“And tell her when you write,” smiled the colonel, “that when she is able to come over, I would be delighted to have both you and her spend as much time as possible on my estate.”
Frank promised and they parted with warm expressions of mutual regard. And that same night a cable message sped across the Atlantic bearing the good news that Frank was too impatient to wait for a letter to tell her.
A week or two later, the American authorities at Coblenz found it necessary to institute stricter measures. It was found that a large amount of material that should have been left to the American army by the terms of the armistice had been sold to unscrupulous buyers who had purchased it for a song and stored it away to be sold at a large profit later on.
A search was made throughout the city and many hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of the goods were recovered. In looking about for a temporary place to store it, the authorities had commandeered a warehouse which was partly empty. Here they placed the goods and put them under guard of American soldiers.
One night the Army Boys were sent over to relieve the squad then on duty. As they reached the place, Tom and Billy gave an involuntary exclamation.
“What’s the matter?” asked Frank.
“Why,” replied Billy, “this is the warehouse of Mrs. Edsall’s father. Their dwelling house is right next door and connects with this.”
“You ought to know,” grinned Frank. “You’ve been here often enough. But it’s rather a queer coincidence that we should be sent to guard it.”
They entered the cellar where the bulk of the goods was stored.
“So this is the famous ‘cellar’ that the old man was always muttering about,” remarked Frank, as he looked curiously about him.