Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1915-07-09
"Are you a censor?" ased Eggleston,
looking up with a scowl.

personal description with the CORE
spondent.
eyes blue, hair light The Germans
all have blue eyes and light hair"
"GermansY What do you mean?
Don't you see that the passport reads,
"A citizen Of the United StatesY"
Monsieur, you may as well own up
first as last. You are German spy"
Eggleston pushed back his chair and
stared at the man.
German spy! Why, my dear fellow,
English?"
1.-THE passport has been stolen. The
Germans took 1t from an American.
You neeM not try to deceive me- We
have received u warning"
What warning?"
"a German who has lived In Eng
land, who speaks English like native,
who looks like an Englishman, armed
with the Americans passport, Is with
In our lines for information We have
received orders to look out for him
and IL we take him to shoot him at
once. Come"
Eggleston paled. He was aware
that the keen scent of spy hunters
was leading the detectives to make
short work of suspicious persons and
supposed he was to be taken out to be
shot.
But. monsieur, l was in Lille
few days ago, where l made the ac-
quaintance OF those connected with
the General safety. They will vouch
for me-"
"Ah, but they are not here" with
shrug Of his shoulders.
And must suffer as spy because
those who are able to identify me are
not hereY
THAT is one of the hartiships OF war
We can take no risks. Besides, those
men In Lille may have been deceived
In you"
when did the Germans capture the
passport you have referred tor"
Yesterday"
II met the General safety detectives
last week"
At this moment another man came
into the room and looked at EgglestOn
as a hound would look at hare In
which he was about to set his teeth
The two Frenchmen talked together
in n low voice. Eggleston thought It
better not to seem much troubled
about the matter and, taking up one
OF the sheets before him, pretended
to read. A third man was called into
the room, who, having been instructed,
approached the American and said to
him In German:
"If you will confess your life will be
spared"
Eggleston who did not understand
a word of what was said to him, but
recognized that 1t was In the German
language, replied:
"Nicht versteh."
This was quite enough for the
Frenchman, who held that the "nicht
versteh" was full proof that the sus-
pect was a German. However, after
deliberati0n they concluded to refer
the case to some one higher up; so
they placed Eggleston under guard for
the night.
But the allies were ut that time too
busy fighting for any one in authority
to pay any attention to an individual
case. The next morning, no reply hay
ing been received concerning the sus-
pected spy, his captors concluded that
1t was best to take no risks, but shoot
him, though they did not like to do 10
on an uncertainty, for In case he
should be what he pretended they
would be liable TO get themselves into
trouble.
The roar Of battle ut times sounded
nearer and Mt times more distant On
one occasion when the guns were
louder EgglestOn's captOrs decided to
remove him to a town farther west.
During the journey they were about
to cross road running north and
south and had stopped to let a train
OF refugees pass when among the lat
ter Egglcston caught a glimpse Of the
pretty girl he had met In Lille.
"Mademoiseller' he shouted.
Louise Legire turned and, seeing the
AmtIl'hH WIN Hhh hobnsLtu lilt iuul-
lily In the hour OF need, clnsped her
hands with French fervency and call
ed her mothers attention TO him.
A halt was called, and the refugees
and the detective came together for
conference. Both mother and daugh-
ter were Mortified when they learned
that ''le bon American" was 10 be
shot rs n spy. They told the story
Of having seen him In Lille about n
week before and how he had assisted
them. This was proof positive that he
was not travelling on captured pass
port, for he had shown 1t 10 an officer
Of the General Safety corps IN their
presence. and Louise. who had never
seen passport before had examined
IL from curiosity.
Eggleston's captors apologlzed for
having intended TO shoot him as com
Dlacently NJ II they were doing 10 for
having unintentionally JoRgled him In
passing. They dismissed him, and the
last seen Of him he had Joined the lie
gires, and that IL the last that has been
heard OF him. His reports TO his paper
suddenly stopped. There are those
who suspect that this ending Of the
story Is Incorrect and that he was
really shot M n spy. But such per
sons do not consider that there IL nj.
ways danger Of Il man being carried
away by n pretty girl even n there are