The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1914-09-01

In the hotel an East Indian
Porter. several French porters,
worried Russian proprietor,
and a weeping maid greeted us.
How comes IL that Ameri-
cans still enter this city," aske
the Russian. His black hair was
cropped close to his head, his
face was very pale, and his eyes
looked as If he had been crying.
1t would be better not to come.
We dropped our bags and went
directly to the American express
office. for all the money we had
tetw cen us a was a coin or two,
amounting in all to amout 5
centimes. We had never doubted
that our cheques could be cash
ca at once, when we reached
Paris.
GO at once to the express Of
flee. for IL closes early on Sat
uTaays," the Russian proprie-
tor had said. This was Satuf-
Cay, August I. The East In
dian, who trod like a eat and
had smirking, smooth ways with
him, escorted us to the Rue
Schribe.
Probably the majority of
Americans in Paris we're as
sc NJ bled there, on the Rue
Scribe, beseiging the express )f-
flee, the steamship companies,
or the New York Eerald's of
flee, or talking together in ex-
cited, morbid knots.
We tried to hear nothing that
was said. Our object was to get
some money and to find out the
chances for an immediate es-
cape. From the minute the
white-faced Russian had given
us his uItimatum we began our
fight to get out.
My cheques were on the Mer-
camille Marine, so l went direct
ly to the office of the Ameri-
can line for money and for re-
the Philadelphia, as to
leave Cherbourg the next We'd
nesday on her way from South
hampton to New York. The Of
flee was closed, but an English
clerk came and talked with me
through the gratings for a min
ute.
CLOSED for the day." said he.
Anyway. we can't cash your
cheques. We can't get any
money ourselves. The Philadel-
phia will sail, surely, but she's
probably the last one that will
sail, and it's very doubtful IL
she will stop at Cherbourg. I
advise you to get to Southamp-
ten at once"
CHAPTER II.
FIFTEEN CENTINIES IN PURSE
Perhaps he did not know how
ironical he was-for in my purse
we're Is eentimes and two
$50 checks of Mercantile Marine
value. II he could not cash
them, no one could. And he
could not.
Across the street, at the Amer
lean express office, my eompau-
ion had no better luck. Some OF
her checks were American ex-
press and there was still a
chance of their being casned. but
the banking department was
closed until 8 O'Clock Monday
morning. The only thing left
Tor us to do was to stay in the
hotel until Monday morning, get
some money and take the next
train and boat for England
There I could catch my Phil
adelphia and my companion
could try to change her passage
for a boat late in the summer
to the first one she could get.
And so we waited.
When we got back to our no.
tel. only the East Indian met us.
The French porters had gone
to the war. The weeping maid
was serving dinner TO the few
remaining guests. The Russian
came in from police headquar-
tiers.
Tomorrow. az noon, I shut
down" he said. 81 have to leave
the country at once. Stay to-
night. IL you will, but have al
out of here tomorrow at IL.
We'll, anyway. 7 belong to the
Don't Worry club" said one of
the two American women in the
hotel. gayly. as we went up 10
our room
r-Aa4f - -