There stood the General's desk.
There, at its side, stood Brigadier-General Hanson, looking worried.
Against one wall stood Lieutenant Jerry Colliver, smirking loathsomely, with a possessive arm around Katie Hooper's waist.
And in the General's chair sat a very stiff old lady, in a very stiff black dress, tapping a very stiff umbrella on the blotting pad.
As soon as she saw Papa Schimmeihorn, she stopped tapping and pointed the umbrella at him.
"So!" she hissed.
"You think you get avay?
To spoil Cousin August's beaudtiful bassoon, and play vith mices, and passes at female soldier-girls to make?" She turned to Katie Hooper, and they exchanged a feminine glance of triumph and understanding.
"Iss lucky that you phone, so I find out," she said.
"You are nice girl.
You can see under sheep's clothings."
She rose. As Katie blushed, she strode across the room, and grabbed the gnurrpfeipfe from Papa Schimmelhorn.
Before anyone could stop her, she stripped it of its reed—and ground the L-shaped crystal underfoot.
"Now," she exclaimed, "iss no more gnurrs and people-vithout-trousers-monkeyshines!"
While General Pollard stared in blank amazement and Jerry Colliver snickered gloatingly, she took poor Papa Schimmeihorn firmly by the ear. "So ve go home!" she ordered, steering him for the door.
"Vere iss no soldier girls, and der house needs painting!"
Looking crestfallen, Papa Schimmelhorn went without resistance.
"Gootbye!" he called unhappily.
"I must go home vith Mama."
But as he passed by General Pollard, he winked his usual wink. "Don'dt vorry, soldier boy!" he whispered.
"I get avay again—I am a chenius!"