Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1899-01-21

of which l was conducted, closely fol.
lowed by my villainous looking escort
to veranda, where rows of empty
tables and tip-tilted chairs betokened
the hotels departed luXuriance. This
place had now quite sinister aspe ct, to
which the Black Forest Immediately be-
yond gave an additional gloom. One
table, however, at the end of the veran-
da, was occupied by a group of four,
who, by the light of a small lamp placed
thereon, l discovered, to my delight, to
be ordinary travellers, who, as later
on ascertained, were only awaiting re-
mittances expected the following
morning, TO make rapid tracks from
the scene of coming hostilities; fer the
rest the place was now "guardhcuse,"
pure and simple, the sergeant appear
ing to have taken over the entire con-
troll of the well-stocked cellars, from
which, he informed me, could, on pay
ing war prices, have whatever refresh
ment 1 pleased. Nor was he long in
supplying my wants in this respect at
an eXorbitant charge-brandy, seltzer
and cigars being placed by him on the
table, as, filling himself bumper to
begin with, he raised it high in air, en-
claiming with the utmost gravity: 81
drink, monsieur, to the health Of his
majesty the king"
Feeling it would be polite to join
him in loyal but unlimited libations,
helped myself from the decanter, and
was going to say something courteous
about King William, when Fritz polite
ly, but firmly, seizing my glass, said:
"Oh, monsieur, one moment, beg,
how terribly remiss of me in drinking
to the king; l forgot the Fatherland:
long live tie Fatherland!" and with
this he drained my glass to the dregs,
made profound bow, and left me in
custody of my two guards, who, with
fixed bayonets, were in immediate at
tendance. Cursing the evil fate, as 1
supposed, which had placed me in such
a quandary, was sitting nursing my
wrath to keep it warm" as Burns puts
1t, when a kindly voice with a nasal
twang hailed me through the gloom.
$50 you're the prisoner of war, are
you? Wal, as we happen to be all neu.
trail at this table, l don't see why you
shouldn't leave that patriot sergeant to
finish your cognac with those two hun
gry-looking guards of yours, and join
us for half an hour before you go t o the
dreary dungeon assigned to you" Suf-
hce 1t to say. this was an arrangement
to which Fritz. on his return, readily as
sented. | was as much in custody as
ever, and escape was impossible; while
he. with his two grim compatriots,
could, in the meantime do full Justice
to the health of "his majesty the king"
The American gentleman to whom I
was indebted for this kindly sugges stion
unceremoniously introduced me to his
wife, and her brother and sister. who
were all much interested in my capture
and probable fate. They had noticed
the ill-usage TO which / had been sub
jectcd by the villagers, who had been
hurling all the available rubbish they
could lay hold of at my unoffending
head on the way to the guardLouse;
and l, moreover, made sure at glance
(oh, such glance!) that at least one of
my entertainers was convinced in her
own mind it was a case of mistaken
identity, that l was no spy, and sympa-
thized with me accordingly. That her
name was Clara l at once ascertained, |
since she was thus addressed by them, |
nor was long in discovering there was
a strange, indescribable something
about her which, from the moment of |
that first fateful glance, had placed me
curiously in touch with her. That
bright, piquant face, that sympathetic |
expression, those luminous dark gray |
eyes, those They should never ride |
Pegasus who cannot reign him in. | |
now felt, at least, that as 'the Prisoner
ofMulheim" enjoyed in certain sense.
an enviable reputation, so hastered to
explain that my real mission was that |
of war correspondent.
"oh, certainly" said my host, "and to
have been made the first prisoner of
war will be splendid copy if you can
get it through"
This at once threw a new light on
what to me had, till this moment,
looked like an inglorious catastrophe
Our chat, delightful one to myself |
having extended over an hour and |
Fritz and his companions having
drained that decanter to the dregs, my
new-found friends and myself cordially
separated, and unless I'm much mis-
taken, when l shook hands with
Clara" there was tremulous pressure
of the fingers-but no matter. Fritz
now thoroughly realized the gravity of
the situation, and as he conducted me
to the apartment I ~as to occupy for
the night we were closely followed by
my two guards, with whom (having
first double-locked the door, he depart
ed, leaving me to the contemplation of
my prison house.
My first consideration was, naturally,
some possible means of escape. The SEN
tries on duty at the rear of the build
ing, en- which my window looked out,
made this utterly impossible in that d.
rection, death being the inevitable end
of the escaping spy, To undress would
have been absurd I must he raady for.