Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-02-16

asked to do to a living soul. Every
thing that we mayr-xell you is to be
buried forever from everybody. . No
one Is to be trusted. The minute one
other person knows your secret it will
no longer be a secret. Can we de-
pend upon you?"
"You may absolutely depend on
me-" said Jane slowly and soberly.
Il give you my word. I have been
eager for ever SO long to do some
thing to help, to really help. My ia
ther is doing all he can t. aid the
government. He's on the Shipping
Board"
Mr.. Fleck nodded. Evidently he
was aware of it already.
my brother, my only brother"
Jane continued, with a little catch in
her throat, lis Over There-some-
where Over There-fghting for his
government. If there is anything I
can do to help the country he is fight
ing for. the country he may die for,
II pledge you 1 will do it gladly with
my heart. my soul, my body-eyery-
thing"
Thank you," said Mr.. Fleck soft
ly. taking her hand. II felt sure you
were hat sort of a girl. Now lis
ten" He moved his chair still closer
to hers. and his voice became almost
to you there live two men-Otto Honf
and his nephew, Fred. They have an
old German servant, but we can leave
her out of it for the present. The
old man is a lace importer. Appar-
emily they are both above suspicion,
yet"
He stopped abruptly.
You think they are ispies-spies
for Germany" questioned Jane excit-
Ia61v st1H1 ov'ro CorroorS, re 1o,,roa,SSt
lotto Hoff is German-born. but he
has been here for twenty years. Sew
eral years ago he took out papers and
4 became a n American citizen"
= "And the young MANI" .
James tone was vibrant with inter-
est. 1t must be the man she had seen
from her window whom they suspect
ed most.
He processes to be American
born"
"oh." said the girl, rather disap-
%pointedly.
But" continued Mr.. Fleck,
there's something queer about it all.
He arrived in this country only three
days before. we went int the war.
He had q certificate. properly endors-
ed. giving his birthplace as Cincip-
natl. He arrived on 9 Scandinavian
ship. He speaks German as well and
as fuently as he speaks English, both
without accent"
Perhaps he was educated abroad
suggested Jane. rather amazed mt
finding herself seeking to defend him.
He must have BEEN" said Fleck.
yet I find it hard &c believe that
young German-American come home
if he's soldier materlal-and young
Hoffs appearance certainly suggests
military training"
1T surely does"
Unless" continued .F1eck, "there
was some special object in, sending
him here" :
you think" said Jane slowly.
they sent him here-to this country
I'm Y business we dare not think,
We cannot merely conjecture. We
must prove. said Nj. Fleck. Maybe
the Hoffs are O.. 4. I do not know,
Nobody knows yet. Let me tell you
some OF the circumstances. This
much we do know. Won Bernstorn Is
active sens; yen German psDen =, syE% E9nsi ssere; IND q
propagandists have been rounded UP
and interned Or imprisoned, yet, In
spite OF all we have done, their work
goes on. A al secret organization,
we'll supplied with funds. Is constants
~ at work in this country, trying ia
cripple u armies trying to destroy
our munition plants, trying to corrupt
our citizens. trying to disrupt OPP
Congress. Every o the United
States makes is watched. AS you
probably know, every day now largs
numbers OF American troops are em-
barking In transports IN the Hudson
YES" said Jane, ''you can see
them from Due windows"
Now them" said Mr.. F1eck, lower
: ing his voice tmpressively, there !,
the fact. Some one somewhere on
Riverside Drive - keeping close and
constant tab on the warships and
TRANSPORTS there in the river, We
and decipher some code messages.
These messages told not only when
the transports sailed but how many
troops were On cash end how stFsas