Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-04-23
Mistaken
For. Spy
By SARAH BAXTER

DcLltr Atildsn Mueie 4 WIS ludu IJ
to get back to America. So | stuck to
my quarters in the capital. though |
displayed I'm American flag at my win
dow and visited the embassy to make
sure my passport was all right.
By October the lines of traffic over
the Atlantic had become safe. and hear
ing that | could get passage at Rotter-
dam for New York | concluded to ven
ture upon Il "trip home. The only dan
ger in my personality lay in the fact
Of my accent. We B%ostonians use the
broad "a" like the English, and on this
account | was liable to be taken for an
Englishwonlan.
At the time | started the allies In
the west were engaged in repulsing the
attacks Of the Germans in France and
a part of Belgium which was still 0c-
cupied by the Belgians. Having cross
ed the Meuse | fell in with the Ger
man army In the rear Of the line OF
trenches which was being held as a re-
serve. | was conducted to the head
quarters OF the general commanding,
and my pa -sport was examined by IN
officer of hrs staff who spoke English,
but with the usual accent of a German.
After a few questions he left me-, but
soon returned.
There is lighting on the route you
must take. and 1t would not be safe to
proceed just now. The general desires
that you join him at dinner. and We
will see that you have a comfortable
place to sleep
was sorry for the delay. but excr
cised patience. especially since l was
to be well treated. Some British prls-
oners were brought in during the day,
and | went among them, chatting with
them. | noticed that they all supposed
me to be English, several of them ask
Ing from what part of England l hail
ed. This troubled me, for there were
German officers and soldiers present.
and ! was quite sure that at least one
OF the officers was listening to our con-
versation.
| dined with the general and several
members of his staff. There was also
another woman present besides my
self. who spoke English fuently. In
deed. not every n would know
whether she was English or German.
though to Inc she betrayed her nation
atty in certain words that a German
can never pronounce. For the w"
she used q ~" For a 'g' she used
Ssh" But 1t seemed to me that she
must have learned English while
young. for these peculiarities of Ger
man pronunciation were very slight.
After dinner the men arose and said
that they would smoke outside, giving
US two ladies an opportunity to enjoy
each others society for a short time.
They had scarcely left us alone to-
gether when my companions
changed completely. She drew her
seat very near me and whispered:
Il I'm moi German. / i'm English. l
have very important information of the
German forces which l wish to carry
TO England. But there are officers be-
tween me and the coast who know me.
and ii | proceed l will be arrested for
a spy. If you will carry a bit of paper
through tie lines to General French's
headquarters you will save the lives of
hundreds, thousands. of our country
men,
This speech frightened me dreadful
ly. / arose and attempted to leave the
woman, convinced that she was really
working upon me for some purpose
which / did not know. She caught me
by the skict and held me, looking up
at me with an expression which was
intended for terror, but which l be-
lieved was feigned.
do not betray mew she cried in a
smothered voice. 1T will mean death
to me!'
LET me CO." l retorted. Il am not
English. | am American"
The woman held me, imploring me
not to betray her. l told her that |
had no interest in her whatever. 1
was neither German nor English, but
a native and a citizen of a neutral
country. she played her part admirR-
bly,, and for a moment such was the
agony she assumed that almost be-
lieved her. But | remembered how
she had betrayed herself in her speech
and refused to credit her.
l pulled myself away from her and
fed. Outside the general and the 9th
err officers who had retired from the
dinner table were seated on camp
chairs smoking. They arose as APP
peared and turned toward me
General" l said. Il wish to proceed
on my journey at once. You have set
this woman upon me to see If l am
what | pretend or a spy. She is not
English. which you know as well as l..
She is German. though she speaks
English better than any German ever
met. But when she tells me she is
not a German | know better. l am
an American bearing an American
passport. and | demand to be allowed
to proceed on my journey to Rotter-
dam, where | hope to find passage to
my home In America"
The general broke into a laugh in
which the other officers Joined. The
mo who had ovaminad nv naSSnOrt