The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1917-05-15
My
Watcher
A Story of the Opening
of the Great War.
Z By F. A. Mitchell !
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l went abroad to travel for pleasure
as soon as | had been graduated from
college. / went to England, then over
to France, and from there l went
through Switzerland to Germany.
l was In Berlin In July, 1914, just
before the breaking out of the great
European war. was walking one
evening on that broad thoroughfare
called Inter den Linden when l met a
man whose eye l happened to catch.
Until we had passed our eyes were
fixed upon each other, why l could
not divine. | presumed that he saw
me looking at him, and he looked at
me for that reason. Such things are
quite liable to happen. There was
nothing noticeable about the man ex-
cept that he was very well dressed. As
to his nationality, did not know what
1t was; but. meeting him in Germany,
/ concluded that he was a German.
From his lineaments he might have
been of almost any of the white races
that had their origin in a northern eli
mate.
The same evening 1 went into a res
taurant for dinner, gave my hat and
cane to waiter and, taking a seat at
a table, scanned the menu. On raising
my eyes from it looked into those of
the man / had met In the afternoon.
He was regarding me with an express
sion which could not exactly inter
pref. 1t might be expressed as Ill at
ease, but again it might have indicated
cunning.
still believed that it was a matter
of happening, coincidence, whatever
one may choose to call it, that was be-
tween us, and we had no more actual
interest in each other than any other
two men who happened to meet twice
ON the same day. Nevertheless during
the dinner l occasionally cast a glance
In his direction, and it always hap
pened that he cast one at me at the
same moment
Intending to leave for America, /
went the next morning to the Ameri-
can embassy to have my passport
vised. AS l was coming out whom
should / see going In but the man
had twice met before. He started at
seeing me and hurried on into the
building. 1 went across the street and
remained where l would not easily be
seen waiting till he came out. When
he did so he stood on the sidewalk
looking up and down the street. l be-
neved that he was looking for me-
Presently he moved away.
l mentioned these meetings to Ger
man friend of mine. His theory was
that the man was a spy In the employ
of the government. THE city is full Of
them" he said, "and l fancy every
stranger who comes here has a guard
ian assigned to him to watch him dur
ing his stay" This put new idea into
my head. l no longer considered our
meetings accidental | believed that
was being Swallowed.
The next day the world was startled
by a declaration of war l had intend
ed to leave for home ON that day and,
being ready, boarded a train. 1t was
the last or one of the last regular
trains to leave Berlin. l stepped into
a compartment and was placing my
hand baggage on the rack when the
door was darkened by some one enter
ing. There was not light enough to
make out who it was, but when we
were both seated and the train pulled
out of the station, with a better light
there was my watcher
There was a change in him since l
had last seen him. He was now clean
shaver. Had not my attention been so
thoroughly called to him l question If
I should have recognized him as he
now appeared.
confess l was worried. l had es-
teemed myself lucky to get out of Ber-
lin, but l now feared that this man
would not permit me to leave Ger
many. Was l not in danger of being
arrested and held for a spy? 1 remem-
bered with anxiety some photographs
of historic places that l had in my
trunk and was not sure but that one Of
them took in distant Notifications. If
so, and this man was ON my track, /
might be taken off the train at any mo-
ment, detained In prison and possibly
executed.
When we stopped at a station long
enough to enable me to get something
to eat / went to a lunch counter and
while eating saw my watcher sitting
at the other end of the counter. He
looked aside at me at the very moment
looked at him.
After finishing my luncheon 1 went
back to my compartment, expecting
the man to return and resume his seat
But the guard shut the door, and the
train started ON without his havina
entered. Looking up into the rack
where l had seen him place satchel,
his only hand baggage, saw that ii
was not in its place
I wondered what he was up to by
this move. Had he left the train or
only the compartment? Why had he
ceased to keep me under his eye?
could not answer these questions. But
/ believed the move meant something
to his advantage and to my disadvan-
tage. shuddered lest he had relin-
pushed his watchfulness over me to
turn it over to the soldiers.
As we approached the border my
anxiety increased. l did not believe
the man would hermit me to get out OF
Germany. WA he hed let me 20 sc
far could not imagine. But 1 knew
that the German police have their own
way of doing things, and l supposed
there was method in their madness.
Just before we reached the border,
where the train stopped, an officer of
the army put his head into the COM
partment evidently looking for some
one. / was in a condition Of mind to
cry out, II am the man you're looking
for; take me and shoot me and have it
over with" After what seemed to me
minutes-it was only seconds-he with
drew, and l heayed a long drawn sigh
of relief.
When the train stopped at the Dor
der we were all compelled to pass an
examination that took a long while,
though the government had not at that
time instituted the rigorous examina-
lions of later date. While thus de-
tanned during a transit from one room
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