
she would have had to tell everything
about herself later, so why not in
tho beginning? More than that, what
possible reason could there be for her
lService-if she were in It?
All Of which goes to prove how fu-
tile is the attempt of one mind to
treason as another would. For there
mad been several reasons why Dixie
| Mason concealed her connection with
I the Secret Service. The first and
biggest was her order from the chief
that she work herself into the conf
idence Of those highest in Germany's
spy system in the United States; and
THAT she tell no one Of her connection
with the Secret Service Another
very good reason for her not reveal
ing her true status to Grant flashed
into her mind as she stood at the
switchboard listening to Grants &C
tcusation that she had been instru-
mental in causing the destruction of
the A. T. n Munitions works, If 1t
had been so simple a thing for Grant
to believe, why could she not con-
vince Won Lertz and his German
friends that she had done this thing
which would mean so much to them
and so lay the foundation for con-
Iidence which would help her obtain
their secrets established right? It
was a good idea.
Dixie Mason Makes Appointment
With Won Lsrtz.
The night Of his disappearance from
the pOwerhouse she called Won Lertz
on the telephone
'Can you come to my apartment,
,Eoon3 At once If possible. It is
very important. And please bring a
sharp file with you-yes, rather large
In ecpiatn-Thank you-Goodbye"
She hung up the receiver with a tri-
1umphant smile. The smile fingered
as she deliberated on the events Of
1.-THE evening. She was tired, but she
must bring this latest affair to a
successful close. The opportunity
was too great to pass by.
! She heard shortly the sound Of
lyon Lertz's car drawn up to the curb
apd few moments later the bell
Of the apartment rang. She ran to
open It herself, and, as Won Lertz en-
tered, she held up laughingly a little
hand about whose wrist dangled one
1lanacls Of a pair Of handouts.
Now you know what wanted the
file for. VIII you help me take It
offT' She seated herself on a low
stool beside the great arm chair into
which Won LertZ threw himself with
easy familiarity.
/ Take it off and will tell you all
shout It. It's a long, long story, and
I'm tired and when I get through I
L /
have q right to be tired" With quick
interest Won Lertz bent over the little
wrist with its strange adornment and
! a. Dixie in low tones told her story.
Won L'erts filed away at the manacle.
THE electrician n1istook me for
Madame Stephan, I think. I was
standing by the powerhouse and he
came running past followed by the
chief Vatchman." She stopped medi-
tattvely. DO you think look like
Madame Stephan"
Won Lertz glanced up impatIentIy.
Hardy, to one who knows you, you
are both dark. But the story. What
happened them"
4t"Oh, yes" Dixie, obediently and
natvely took up the tale convinced
that she was really interesting him.
Il WIS standing there and he called.
Z ran into the powerhouse and threw
the switch. Then there was this aw-
fuf explosion and the whole plant
went up in smoke and flame. The
watchman ran in and arrested me.
When someone called him out he
handcuffed me to the gate. saw a
rubber glove I'm the electricians box
and I put it on. Then I pulled the
hsndcuff over the switch and II
melted and got away but I. took
this one with me"
Dixie paused for breath and gazed
EFT him sou1fufly out OF great dark
eyes, doubling for an instant her
ahtlity as a romancer.
Won Lertz stopped filing for a mo-
msnt and gazed at her In admira-
ton. If he had any doubts, the hand
cuff had convinced him.
Poor little girl! But that was
great work. Why, you are a little
heroine. All, II I had only trusted
Won -naaora whah gznEaaAnf11I Tim