The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1914-12-11
ARefugee.
BY El.,NlcE BLAKE

My sister Rose and l i re DOtn girls
Of a keen sensibility. We were insep-
arabic. and often when together Rose
would mention something that l was
thinking about, Or perhaps 1t was l
who would mention something that
Rose was thinking about. For a long
while we considered this thinking
about the same thing ut the same time
simply due to coincidence. but at last
we came to wonder If it were not
thought transference.
When this solution was first suggest
ed we both laughed at the idea. but aft
er a few more very pointed condolences
of the kind we believed it to be true.
Our first separation occurred in the
spring Of the breaking out Of the war
between the triple alliance and the
triple entente. Rose found an opportu-
nifty to go abroad with a party OF
friends, who took her along as their
guest. With much reluctance at leav-
ing me she accepted the invitation and
sailed when the annual summer hegira
VI kaA1CA1CAAS SOA4AACANOus SuS
month of July l, who needed rest in
stead Of the excitement of travel. went
into the country as far a. l could get
from a railroad and where the only
newspaper was a weekly journal with
no news in it except what was of in
terest to the surrounding farmers.
One night l dreamed that l was in a.
(o~o}rr nS<v nv 7 Hr0o mod r. fnr.
my consciousness was more like a
dream than any other sensation. 1.
was in u hotel situated on a square. l..
looked out through a window on the
square below. thronged with people all
in n state of intense excitement. Some
Of them were throwing up their caps
and shouting. others were hurrying in
and out of the houses. while cab driv-;'
ers were guiding their horses or auto
cars were e%ndeavoring to get through
the crowds without running persons
down.
Then without being conscious of any
transition I was on a railway train.
Every town 1t passed through was
filed with soldiers. and everybody
SCtlucu W NC OClL I'LL NO1Ll6 oouASSaAAS
in the least possible time. In the fields;
women were gathering in the harvest.
not u man being there to help. Mules
were dragging great cannon along
roads, and locomotives were drawing
other munitions of war on platform
cars. Everybody and everything was
moving in the direction our train was
moving.
BY and by we passed into another
country. There were long drawn
breaths Of relief by my fellow pas
sengers. We were in Il valley on one
side of which doomed Notifications into
which soldiers were hurrying. There
were two lines of these works. and they
extended about a city. almost encircling
it. These two lines were SO filled with
men that in the distance they looked
like myriads of insects.
Our train entered the city, and l. with
others. was hurried to another train.
Soon I was again flying across the
country. Now the people instead Of
hurrying in the direction I was going
hurried in the other direction. Soldiers
we're marching in great multitudes o.
the road. and presently l saw some
bearing the English Gag. There seemed
to be less worry on the part Of all Of
us. our only course of anxiety being
to catch u steamer. which was to sail
from a coast we were approaching.
The next phase Of this sensation was
running through a fog on the ocean
without lights and without a sound to
indicate our presence. None of ns
slept. and most Of us were in the cabin
grouped in terror. Stewards were go
ing from room to room stufing pillows
against the portfolios or hanging cur
tains over them to conceal from with
out every ray Of light.
MY dream. my vision or whatever It
may be called faded away. In the
morning l awoke feeling as IL l had
been tlayed. In dreams we never see
anything we have not seen while
awake. had e sights that were
absolutely new to me. l could not nm
derstand it. Naturally l connected It
with something that had happened to
Rose abroad. ees
So impressed with this WAS I that I
determined to go to the city. I was
driven twenty miles to Il station. Along
the route the country people were pur-
suing their daily vocations. some. Of
them getting I'M hay. others moving
leisurely over the roads. When l ar
rived at the station l saw q man
standing on the platform reAding>a
newspaper. l saw in big black letters
running across the page: ....
1.-The Belgians Still Hold the Forts at
Liege."
I asked him what it meant. and he
told me that all Europe had suddenly
hurst into q war fame. I bought =
newspaper and read an announcement
Of the arrival Of a ship at New York
from Antwerp bringing American pas
sengers from Europe. some Of whom
had left Germany on the last train that
was allowed to come through. won
dered If Rose had not made her escape
from Munich. where she was when :
had last heard from her. and come out
on that4train.
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