The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-03-31
My Companion
For a Day
BY ETHEL HOLMES

the west. Standing on an emineAee
was looking down upon France spread
out before me when. glancing aside.
saw young woman sitting before al
easel sketching. She turned her face
and. seeing a woman standing neal
her, she smiled. | went to her and
looked at her picture.
sat down on the ground near her
and while she remained on her sketch,
ing stool and worked we chatted.
attempted to interest her In the United
States, but she did not appear to ad.
mire our institutions
'You are a nation OF individuals, "
she said, and there Is nothing to weld
you. Many races are represented
among you. and the people of each race
stand together and keep up their ma
tional traditions. IL war should
break out between any too nations
here the people OF each in America
would come back to fight for the IA
therland. even those who had been
born on American soil"
lyon are mistaken" | replied Our
foreigners are glad to escape the dis
advantages of a monarchical form Of
government. They become naturallzed
and that makes them American citi-
| zens."
Let a war come In Europe" contin-
ued the artist, and you will see."
/ You prefer an EMPEROR
Yes. we Germans are one people I'M
! der one head. We have the most effi-
cient form OF government"
asked her where she was going. and
she said that she intended sketching
along the French border northward.
She described the scenery northward
as attractive, and since was wander
ing Mt will ! concluded TO go part OF
the way with her. She received the an
nouncement coIdly, but when | added
that would take the first good road |
came TO down into France she seemed
better pleased.
So we proceeded northward together
she stopping now and again to sketch.
Her pictures were very singular In
deed. they were rather. it seemed to
me, the ground work for pictures, and
when / told her that / did not under
stand them she told me that they were
memoranda from which pictures would
be painted on her return tc her home in
Berlin.
We kept together till evening, when
we came to hotel where we asked for
rooms. We were told that there was
but one room vacant, and if we cared
TO accept 1t together we might do so.
My companion expressed herself as
agreeable to the plan. and also con-
scented.
Il must look out for my passport"
said 10 her when we were going to bed |
"A stranger in Europe without pass
port is like fish without gills." And ! |
put my passport under my pillow.
When / awoke the next morning and |
looked toward the other bed 1t was va
cant. Nor were my companions clothes
in sight Her sketching materials, too,
were gone | got out Of bed and went
TO the door. 1t was locked from the in
side. Turning TO window, | noticed
that few feet beneath it was a shed.
1t occurred TO me that my artist friend
hhN EphV oht ~ Nho "Ahhb' HAN W /
scended from the roof of the shed.
Was she a thief? | opened my bag.
where | kept my money. The funds
were there. ! counted them, and none
were missing. Relieved, l dressed my
self and put my hand under my pillow
for my passport. 1t was gone.
| was glad that my cash had been
spared instead OF my passport I could
get on without the one. though might
need it sorely. but not without the /,
other. But what did the girl want with ,
t.? For my life | could divine no rea-
son for her stealing 1t. She was going :
back TO Berlin to work up her sketches, c
ind surely In her own country she 7
needed no passport, especially one be- a
onging TO another. e
Going to a mirror TO do bit of Il
before descending to break \
asst, my image reminded me slightly of
he thief. Then I remembered that we
we're both about the same height and
,uild, both blends and both blue eyed,
hough she was of lighter hair and eyes q
han l. Nevertheless, / could not d. b
Inc why she should want my passport o
The first gun fired by the Germans W
ew weeks later forced the reason into p
ny stupid brain. The border between II
france and Germany was hotbed for u
pies on both sides. This girl was o
oubtless a spy for the German govern y
lent She was laying down memoranda
n the shape of basis for pictures OF !,
he topography Of the ground on the i
'rench border. ~
But before the war opened / say her
gain. had put up at hotel near the Il
ierman border and took seat in the :
lining room for supper. At a table
ear by sat the girl who had stolen my
assport. IL she saw and recognized
lie. which she probably did. she main.
lined her equanimity perfectly.
II was within my power TO send her
, a fortress. probably to death. All
had to do was to denounce her. Had
been able TO infiict upon her suit
bic punishment for stealing my pass
Ort would have done so. but to cause
ar to be treated as a spy was too
uch for me. / am an American and
I'd no interest in the military prob
ms between France and Germany, so
permitted her 10 walk out Of the din
& room unmolested.