New Britain herald., 1922-05-04
The Strange Code Katherine stro,e
 tO lntcrDrct


 to Interpret.
 There was a little pardonahle tri- umph in katherine's eyes as she re- piled to Lillan's discovery that she had known the language of the man in the hospital.
 "Yes, l could understand them. all right" she said. "l thought perhaps l would be able to when you told me about them. but didn't dare tell you for fear of holding out false hopes. There are so many dialects in all those tongues. you know But=lNc always had sort of knack at lan- guages, and Tn the hospitals over there l was able to pick up sort of working knowledge of Il number of them. So 1t was easy for mo to un- derstand these chaps, except when their tones were very low. You see. l was careful to keep d little distance from them with my back turned part Of the time. and pretend to be busy with several things. l though you would want me to play safe on that score, especially if l am to so on with Joe out of the hospital"
 She paused and looked inquiringy at Lillian, who nodded an emphatic assent.
 "Of course" she said. That's the vital thing to be sure he has no suspicion Of you. If l can once get you inside of the home to which I'm very sure he's to be taken I'll ask nothing else of fate for at least three quarters of an hour But go on.'
 They went through a lot Of pre- liminary stuff, Anton asking all about Joe's accident, and Joe describing it in detail. They were clever enough to do most of this in broken English. and were even foxy enough to explain to me that they had to talk in their own language sometimes, because Anton couldn't understand very well.
 "Thats because smith wanted to over-emphasize the fact that he isl alien." Lillian commented.
 'I imagined so," katherin re turned. And then they got down to business in their own tongue, of course. Ii was queer to see how their relations changed the minute they stopped speaking what they called English. Before, they ostensibly had been equals, but in their own tongue it was plainly to be seen that Anton was in command, Joe, the very sum- be subordinate'
 Did You Get Ho" And very arrogant commander. | Anton, or I miss my guess" Lillian in- terrupted,
 Exactly, in fact. if l hadn't known | vy1 Jne ell, felt sorry for him Anton gave him a most thorough raking over for dar- ing to get hurt. He reminded him | that time was everything. and that this accident had delayed them a lot | Then he asked this question--Did you get it t?'''
 Lillian sat tensely forward in her chair, and 1 knew that this question, | obscure to me. meant much to her
 Katherine's lips quirked into a lit tie smile as she. went on.
 I've heard some pretty stiff swear ing in my time, she said, with men | coming out of delirium and all, but | I never heard Anton's effort equaled | at Joe's sullen reply to the effect that the girl-evidently Katie-had the ODlGLl, NudltNGl It NdS, ludl AntOn wished, and had promised 10 bring It | ii him on the evening he was hurt I Joe added, with sorle extra vicious epithets against Patie. that he knew she still had the obiect-they both | called the thing it-because she | would be afraid to give it to any one but himself.
 Katherine Takes Notes.
 "When Anton finished his cursing, and he uttered it in the lowest, most | silken tones possible-no one who didn't understand the language would | dream he was angry-he demanded | katie's name and address, saying he would not fail as Joe had. And hon. estly girls. he made my blood run cold at the smiling way he repeated | Graham when Joe told him where Katie worked. He certainly has it in for your family"
 The lines around Lillians mouth seemed deeper, but she made no con- ment except to say with faint trace of impatience:
 I've must start home as soon as you've finished, Katherine"
 ''The rest of the interview was the most unntelligible stuff ina gnable," Katherine said slowly. I'm sure it was code mostly and how | wished I |