The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-07-30
AN EXILE'S
RETURN
By ESTHER VANDEvEER

| L
sAe'ehing In the Catskills when, hear.
ing step behind me. turned and sa w
coming down the road directly behind
me young man with the laxen hair
.nu DIue eyes Of the Saxon. Seeing
me- he lifted his hat politely and was
passing on when, in order to stop him
! asked him question about the
oatskiils. | was so struck by his ap-
pearance that l wished to make a
sketch OF him. He was unable to ron.
Ger the information l asked for but
my ruse served its purpose. He stood
NAT In hand. deferentially chNting with
lie told me that he was a German
that ne had not been long I'm America.
tnat he preferred to travel as a pedes.
trian ana was making a tour through
the Catskill mountains on foot In
time l made bold to ask him to nose
Ior me- | dared not offer him money
tor doing so. for he seemed too aristo-
cratic to receive pay for such a sery.
ice. tie not only granted my request.
our tntimated that he would buy the
picture 10 ship to his father and moth.
er In Germany.
While worked on the sketch l drew
MIN on to tell me what had brought
nln 10 America. at first | got only
eVasive replies to my questions, but l
purposely delayed my work for time to
gain his confidence and at last got tho
story. The heir apparent Of the prin.
c1pality from which he hailed disgrac.
eo himself by theft. MY model
was present at the time. 1t would not
90 for their future ruler to bear
stain, SO l9e party drew lots as to
which one should bear the obloquy. It
fell to the man was sketching, and
when the theft was discovered he
Falsely owned himself the guilty one.
His parents were mobiles: they settled
an annuity upon him, and he left home
to become wanderer His allowance
was not sufficient to enable him to
travel by conveyance, so he walked.
But he declared he preferred that man.
ner of travel.
The meeting with this man occurred
In April. went into the country ear
lier than city folk, In order to catch
that pale green which only appears on
the foliage either in that month or
May. ! agreed to part with my sketch,
since he begged so hard for It. He
wished me to put 1t in oils for him. and
l agreed to do So But to do this pre-
ferred to take it to my studio in New
York, where could work on It to bet.
ter advantage. gave him my address
in the city, and he was to give me a
few sittings there while ! was making
the transfer from pastel to oils.
1t was the middle Of July before l
completed the sketches needed for
my winters work and returned to the
city. had told my subject he might
call any time after the Goth Of the
same month. But that was about the
time that the emperor Of Austria de-
clared war on Servia. Whether the
prospect of general European war in
huenced my German friend or not
cannot tell. At any rate. he did not
make his appearance. Then the spark
Of war became fame and the fame a
conflagration. Germany called on her
sons to return to the fatherland to do
military duty.
One evening when the Belgians and
Germans were struggling for the mas
ter of Liege there was ring at my
bell and my young friend appeared.
Il come not for you to SIT" he said.
but to bid you goodby. have found
passage for Europe, and If not inter
cepted by a British or French cruiser
shall probably be able to end my exile
and my loneliness on the field Of battle"
AS he spoke the last words his ex
pressive face showed a sadness that
went straight to my heart
But the picture, baron.' exclaimed, ,
will you not wait for me to finish it?''
1t was not the picture about which
was concerned. l clung to a straw TO
keep him from his purpose, to urge him
to make a home for himself in Amer
lea and in time to be happy.
W men you near tnat am no longer
sensible to disgrace send the sketch
you have made to my parents"
/ begged him to alter his resolution,
but failed
Would you have me add one dis
grace to another?' he asked. II am
enrolled as a soldier, and must serve
as a soldier"
He gave me the address OF his par
ents, bade me adieu and was gone.
The war dragged on. Many OF our
young women went over to work with
the Red Cross, and | finally threw
down my brush and palette and went
to France to nurse the soldiers.
One day among the German wound
ed who were brought in | recognized
my friend met In the Catskill noun
tains in America. He was badly |
wounded. He recognized me at once,
and bis eye Lit up at seeing me. He
held up cross made of gun metal and
said, Il am no longer disgraced."