Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-03-12

looking up with a seowl.
Il am an officer of the General Safety
corps. monsieur. Who are yong'
4 am an American newspaper cor
respondent. writing an aecount OF to
days battle and in a hurry"
English
No; American.
i would like to see your passport,
monsieur
Eggleston took his passport from his
pocket, threw it on the table and went
on writing. The man picked it up.
opened it, read it and compared the
personal description with the CORE
spondent.
Eyes blue, hair light. The Germans
all have blue eyes and light hair"
"Germans: What do you meanf
Don't you see hi the passport reads.
A citizen of the United States?"
Monsieur. you may IS well W up
first as last. You are a German spy"
Eggleston pushed back his chair and
stared at the man.
German spy. Why, my dear fellow,
l am an American. Can't you read
English?'
1.-The passport has been stolen. The
Germans took 1t from an American.
You need not try to deceive me. We
have received a warning
What w~arning?'
"a German who has lived in Eng
land. who speaks English like a 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 if we take him TO shoot him at
sonce. 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 gu to be
shot.
But, monsieur. | was in Lille a
few days ago, where | made the ac-
qu%aintance of those connected with
the General safety. They will youch
for me-
"Ah, but they are not here" with a
shrug of his shoulders.
And / must suffer as a spy because
those who are able to identify me are
not here?'' :
.eThat is one of the h%ardships of war
We can take no risks. Besides, those
men in Lille may have beer deceived
in you"
when did the Germans capture tho
passport you have referred to?"
Yesterday"
81 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 a hare in
which he was about to set his teeth.
The two Frenchmen talked together
in a low voice. Eggleston thought ii
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 te
him in German:
IF you will confess your life win be
spared
Eggleston. who did not understand
a word of what was said to him. but
recognized that it was in the German
language, replied:
"Nicht versteh.r
This was quite Aenough for the
F~renchman, Who held that the mich:
versteh'F was full proof that the slls.
pect was a German. However, after
deliberation they concluded to refer
the case to some one higher up; SO
they placed, Eggleston under guard FOR
the night.
But the allies were at that time too
busy fighting for any one in authority
to pay any attention to an individual
case. The next morning, no reply hav.
ing been received concerning the sus.
pected spy, his captors concluded that
it was best to take no risks, but shoot
him. though they did not like to do so
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 at times sounded
nearer and at times more distant. On
one occasion when the guns We're
louder Eggleston's captors decided to
remove him to a town farther west.
During the journey they were about
to cross a road running north and
south and had stopped to let a train
of refugees pass when among the lat
ter Eggleston caught a glimpse of the
pretty girl he had met in Lille.
"Mademoiseller' he shouted.
Louise Legire turned and, seeing the
American who had assisted the fam
lily in the hour of need, clasped 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 a
conference. Both mother and daugh-