The Meeker herald., 1917-07-21
My Companion
For a Day
By ETHEL HOLMES


Switzerland. and when emerged from
the west. Standing Oh an eminence
was looking down upon France spread
out before me when. CHANGING aside.
saw young woman sitting before an
easel sketching She turned her face.
and. seeing IL woman standing near
her, she smiled. | went to her and
looked at her picture.
l sat down on the ground near her.
and while she remained on her sketch
ing stool and worked we clntted. !
attempted to interest her in the United
Suites. but she did not appear to ad
nire our institutions.
You are nation of individuals"
she said, land there Is nothing to weld
you. Many rnccs 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 fn-
therland, even those who had been
born on American soil"
you are mistaken" replied. Our
foreigners are glad to escape the dis
advantages of monarchical form of
government. They become naturalized.
and that makes them American citi-
zens."
Let war come In Europe" contin-
ued the artist, land you will see"
You prefer an emperor?
Yes we Germnns are one people UNI
der one head. We have the most efli-
cient form OF government"
! asked her where she was going. and
she said that she intended sketching
along the French border northward.
as attractive. and since | was wander
ing at will | concluded to go part OF
the way with her. She received the an
nounccmcnt coldly. but when | added
that l. 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. il seemed to
me. the groundwork for pictures. and
W utH toIu utE tHhl oHi lot
stand them she told me that they were
memoranda from which pictures would
be pa tinted on her return t. her home In
Berlin.
We kept together till evening, when
we came to IA hotel where we asked for
rooms. We were told that there was
but one room vacant. and IL We cared
to accept 1t together we might do 30.
My companion expressed herself as
agreeable to the plan. and also con-
scented.
Il must look out for my passport"
said to her when we were going to bed.
"A stranger in Europe without a pass
port is like fish without Eills." And |
put my passport under my pillow.
When l awoke the next morning and
looked toward the other bed it was va
cant Nor were my companions clothes
III sight. Her skctching materials, too.
were gone. | got out of bed and went
to the door. 1t was locked from the in
side. Turning to IL window. ! noticed
that n few feet beneath it was a shed
1t occurred TO me that my artist friend
had gone out by the window and de-
scen1cd from the roof Of the shed.
Was she thief! | opened my bag.
where l kept my money. The funds
&cre there. counted them. and none
were missing. Relieved. ! 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. could
tIntr trt, 7 mil
need 1t sorely. but not without the
other. But what did the girl want with
it? For my life | could divine no rea-
son for her stealing 1t. She was going
back to Berlin to work up her sketches.
and surely in her own country she
needed no passport. especially one be-
longing to another.
Going to mirror to do bit OF
prinkins before descending to break
fast, my image reminded me slightly of
the thief. Then remembered that we
were both about the same height and
build, both blends and both blue eyed,
though she was of lighter hair and eyes
than l. Nevertheless. I could not Ii-
vine why she should want my passport.
The first gun fired by the Germans
few weeks later forced the reason into
my stupid brain. The border between
France and Germany was hOtbed for
spies on both sides. This girl was
doubtless spy for the German govern
ment She was laying down memoranda
in the shape of basis for pictures OF
the topography of the ground on the
French border.
But before the war opened 1 saw her
again. had put up Mt a hotel near the
German border and took seat in the
dining room for supper. At table
near by sat the girl who had stolen my
passport. II she saw and recognized
inc. which she probably did. she main.
tanned her eQunnimity perfectly.
II was within my power to send her
to fortress. probably to death. All
4 p,.l 10, har lad