"It’s no wonder then," said Chester. "Tobacco is one of the luxuries in Germany to-day. But who are you supposed to be, Mr. Stubbs?"
"Me?" said Stubbs, "why I’m nothing more than a German-American who was caught in Germany by the war, who is in sympathy with the German cause and not at all anxious to get back to the States. In fact, the clerk is positive I’d be wearing a German uniform if I were not above military age."
"But you’re not above the German military age, Mr. Stubbs," Hal protested.
"Well, the clerk doesn’t know that," said Stubbs significantly.
"You’re a pretty shrewd customer, Mr. Stubbs," said Chester. "I guess if you’ve managed to fool the clerk this long you’ll get by, all right."
"I will, unless you get me mixed up in some of your scrapes," declared Stubbs. "But you boys must be tired. Ring the bell there for the clerk. I’ll tell him that we have found we have mutual friends and that I will permit you to spend the night in my room."
The clerk returned in response to the summons and Stubbs outlined the situation. The clerk offered no protest; in fact, he offered to supply cots for Mr. Stubbs’ visitors.
These arrived directly and as soon as the clerk withdrew, Hal and Chester tumbled into their beds. "There is nothing that may be done to-night," said Stubbs. "Get a good rest, boys."
In spite of the fact that it was late when they retired, all three were up bright and early in the morning and went to breakfast in the small dining room of the hotel.
As they were finishing their coffee—without sugar or cream, by the way, these being other verboten luxuries in Germany—Chester’s attention was arrested by the entrance of a tall, stately German woman, accompanied by a girl of perhaps eighteen years. They sat down at a table but three removed from where the friends were seated.
Hal followed the direction of Chester’s eyes and smiled.
"Don’t play the gallant now," he whispered in a low voice.
"By Jove!" he said. "You’re the limit. Can’t a fellow look at a pretty girl without drawing some such remark from you?"
At that moment two young German officers entered the room and strode toward the table where mother and daughter—as Chester had surmised the two to be—sat. They stopped suddenly, noticing apparently for the first time that the table was occupied.