Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1942-11-27
Copyrsht: ls42. BY News SYNDICATE Co, IN
A Girls Initiation
Into the Intelligence
Service Proves
Exciting
m TWO PARTS-PART ONE

OASll1lS
IN TWO PARTS-PART ONE
Vivien heard the clock strike Z. but
she dreaded to open her eyes. Last
night she had gone to bed, as usual.
in her small room overlooking the
courtyard, at the Hotel Monopol.
She knew that when she forced her
lids apart, she would see the same
familiar surroundings the dark
polished wood, the crimson patterned
wall paper, the veneered walnut suite,
the lemon chrome curtains But
she knew too that she would awake in
another world.
During the hours of darkness, the
old life of carefree security had passed
away, leaving her stranded in a new
Dimension-where she would shrink
from shadows and where no locked
door could bar out the enemy.
1t was her first day in the under
ground ~" army.
Until recently the war had not in
vaded her orbit and instinct warned
her to remain aloof She rarely lis
tened to the radio or read newspapers.
As the squeeze gradually frightened
she closed her ears to rumors, since 1t
was wiser to live one day at a time
and concentrate on her job Of run
ming the hotel.
she was in a privileged position, for
her maternal grandmother was the
sister of old Fritz Steiner who owned
the Monopol. Orphaned in babyhood
she lived in Austria for most of her
life. The only time she stayed in
England with her fathers brother, an
Oxford don, the academic atmosphere
had not proved congenial Conse-
quently, when war broke out, she chose
to remain in Austria with her friends
In appearance, she was 100 percent
Ayran, with pale gold hair, worn in a
long pageboy bob, and flax-blue eyes
Always cheerful with smile for the
most difficult patron, she was also
briskly efficient and an ideal hotel
worker She made no secret of her
nationality and only laughed good
naturedly when either of her countries
was attacked.
"Oh, we're not quite so bad as that,
she would say. Don't forget I'm hall
British and the other half is Ameri
can"
They always shared her joke for
since the exact relationship was for
gotten, to- them she was old Steiner's
granddaughter.
Although she never mentioned it.
she thought of the "V" army as a sort
of super-race apart from ordinary
life. It was not until she met certain
hotel guest, who called himself John
Vanderpant," that she realized that
girls like herself were somehow find
ing the courage to chalk up "V' signs
listen in to verboten radios and even
commit acts of sabotage.
Vanderpant was presumably engaged
in business and he often stayed for a
night at the Monopol in the course OF
his travels During their brief meet
ings, their relationship was that Of
hotel manageress and patron. But she
was drawn instinctively to him and
she was sure that he felt the same at
traction.
Through thinking constantly of him
and watching him unobtrusively, her
intuition bridged the gulf between
them, so that it was no surprise one
evening when he took the fateful first
step which could place him in the
power of the Gestapo. They were sit
ting together in the deserted lounge
drinking coffee and smoking, when he
touched the initial brooch pinned at
the neck of her gown.
What does this "V" mean to your
he asked.
"'V' for 'Vivien,'" she replied. Then
she lowered her voice. what does it
mean to you? You can trust me. I'm
English, too"
"Too?" he repeated with his &C
quired Continental grimace. well,
since you've guessed my dark secret,
call up your Gestapo."
When they had finished laughing
at the absurd suggestion, he began to
tell her about the avn organization.
Think of it as a trunk with
branches and twigs, because they
might be persuaded" to reveal the
identity of the branches. So the hang
out of a twig is very hush-hush af-
fair and is changed constantly. When
we want to contact him, we use our
Intelligence-or ordinary people of all
grades-who pass on our messages.
You see, it would be too risky for me
to try the direct approach. I might
be already under suspicion and my
work is too important for me to be
liquidated before I've had a run for
my money"
What is your work." she asked.
IT rake in new recruits. Great sport.
If I slip up in sizing up my man or
woman, I can be handed over on a
plate to the police. I get a terrific
kick out of it."
Don't" she shuddered. That's not
funny :. Have you come here to try
and contact anyone in this hotel
room?"
Eyes. You"
While she was still gasping with
horror, he explained.
"You are ideally placed to receive
messages and pass them on, with all
the comings and going at the Bureau.
No one would suspect old Steiner's