The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1917-06-21

take a hand In the war and We
were go eager 10 believe II that Il
wasn't hard to do.
once he had Information that
President Wilson had issued an
order for the Germans to leave
Belgium We lived on that for
days Bu, Il didn't amount TO any.
thing None OF the rumors ever
did
But In spite of ourselves. our
spirits would 70 up every time
Jacques got some more 'lnforrna.
tion' about America. and then
they would 40 down again when {,
proved 10 be mistaken.
Tie came IN from some ~rrand
I'm high excitement one day. and
said he had seen in the streets an
automobile with an American flag
on H. We didn't know what 20
think. IL didn't seem possible he
could be mistaken about Il. But
II was too good 90 be true
"A day or two later. he told MS
he had seen II again.
This time we were excited too.
We told Jacques II he ever saw IL
again. 10 drop whatever he was
doing and run With all his might
20 tell us.
And sure enough, In DAY or
two he came tearing In. all out OF
breath. He had seen the auto
mobile. with the American nag.
had chased II TIL IL stopped at a
house not far away. and then had
run 10 tell US
We simply flew Jacques ran
with us and showed ua the house
There was no automobile there
We inquired OF the people in
the house | told them was an
American and wanted TO communi.
cate with my people. They said
yea. the automobile with the Amer.
lean flag had been there. but was
gone. IL was from tho American
consulate at Brussels. they told us.
and II would come again We asked
them to let us know when II did.
and they said they would.
But they never did We went
there several times after that TO
Inquire, but could never get admit.
lance. Jacques never saw the auto.
mobile again. and We heard moth.
Ing more OF II. II was just another
disappointment: and after puzzling
over II for while. We gave II up
when we left. not long after.
ward. Jacques was all broken up
ono OF the other nurses and were
going to try TO walk 10 the coast
German nurses had come in. so We
felt We had a right to think OF
ourselves.
Our health was breaking down.
and we determined 10 get out IL
we could. Germans and Belgians
alike warned us that We would
never make IL. Jacques went
around with tears rolling down his
cheeks all the last day. doing little
things for us and grieving because
he had nothing to give us.
Finally. he sat down and wrote
out the Marseillaise In full for
each OF US. 1t was all he could do.
have my copy yet"
out OF the leather case In which
she keeps her passports, creden-
tails and other documents of that
experience. Miss Sadler drew a
email sheet OF cheap letter paper.
covered with a slanting, immature
handwriting in purple pencil
1T took him good while to
write II. he cried so. she remem.
bered
we did get thru. and with little
trouble, When we reached Brus-
sells. asked the American consul
at once about the automobile with
the American flag
mo automobile had over gone
from the American consulate. and
tho he had tried everywhere to
find some American who had been
IN Charleroi. after 1t was taken. In
order TO learn what conditions
were there. he had never heard OF
any.
Whoever used the American
flag, suppose We shall never
know.
But when | read the other day
that Pershing had reached the
front, remembered how our hopes
went up whenever Jacques got in.
formation that America was going
TO take hand, and how they went
down again when the Americans
did not come. suppose everybody
in Charleroi lost faith in Jacques
and his American Information a
long while ago.
81 would like 10 have seen him
when they heard that Pershing
was actually In Franco"