CHAPTER XXIV
CAPTAIN VON BRENNER'S SISTER
The major turned immediately to Ruth, drawing his brother forward.
"Mademoiselle Ruth Fielding, Allaire. The Count Marchand," hewhispered formally. "You understand, from my message by Bubu, Allaire,for what reason the lady has taken this arduous journey, do you not?"
"But yes," rejoined his brother. "Bubu safely arrived. I have not yetsent him back."
"But Tom--Lieutenant Cameron? What of him?" Ruth asked anxiously.
"Have no present fear, Fraulein," said the count in German. "He hasnot yet been allowed to return to his rooms at the hotel in Merz. Thatis all."
"He is a prisoner at the house up yonder, yes?" the major asked, with ashrug.
"Not a prisoner. A guest," replied the count. "General Stultz isstill friendly. The Hauptman von Brenner," and he smiled, "is teachingthe general some American card game, I believe. The whole staff iscard-crazy. They have little else to do but play."
"And what plans have you already made for Fraulein Ruth?" queried MajorMarchand.
"While she remains under this roof she will pass as Frau Krause'sniece. But in the morning she will be furnished an outfit I havesecured, and she shall enter Merz as a very different person."
"Oh, dear!" murmured Ruth. "Another disguise?"
"You could scarcely continue in your present dress and escapediscovery--by daylight," the count said dryly.
This fact was, of course, patent. Ruth was only too glad that thevoluminous cloak covered her completely.
The count led her up two flights of stairs to a tiny, neat chamberunder the roof. It was evidently a domestic's bedroom.
"Put the uniform outside the door, Fraulein, when you remove it. Itmust be hidden," whispered the count. "You will find night apparel onthe chair. The good Frau Krause has thought of everything."
This, indeed, seemed to be the fact when Ruth awoke from her soundsleep at mid-forenoon. She might not have aroused then had there notbeen an insistent tapping on the door.
"_Ja_? _Herein_!" exclaimed Ruth, not too sleepy to remember herGerman.
A broad face surmounted by a cap, then the woman--quite a motherlylooking person--appeared. "I am to help the Fraulein dress," announcedFrau Krause, smiling.
"If you will be so kind," the girl agreed.
What she had not noticed when she went to bed was an open trunk heapedwith clothing--both for under and outer wear. The rich and "stuffy"gown was typically German, and so was the plumed hat.
Ruth was sitting, with her hat on, in the little dining-room of thecottage over her pot of substitute coffee, rye bread and schmierkaese,when a private and almost noiseless auto-car rolled up to the door.She went out and entered it quite alone, and they were out of theMarchand estate by a rear exit and on the highway to Merz before Ruthdiscovered that the capped and goggled chauffeur was none other thanCount Allaire Marchand himself.
In a stretch of the road where there was no traffic and few houses insight, he half turned in his seat and told Ruth in brisk, illuminatingsentences what she was to do.
It sounded easy, providing she aroused no suspicion in the breasts ofthose whom she met. The supposed character of Captain von Brenner'ssister would enable her to treat everybody in a distant and haughtymanner.
"But be careful of your German, Fraulein," urged the count. "Make noerror in your speech. Deny yourself to everybody until your brotherappears. After your first outburst of anger and alarm, when you arriveat the hotel, retire to the rooms he engaged for you, and refuse todiscuss the matter with anybody.
"It is, as you Americans say, one grand game of bluff. It can becarried through by no other means. Remember what I have told you totell your brother. To-night at nine, or to-morrow night at nine, Iwill be in waiting with the car. This is absolutely all my brother andI can do for you."
In a few minutes the car rolled into the principal street of Merz.Just beyond the great, glass-roofed building, wherein in happier timesthe visitors went daily to drink the medicated waters, was the hotel.
A rheumatic old woman with a sash, who acted as carriage opener, with ayoung boy for porter, met "Captain von Brenner's sister." In the hallthe corpulent host bowed before her.
"Captain von Brenner?" queried Ruth. "I am his sister."
Mine host paled. His eyes grew round with wonder.
"What it the matter with you?" asked the girl impatiently. "Are youdumb?"
"He is not here, mein Fraulein," chattered the man.
"Send for him, then. And show me to the suite he engaged for me."
"Fraulein! Pardon!" gasped the innkeeper. "We did not understand.That is--it was---- We thought he would not return."
"What?"
"And that--that the _gnaediges Fraulein_ would not come."
"Idiot!" exclaimed Ruth, revealing an excellent semblance of rage."You have relet my rooms?"
"But you may occupy the Herr Hauptman's," burst out the browbeatenInnkeeper.
"And where is Captain von Brenner?"
It all came out at one gush of chattering information. The captain hadbeen sent for by the Herr General Stultz. He had already been awaythree days. It was whispered he was arrested.
After her first show of annoyance Ruth seemed to recover herself-possession. She listened more quietly to the explanation of theexcited hotel man. Then she demanded to be shown to her "brother's"rooms.
There she sat down and wrote quite a long letter to Tom Cameron in thecharacter of his sister, "Mina von Brenner." She was sure Tom wouldrecognize her handwriting and understand at once that she was at Merzin an attempt to aid him.
"Fear not for me, Brother," she wrote in conclusion. "But hasten toassure your Mina that you are perfectly safe. Is it not possible foryou to return to the hotel by dinner time? I am distraught for yoursafety."
She sent this letter, with gold, by the hotel keeper, who said he couldfind a messenger to go to the Marchand estate. Ruth knew, of course,that her letter would be read there before it was given to Tom.
Even if they questioned him about his sister before giving him theletter Tom would make no mistake. "Mina von Brenner" was already acharacter and name chosen by Count Allaire and Tom when the latter tookup his difficult and dangerous work in the guise of an Uhlan captain.
That was one of the longest days Ruth Fielding had ever spent. As thehours dragged by she sat and pondered in the rooms Tom had occupied,one moment in despair of his coming, the next fearing that every stepin the corridor outside her door was that of a guard come to arrest her.
Yet her own safety scarcely mattered. She felt that if she could notcompass Tom's escape, she did not care to go back across the lines,were that even possible!
Ruth Fielding learned much about her own heart during that longwait--much that she would not have acknowledged to any other soul inthe world.
It finally grew dark. She would allow the servant to light but asingle candle. This stood upon her table beside which she sat with herforehead resting in her hand, her elbow on the table.
Suddenly there sounded a quick step in the corridor. Ruth had beenmistaken so many times that she did not raise her head or look up. Arap on the door, and before she could say "_Herein_!" the knob turned.
A figure dashed in--a brave figure in a uniform somewhat similar to theone Ruth herself had worn the night before.
"Mina!" cried a welcome and familiar voice. "My dear sister!"
Tom rushed across the room. Ruth saw, as she rose, that there were twoofficers with him, but they remained outside. They saw Tom take her inhis arms in a most affectionate and brotherly manner. Then they closedthe door, evidently satisfied.
"No need of tearing my hair down and breaking my ribs, Tom," Ruthwhispered. "Please remember that I am _not_ Helen, after all."
"No," he returned softly. Then, holding her off to look more closelyat her, he went on more lightly: "You are Mina von Brenner. Greatheavens, my dear! How did you
get here?"