The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1915-05-26

Barbed WIre flinders Course q
True Love.
Dutch sultor Parted BY Frontier Fsnes
From Ssseefheart on Next Farm
Has Lively Experience Get
ting Past Sentries.

BY w. J. 1. klEHl-
Correspondent OF the Chicago NewsD
The Hague.-The course of true love
runs anything but smoothly on the
Belgian-Dutch frontier, especially
when the sweethearts reside on op-
posite sides of the barbed-wire fence.
Pete Is Netherlander, Mieke is q
Belgian; his farm stands securely on
Dutch soil, hers precariously in Lit
tie Germany" (as the Germans call
Belgium). At first the lovers had not
noticed much of the war. which has
left their district almost untouched;
then a strong wire fence was put up
and German detachments of cavalry
continually patrolled the Belgian side.
while sentries were placed at inter-
walls with loaded rifles and fixed bay
onets.
Now it was no longer possible to
hold sweet converse at eventide after
the farm work was done. All that re-
manned was to walk, he on one side
of the wire, she on the other. and cast
loving glances at each other, for the
Germans would allow no talk across
the border
At last the swain spoke of his sad
plight to an acquaintance who for a
consideration made it his business to
conduct Belgian refugees into Hol-
land. Would Louis (that was &C
quaintances name) take him across
on Saturday night so that he could
pass the whole Sunday with his Mieke?
And Louis promised to do so on the
very next Saturday, when he was due
on the other side to meet fugitives at
a certain prearranged place to take
them safely into Holland.
That Saturday evening was damp
and misty. Just the right sort OF
weather for us" Louis enthusiastically
put it, but his companion could not
quite agree with him, as he waded
through marshes to the dixie beyond
which stretched the wire fence. He
was wearing his Sunday best and the
seeping mud did not improve the ap-
pearance of his neither garments. But
Louis assured him this marshy land
was just the safest spot to get across.
AS they approached the dixie Louis
cautioned Pete not to whisper or even
breathe loudly. Cautiously they
/ crawled up the dixie, reached the top
and raised their heads for hasty
| glance around, but at once dropped
them again. For there-though luck
lily with his back toward them-stood
q sentinel
Down the dixie slid the adventures
as noiselessly as they had come
Louis assured him that few hundred
yards farther along he knew of an
other safe place. This time they were
more fortunate, and. like rabbits. they
burrowed under and through the wire
and stood on Belgian, or perhaps we
should say German, ground.
Now just a few hundred yards OF
marsh and then we get into good
hard road" Louis exclaimed. and they
deemed their troubles over. Then they
heard the tramp of feet along the
good hard road and distinguished the
form of German patrol. The mel
came straight up to the gate that lee
into the marshy meadow where the
frontier runners had hurriedly dropped
to the earth. They're only resting,
said Louis.
And so it was The Germans clam
bered on to the gate and sat ther'
talking for about a quarter of al
hour. that seemed like a century t
the two cramped and bedraggled men
Now, however. their troubles wer'
over. They came out into the roat
and soon reached the small farm
where Louis was to meet the refugees
Pete felt somewhat better after
hearty supper and dry clothes .ha'
been provided for him by the farm
er's sympathetic wife and she ha
: promised to clean his Sunday attir
l and have it ready for him to wea
next morning.
Sunday dawned fine and sunny
Somewhat stiff from his unwonte
exercise, the strenuous sutton prC
ceeded to the farm where his Nick
lived Mieke. her mother and Pet
were eating the meal when suddenl
3 they heard the thud of horses hoof
and down the bend in the road the
D saw patrol of uhlans heading straigh
= for the house.
I Mieke hastily pushed her gallar
\ into the stable, then rushed back t
q remove the third plate and seat he
self at the table as if nothing ha
happened. Pete hurriedly crept into
meal bin and drew down the lid. II
e must have been there for hours
! when toward evening Mieke came int
+ the stable.
T Where are you, Peter" she viii
n pered, and Pete crept out from HI
:. hiding place as white as a mile
J. Mieke stopped for laugh. then to-
him to get away back into Hollan
as fast as possible, as the uhlans wei
not all asleep and this might be h
l..