Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-10-11

face.
IMPOSSIBLE" he reported.
Puorquoi imposSible?" ("Whv
impossible?') asked Won der Lane
ken.
A cause de leur sale fete ma
tionale!" C'Because of their dirty
national holiday!"D he replied.
ii was Belgium's national holiday
and the Belgians were observing il.
IL not in one way then in another.
They would not repair a German
car. And so we had the prospect
of spending the night at the Hotel
de la Pomme dor. The, Wallets had
gone on by train to Brussels We
considered the possibility of send
ing to Brussels for a motor car
but that involved passierscheins
and all sorts of arrangement, in
this instance as difficult for these
two distinguished German officers
as for us in ordinary times; the
motor could not get to Oudenarde
. before morning. we should gain
nothing. But pru der Lancken was
resourceful. He sent Harrach to
telephone to Brussels and order a
special train, and then we sat down
to very good dinner.
The yellow-haired Flemish girl.
rather pretty, who served us, wore
a brooch with a photograph in it.
She could speak no French but
Harrach could get along with her
in Flemish.
Who is that?' asked Harrach.
She threw back her head with
pride:
Beige soldat, meinherr." GA
Belgian soldier. sir,7) she said.
Your sweetheart? Harrach ask
ed.
';Neen, nyn broedeI Ono, my
brother.")
But you have a sweetheart he
persisted.
Xix zal niemand beminnen duur-
ing de oorIog!" CT shall love no one
during the war!") she said.
She was as indomitable as the
rest of the Belgians.
We had our dinner and then a
bugle in the street announced the
retreat; everybody must be indoors
a little after ten, that is ten, Ger
man time.
We left the hotel and walked
through the dark and silent streets.
ViIlalobar with Won der Lancken
going on ahead, Harrach and fol-
lowing, talking in low tones in the
intimacy the darkness somehow
makes natural. He told me of his
troubles at the outbreak of the war;
he had been in Florence studying
art. He spoke of his family, of his
wife and children, of his ambitions,
of art, of the war, of all his inter
rupted plans. And we strolled on in
the soft grateful darkness, weary
after our long day Of excitement.
Suddenly in the darkness a cry:
"Halte-la!"
We halted.
"Ces vieux bonshemmes de Land
sturm tirent ST a la legere partols,
vous savez." ("The old men of the
Landstrum sometimes fire so
thoughtlessly, you know,D said
Harrach.
Lancken and Villalobar had halted;
they were on the other side or the
street. Then Lancken's voice rang
out; he was shouting something IN
German. Finally he was ordered
to draw near. We approached then
and under the light of lamp post
the only one, L think, IN the
town that was lighted-the sentinel
a bearded old fellow, read our pa
pers, became suddenly oosequlous'
and showed us the way to the sta
ton. When we got there it was
half past eleven and we had an
hour and a half to wait. Lancken
grumbled at the lateness of our
return.
Isl vous naviez change Iheure.
nous ne serions pas rentres 81 tard
ce soir." ("If you had not changed
the time we should not have re-
turned so late this EVENING" said
villalobar.
The railroad officials, all German,
Of course, were saluting right and
. left. They gave US the waiting
room: Won der Lancken had them
put out the lights and we stretch
ed out on the cushions with our
overcoats over us. fell asleep
Immediately and did not awaken
until they called us to take the
train. There were four compart-
ments in the train and, tired or
each others presence, we each took
one. wrapped myself in an over
coat and stretched myself out on
the seat The train jerked and
started.
Someone had opened the door OF
the carriage and was shouting:
BTuSSGl. NlCiIieCA
We were in the Care du Nord; it
was silent and empty, with that
desolate air a railway station wears
in the night, an impression intensl-
fed then because the Care had be
come a "bahnhof," with all the
signs in German. In the Place
Rogier, "A cabman was snooZing on
his box, and Villalobars motor was
waiting, the Spanish flag at the
fore. We drove home in the cool
morning air.
published by special arrange
ment with the Mcclure Newspaper
Syndicate. Copyright, 1918, by
Brand Whitlock, under the title
Memories of Belgium Under the
German Occupation" All rights
reserved. Copyrighted in Great
Britain, Canada and Australia. All
rights reserved for France, Bel
GUM, Holland, Italy, Spain, Rus
STA and the Scandinavian countries.)
(continued Next IssueD
published by special arrange
ments with the Mcclure Newspaper
Syndicate. COpyrigh ted, 1918, by
Brand Whitlock, under the title
Memories of Belgium Under the
German Occupation" All rights
reserved. Copyrighted in Great
Britain, Canada and Australia. All
rights reserved for France, Bel
GUM, Holland, italy, Spain, Russia