Screenland (May-Oct 1942)

"And how do you think I feel about you, Major, hanging around my wife like a boaconstrictor and our divorce hardly cold yet?" "You can't expect her to retire to a convent just because she's divorced," Zellfritz said coldly. "As a matter of fact, you should rejoice that I take such an interest in her. She'll have the protection of my rank." "With her looks," Chris said, "she can get herself better protection. A colonel, at the very least." "I'm really more than a major!" Zellfritz reddened with annoyance. "I have very high connections. My uncle is commander of this district and Robert Niedermeyer, the Marine Engineer, is my cousin." Niedermeyer! The name registered like an electric shock, but Chris, kept his excitement under control. "Xow I'm really impressed," he said. "I'm beginning to see your point. Yes, you may be quite right." "Right about what?" Anita demanded furiously. "About your going out with him." Chris smiled. "Dining, dancing, fun. Darling, why should you deny yourself any pleasures the Major can give you? Of course, it will be excruciating to think of the two of you together but I must bear my grief like a man. wandering the streets, heartbroken. But I'll endure it somehow. Take her out, Major. Let her be gay!" "Of course." The Major slapped Chris heartily on the back. "I'll take her to the opera. There's a special performance of Wagner tonight, exclusively for German officers. Excuse me a moment." Again that exaggerated bow as he turned to Anita. "I'll phone right now for tickets." Anita turned to Chris as the door closed behind the Major. "What's your idea of shoving me off on that swine?" she demanded. "A sheer stroke of luck, Anita," Chris whispered excitedly. "Niedermeyer is a submarine expert. He ties up with some information I've got. Don't you see?" "Yes !" Anita looked at him coldly. "You warn me to play Mata Hari." "Get him drinking," Chris went on jubilantly. "Talk to him, lead the conversation to the right point and one day Holland will erect a statue to you." "Why not?" Anita lifted her head defiantly. "As I recall, Mata Hari had herself quite a time!" Then at Chris's pleading look she broke. "Did you mean what you said about wandering the streets heartbroken?" she asked wistfully. "I meant every word of it," Chris said softly, and there was just time to kiss her before the jubilant Major came back into the room again. The hours dragged endlesslv waiting for her to come back and it wasn't only fear for her safety, it was jealousv as well that kept Chris staring at the painted clock in the big sitting room downstairs where the Countess had allowed him to wait. Then at last there was the sound of a key turning in the lock and Anita came in looking so lovely that Chris forgot his fears and only the jealousy remained. "A fine time to be getting home !" he said. Then, "Did you find out anything ?" "No," Anita whispered. "Niedermeyer was with us." _ "Niedermeyer !" Chris forgot his jealousy in his excitement. "What did he say? Tell me I" "Nothing." Anita shrugged. "He just kept looking at me as if I were an extra ration card. Oh, yes, I almost forgot. He did say his job would be finished in three days. And then he got a long distance call from iselmunde and left." <™ZSehminde !" Chris repeated softly. Why, that's wonderful. We knew he was superintending the assembling of submarine parts. Now we know where, and that they'll be ready in three days. There isn't much time. I've got to get the news to Gustav so he can relay it to the right man. Goodbye, darling. I'll never divorce you again !" There was that moment, so short, but all the more sweet because it was over so soon. And there were his arms holding her, his lips finding hers again. Then she stirred in his arms and her smile lifted. "What's your name, soldier?" she whispered. "This is no time for a formal introduction." Chris whispered. He had been riding in luck, but suddenly it left him. As he reached the Savoy Cafe he saw the Gestapo leading Gustav out under arrest. His information meant nothing now, with no way of getting it to England. For the first time he felt as if all hope was gone as he went back to Anita and told her what had happened. Then as she listened she suddenly began to laugh. "You wouldn't wait to hear everything about last night," she whispered. "Zellfritz and I went to the airport to deliver a sack of leaflets to a plane. He sends them out every night !" "Even night!" Chris almost shouted in his relief. "Then we could . . ." "Of course we could !" Anita agreed complacently. They could get the message to England ! But there was little time and they needed help, a great deal of help. That was why they had to confide in the Countess and the other old ladies and how they gave all of them a sense of being needed again, now that they were to do their bit for the Allies and Freedom. They all had their parts to play : Anita, the hardest one of all because she had to invite Zellfritz to her room for a private dinner for two and keep him amused while Chris got the bag of leaflets out of the Major's car and helped the old ladies write the warning message on them, that would, if all went well, be delivered by the enemy that night when they scattered the leaflets over England. Even the pretty little maid was doing her bit by keeping the chauffeur occupied in the kitchen. And at last the gigantic task was finished and Zellfritz was gone to deliver his sack to the airport and Anita and Chris could only sit there smiling their relief. It was then the knock came on the door and the Gestapo stood there with orders for the arrest of Hendrick Woverman, for the real Hendrick had escaped from the sanitarium and had committed an outrage far more serious than sabotage or arson or murder. He had painted the teeth of the Mikado on a picture of Hitler! But he was to be given justice, the leader explained, justice and a real trial. Only it didn't take Zellfritz's cold smile when he faced him in court the next evening to make Chris know what a farce that trial would be. He had heard of Nazi justice before. It took less than ten minutes, that trial, with the verdict death, even though Anita and all the loyal old women had crowded into the courtroom, swearing thai Clirio had been with them at the time the outrage was perpetrated. He was to be shot immediately. The Countess took command then. "Go up there and ask to remarry him before his execution!" she whispered to Anita. Then she turned to the mournful, childlike old twins sitting beside her. their faces puckered up like crying babies as they wept. "Quick! Get up the stairs leading to the roof and open the trap door. The master siren that controls all the others is up there. Set it off !" She took her place behind Anita as the Army chaplain solemnly entered the room. 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