Evening star., 1937-11-07
bv Ben AMES WILLIAMS

haps this excellent brandy! My tongue was
not so loose in those days, Mr. Brander."
Brander's hand was clenched on the arm
of his chair He said, family husky: II have
wanted to know the answer to all that for al
most twenty years, Monsieur Grendee. -
beg you to tell me what you know"
His guest for long time did not speak.
When he did, it was to say: Let us see first
if am right. You alighted from leave train.
with your right arm in a sling. You approached
the fourth post from the east end of the plat
form. You stood near it, looking at your
watch You then stepped up to the post and
stood with your back to it, and you began
very slowly to fill your pipe. Exactly six min
utes later, you struck match to light the
pipe You used three matches before it was
burning to your satisfaction. You then walked
away"
Brander said intently: 'Yes That is true"
You remember"
Il am not likely to forget"
Il saw your face clearly in the light"
"Yes, it was |. Go on. What is the answer"
Monsieur Grendee said gently: I'VE fought
on different sides in that business, MIR. Bran
der. And = in different ways"
Brander's eyes narrowed. "You are Swiss,
he objected.
INV father moved to Switzerland from
Germany two years after was born. Under
orders"
Brander leaned back in his chair. After
moment he nodded. He said: Il know there
we're more ways than one of - serving In
those days. The men of our Intelligence were
heroes, the men of the German Intelligence
were spies. In those days. These are other
times. We can realize today that there were
heroes on both sides. Go on"
Monsieur Grendee considered. Then he
said: 1.-The German drive was succeeding at
that time, you remember? 1t was on our part
a race to win before your fresh troops could
come in force against us. There were our
spearheads thrust into the Allied lines here
and there
During lull between assaults, the Ger
man High Command was informed that there
would be counter attack in force, on the
fourth of the month, at three minutes past SIX
in the morning, on the right flank of the salient
nearest Paris They massed to meet that at
tack, and also to deliver an anticipatOry as
sault at five O'Clock that morning, south of
the point of the expected Allied attack, and
therefore between the region where your
shock troops we're presumably massed and
Paris.
"But actually your attack was delivered on
the left flank instead of the right. and at SIX
minutes past three instead of three minutes
past six There was only screen of German
troops to meet it. 1t progressed, forced upon
us headlong withdrawal, wiped out that
salient began the end of ALL"
Because of - the manner in which l
lighted my pipe?"
Because of the manner in which you
lighted your pipe. When you lighted your pipe
that night, Mr.. Brander, you turned back the
German tide. 1t never rose again.
Branders brow was wet. He frowned with
thought. Monsieur Grendee said gently:
"And you will understand, Mr.. Brander, that
had some explaining to do about that. There
would have been no cort-martial In my case
Such things we're handled quietly. But in the
last hour of my allotted time, we learned that
our agent at your Great Headquarters was
Hood Ohxr;o,,eIv he had been exposed; Obvi-