Willmar tribune., 1917-06-13
WARS
REWARD"
By z. A. mitchell

Bertha Bishor said goodby to her
lover, Lieutenant Gustav Schlotter,
who was about to leave her to take
command Of his submarine, U.94 of
the German imperial navy. There Ia
no more dangerous service In the world
than sailing under the sea, and there
is nothing more appalling than being
Bertha chung to her lover, and when
he disengaged himself from her, en-
couraging her that he would soon see
her again and, he hoped, with dec
grafton on his breast, she walled:
r"You will never come back to me!'
II will, dear heart, WILL" he said,
and darted out of the door and into
the car that was to take him to the
station on the North sea where his
vessel was awaiting him.
Bertha was incOnsolable. In vain
her mother, her relatives, her friends,
endeavor to instill into her feeling
that her lover would survive the
perils to which he would be exposed
and return to her showered with hon
ors. But Bertha's mind had become
oppressed with visions of his boat ly-
ing hundreds of feet under the surface
merciless waves rolling far above it,
the commander and all the crew lying
stiff and stark within their iron tomb.
A few days after Schlotter left for
his ship message came to Bertha
telling her that he was about to slip
out from the station and rove the sea.
He would be submerged while pass
ing the allied feet, but after that there
would be little occasion for him to
leave the surface except when nearing
some merchantman of the enemy that
he was intending to destroy. He
charged his sweetheart to think Of
him dashing hither and thither In the
service of the fatherland and returning
to her, having earned the blessings of
his countrymen and the appreciation
of the kaiser.
IF I am given any token Of my
country's appreciation" he said, 81
will lay it at the feet of my darling"
Lieutenant Schlotter sailed out one
dark night on the bosom of a wintry
sea.
Those VINO endeavored to keep up
Bertha's courage pictured her lover
coming to her aglow with pride at the
blows he had struck for the fatherland.
They spoke Of the decorations he would
wear, and one enthusiast described
him as wearing the wreath Of victory
that Roman conquerors wore when de-
creed triumph. at this suggestion
Bertha shuddered.
A time came when Schlotter had been
out a long while without reporting or
being reported. The German admiral
ty were beginning to think that they
must soon place the U-94 on the list
Of missing submarines. Those about
Bertha concealed their fears, and the
more they feared the more hopeful they
appeared to her. She was told that
the time the submarine was expected
to return was near and doubtless its
arrival would soon be announced.
1t was proposed that she should. be
taken to the station to which her lover
would return, that she might be on
hand to meet him. The proposal did
not cheer her, but she consented, and
with her mother she left for the coast
Not far from the station was q hotel,
In which the two were lodged, and
word was left with the proper officer
to notify Lieutenant Schlotter when
he came in that they were waiting for
him. The officer took the message and
promised to deliver it.
Bertha spent her time sitting at a
window looking out upon the bleak
North sea or walking on the sands.
constantly looking for sign Of the
U9E But the days dragged on, and
it did not come. Bertha remembered
her lovers promise to come back to
her. II will. dear heart, I WILL" she
kept repeating as IL to reassure herself
of what she felt would never be.
One night Bertha heard that a sub
marine had come In, but what vessel
her informant did not know. She
wished to 60 to the station, but her
mother told her that by doing 80 she
would likely miss her lover, who
would surely come to her If indeed 1t
was he who had arrived. Bertha was
persuaded, but insisted on remaining
out on the porch looking in the direc
tion Of the station. There was a dull
moon, and she could see some distance
Presently she saw the dim figure of
man walking along the margin of
the sea. He seemed to advance rapid.
~. as though In haste. 1T Is her,
cried the girl. and before her mother.
who was with her, could restrain her
she ran toward the coming figure. As
She neared 1t pair Of arms were
stretched out toward her, holding out
to her what looked like wreath. A
chill wind blew In from the ocean
The figure grew dim, and I'm q moment
where it stood was nothing.
Frau Bishof followed her daughter
and when she reached her found her
lying on the sand unconscious, press
ing wreath Of seaweed to her breast.
Assistance was called and the girl
removed to the hotel. Consciousness
returned, but not reason. She lay
moaning and muttering. What she
said was incoherent, 6at seemed to he
descriptive Of visions that came t. her
She described the submarine In The
tolls of steel net. Her crew lay in