The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1917-04-19
My Companion
For a Day
By ETHEL HOLMES

was locking down upon France spread
out before me when, CHANGING aside, l
saw young woman sitting before an
easel skctching. She turned her face.
and, seeing woman standing near
her. she smiled. l 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 adj
mire our institutions.
You are nation of individuals"
she said, land there is nothing 70 weld
you. Many races are represented
among you, and the people of each race
stand together and keep up their ma
tional traditions. If a 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"
You are mistaken" l replied. Our
foreigners are glad to escape the dis
advantages of a monarchical form of
government They become naturalized.
and that makes them American citi.
Zens."
Let wal come i'll Europe" contin-
ued the artist. and you viii see"
You prefer an emperor"
Yes, we Germans are one people I'M
der one head. We have the most eff
cient form of government"
l 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 at will concluded to go a part Of
the way with her. She received the an
nouncemeut cOldly, but when I added
that l would take the first coed road.
came to down into France she seemed
better pleased.
SO We proceeded northward together,
she stopping now and again to sketch.
Her pictures We're very singular. In
deed, they We're rather it seemed to
me, the groundwork for pictures. and
when l told her that l 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 We're told that there was
but one room vacant, and if we cared
to accept it together We might do so.
My companion expressed herself as
agreeable to the plan, and l also CON
scented.
Il must look out for my passport" |
said to her when we We're going to bed.
"A stranger in Europe without a 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 it was va
cant. Nor We're my companions clothes
in sight Her sketching materials, too.
were gone. l got out of bed and went
to the door. 1t was locked from the in
side. Turning to Il window, | noticed
that few feet beneath it was Il shed
1t occurred to me that my artist friend
L''b SN.iC Jul ~ IlIC W ill'lDN anu dG-
scended from the roof Of the shed.
Was she a thief: l opened my bag
where l kept my money. The funds
We're there. l counted them, and none
We're missing. Relieved, ! dressed my
self and put my hand under my pillow
for my passport. 1t was gone.
l was glad that my cash had been
spared instead Of my passport. l could
get on without the one, though might
need it sorely, but not without the
other. But what did the girl want with
it? For my life l could divine no rea-
son for her stealing it. She was going
back to Berlin to work up her sketches
and surely i'll her own country she
needed no passport, especially one be-
longing to another.
Going to a mirror to do a bit of
prinking before descending to break
fast, my image reminded me slightly of
the thief. Then l 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, l could not di-
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 a hotbed for
spies on both sides This girl was
doubtless a 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 l saw her
again. l had put up at hotel near the
German border and took a seat in the
dining room for supper. At a table
near by sat the girl who had stolen my
passport. If she saw and recognized
me, which she probably did, she main
tanned her equanimity perfectly.
1t was within my power to send her
to fortress, probably. to death. All
1 had to do was to denounce her Had
1 been able to inflict upon her a suit
able punishment for stealing my pass
port l would have done so, but to cause
her to be treated as a spy was too
much for me. l am an American and
had no interest in the military prob