The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1915-06-18
A Lifelong
Regret
By F. A. Mitchell

Berlin. My parents being Germans,
though born In America myself, !
thought 1t would please my father II
volunteered to fight the allies. So l
went O6 to Belgium with q company
Of uhlans and got into the thick Of It
1t once.
Ny chief delight vas scouting. While
the German army was reducing the
forts about Liege there was work to
do In u different way, and l was much
better pleased at doing 1t than hanging
about camp. though ever the cavalry
was pretty busy. would ride out In
neutral ground with q small camera
and take pictures of fortif1cations-that
u, when l could get near enough to do
90 without being discovered.
One day | bad been unusually sue.
cessful and on my way back to my
command stopped at a farmhouse for
refreshment- A pretty Belgian girl
served me. but evidently with a very
poor grace. regarding me as an enemy
Of her country. Between the sexes
there Is always a special interest in
making a conquest where the party to
be conquered ~resists the would be con.
queror. | said S o many pleasant things
to the girl that 1t was not long before
congratulated myself upon having
quite won her over.
Having rested for some time. | was
about to mount and ride away when
she made an Reuse to detain me. |
was not unwilling to be detained and
spent an hour longer with her, during
which period | did more lovemakiny
than | had ever done before. made
several efforts to tea myself away.
full at my going that | consented to re-
main just a little longer.
| stayed just Il little too long. Sud
denly hearing the beating Of horses
boots. | started up with a view to get
ting away. but before | could mount
my horse Il squadron Of Belgian cav
airy came down Oh me and made me
a prisoner With them was a boy OF
fourteen whom | had seen about the
place when | had first arrived 1t was
evident that the girl had detained me
while she sent him to inform the sol
dicrs of my presence
heard the officer in command thank
her for the information she had sent
him. and she seemed quite proud of
what she had done. was searched
and the photographs | had taken We're
found IN me, to say nothing of my
rnnDnro lnn thiS tho nffi,.nf tDrtnI
to the Girl and said:
"Malemoiselle, you have helped us
to quite a prize. While the captive
you have given US is in uniform. ne
has been taking photographs Of III
works and will he treated accordingly
How is that" asked the girl. pal
ing.
He will be shot"
If any blood remained in the girls
face it vanished. and Z! thought she
would SwoOn 1t occurred to me that
she had not considered the importance
to herself in the part she was playing
But there came another turn in the
affair had gone so long on my
scout that my captain. fearing | had
got into trouble. gallOped out on the
road | had taken to look after me
Suddenly while the Belgians were of
their guard he appeared at the head of
his troops. dashing around u bend in
the road from behind trees. The Bel
gians took to flight. and | was rescued
They were pursued for some distance
while | was pulling myself together
and getting the arms and %accouter
nents that had been taken from NE
When / had collected 3erything !
could find | turned to the girl who had
betrayed me.
have never in my life e such Il
perfect example of sudden change
Cringing before me. she looked up into
my face with a supplication for for
giveness. | returned it with Il ston!
stare. In which | threw all the con
tempt | could express. She covered
beneath it. and. turning my back upon
her. l stalked u Of the house. noun,
Cd my horse and rode away with m!
comrades.
We advanced on Paris. were drive,,
O0SA ~ Iuc O0NIe VI IuS M0IuS. duO
siI months after the episode ! have
related | q day found myself fight
ing again in Belgium. Upon a tempo
rary cessation Of the fight | looked
about me-. and the region seemed ia
miltar to me. l was near u house tina,
recognized as the one in which | had
been betrayed.
had always regretted having. un
der the strain Of narrowly escaping
death. dealt 80 harshly with the gir
who had betrayed me. ! went 4 The
house and called for her. intending t.
speak a kindly word to her. but wher
asked for her ! was told that she wa,
dead.
WINGED. She was beyond either IN!
contempt or my forgiveness.
Did she die Of an injury" | asked
mo. A young uhlan came by here
one day, and she detained him while
she SEM her brother to inform SON,
Belgian cavalry Of his presence. The!
came and captured him. but be Wa.
rescued by bis OVID men. The girl new
A. Hopro m horunlP fn~ no vim hoe ~,