_Nora Jamison Explains_
IT was toward the end of the same week that a note arrived for Major
James Hersey from Sonya Clark. She asked him to make an appointment with
Colonel Winfield in order that he might see her and one of her Red Cross
nurses as soon as possible. Would Major Hersey also try to be present?
There was a reason, which he would understand, why his presence might be
necessary.
Colonel Winfield and Sonya Clark were great friends, as the colonel had
been one of the commanders of a regiment stationed near the Red Cross
hospital in the neighborhood of Chateau-Thierry for many months before
the close of the war.
The colonel, however, was not in his library at the moment of Major
Hersey's arrival. Sonya Clark and Nora Jamison were there awaiting his
appearance.
"We are a few moments early; I suppose the colonel will be here
directly," Sonya remarked. "You may not approve of our having come first
to the colonel's quarters instead of seeing one of the heads of our
secret service," she continued, "but since neither Miss Jamison nor I
knew exactly what we should do, we decided to make a report directly to
you. Then you will know what should be done. Secrecy seemed to us of
first importance."
During Sonya's speech Colonel Winfield had come into his room and now
apologized for his delay.
Nora Jamison had never met the distinguished officer before, and
therefore looked a little frightened, but a glance at Major Jimmie's
interested face reassured her.
After all he was the one person who would substantiate the story she had
to tell, for even if he had no positive evidence at least his suspicions
would coincide with her knowledge.
"You are sure there is no one who may overhear us, Colonel Winfield?"
she asked a little timidly. "I think when I tell you what I am about to
that you will understand why one still has reason to suspect almost any
one in Germany, although the good of course must suffer with the evil."
Colonel Winfield nodded.
"I understood from Mrs. Clark that you wished to talk to me on a private
matter and I have one of my orderlies stationed at the door. There is no
chance of being overheard. As for continuing to feel suspicion of the
enemy, while the American army is policing the Rhine it is our business
to take every precaution against treachery. At present I wish I could be
more certain that the state of mind among the inhabitants of Coblenz is
what it appears upon the surface. Tell me what information you have and
how you have acquired it. There is a possibility that I may not be so
much in the dark as you at present suspect, Miss Jamison."
"If you don't mind, may I take off my hat while I talk?" Nora Jamison
asked. "It is boyish of me, I suspect, but I can talk better with my hat
off. Do you happen to know, Colonel Winfield, that there are persons in
Germany who are friendly to the Kaiser in spite of all that he has made
them endure? Actually they do not seem to realize that he is chiefly
responsible for the tragedy of their country and her present position as
an outcast among the nations."
"Yes, I quite understand that fact," Colonel Winfield returned drily.
"Then do you also know, Colonel, that there are men and women in Germany
today who are anxious to rescue the Kaiser from his fate. They would
make any possible sacrifice to save him from being tried by an
international court in case the Allies decide upon this course. But
perhaps I had best tell my story from the beginning and you must forgive
me if some of it appears confused."
At this instant, clasping her hands together in her lap, Nora Jamison
sat staring straight ahead, but looking at nothing in the room, rather
at some mental picture.
"When I came to Europe I hoped to be of service as a Red Cross nurse,
but by the time I arrived the war was over and the armistice about to
be signed. Still I hoped I had not come altogether in vain and persuaded
Dr. Clark to bring me with him as a member of his Red Cross staff who
were to serve with the American Army of Occupation in Coblenz.
"I felt a good deal of bitterness in coming into Germany. The young man
to whom I was engaged was killed by the Germans near Chateau-Thierry. I
know it was wrong and yet I felt as if I would like to revenge myself
upon them for all I have suffered. I must apologize for telling you
this, but you will see that it does bear upon my story.
"Well, after I came to Germany, although I discovered that I did dislike
and distrust the German people, yet I could not make up my mind not to
feel affection for the little German kinder, who after all were in no
way responsible for the war. I always nursed children before I joined
the Red Cross and have a special fondness for them. The little French
Louisa and I, who are always together except when I am at work, made
friends with a number of the German children. Among them were two
little girls, whom Major Hersey will tell you are especially attractive.
But if I seemed to single out these two children and especially the
older one, Freia, it was not because she so greatly attracted me. Early
in our acquaintance the little girl told me an anecdote which struck me
as extraordinary and almost immediately aroused my suspicion. Please
don't think I found out at once what I am trying to tell you, I at first
had to piece things together.
"Freia told me that her brother, Captain Ludwig Liedermann, who had been
wounded, had recovered, but would not leave his room and did not wish
any one to know he was well. Freia received the impression that he did
not wish to be seen by any of the American officers or soldiers in
Coblenz. He once told little Freia that he hated to meet the men who had
defeated their Emperor and driven him into exile."
The Colonel nodded.
"Yes, well, that strikes me as if alone it might be a sufficient reason.
I would not be surprised if there were other German officers and
soldiers hiding from us with this same excuse. However, we shall remain
on duty in Germany until both the military and the civilians find it
wiser not to seek cover in order to escape the consequences of their
past."
"Yes, I know, but this did not seem to me all there was in Freia's
story," Nora continued. "So I confess I made friends with the little
girl largely in order to gain her further confidence. She afterwards
told me other things that were puzzling. I knew that the Germans in
Coblenz were not allowed to hold secret meetings, but Freia insisted
that officers who had been old friends of her brother's came constantly
to their house and that her sister Hedwig opened a side door for them,
so they would not disturb Major Hersey. Then they talked together a long
time and no one else was allowed to enter her brother's room, save her
father. She also spoke of her sister Hedwig's hatred of the Americans.
It seems that Fraulein Liedermann and I have at least one experience in
common. The German captain to whom she was engaged was also killed in
the war. Hedwig was angry because her little German half-sisters were
willing to make friends with Major Hersey and me. But I must not take so
long to come to my point. I also made friends with Frau Liedermann.
Often I went to her house, although always I was afraid that the fact
would be reported. If I was found to be fraternizing with the Germans I
would have been forced to end my acquaintance with the Liedermanns, as
you know.
"I can't tell you near all the details, but the important fact I
discovered is this: Captain Liedermann, the colonel his father, and a
number of other German officers have for weeks been making a secret
effort to have the Kaiser spirited away from Holland. Their plan is to
conceal him in some spot where the Allies will be unable to discover
him. Then, when the resentment against him dies down the Kaiser will be
rescued and brought back to Germany. Captain Liedermann has been trying
for a long time to get out of Coblenz. But I cannot tell you anything
more than this bare outline of the German plan."
Breathless and shaking a little from fatigue and excitement, Nora
Jamison now paused.
"You mean to tell me that you have made this extraordinary discovery
during your occasional visits to the Liedermann home, when I who have
been billeted there for months have learned nothing?" Major Hersey
demanded, coloring in his habitual fashion, but this time partly from
admiration of the girl beside him and partly from annoyance with
himself.
"Yes, but our positions have been entirely different, Major Hersey,"
Nora explained. "Every precaution was taken to see that you found out
nothing. Indeed you were apparently welcomed into the Liedermann
household so that your presence there might be a blind. What I found out
was owing to my intimacy with the two little girls and later with Frau
Liedermann. I hope for her sake it may never be discovered just how much
she did confide to me. I sometimes think she almost wanted me to report
what I knew, she is so weary of war and intrigue and deception, and is
almost as much of a child as her two little girls. I think this is all I
have to tell at present. If our Intelligence Department should wish to
ask me questions later, why I may be able to answer them."
Colonel Winfield rose and walked over to Nora.
"You have given me extraordinarily valuable information, Miss Jamison. I
shall see that it reaches the War Department at once. I have always
insisted that women make the best members of the secret service. But
under the circumstances I feel that I have the right to tell you this.
We did know something of this plot you have just unveiled. What we did
not know was where to find the centre of the conspiracy in Coblenz. I
think you need have no uneasiness, the Kaiser will never be saved from
the consequences of his acts while the allied armies are policing the
Rhine. However, Miss Jamison I am glad to have had you in Coblenz and
think you have justified your coming to Germany. May I congratulate a
Red Cross girl for another variety of service to her country. Now you
are tired, shall I not send you back to the hospital in my car?"
But Sonya Clark shook her head.
"No, thank you, Colonel Winfield. Dr. Clark is to have one of the Red
Cross automobiles come for us, which is probably now waiting around the
corner. We wished our visit to you to be known to as few persons as
possible. Major Hersey will see us to the car. Goodby."