The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-02-20

Paris, Feb. 49,
French ?"
Fine Their immense!'
That's the regular question and
the enthusiastic answer when Ameri-
cans meet over here.
What is the French attitude toward
Americans? Confidence; calm conf
dence; a confidence as superior as
that which they have in themselves
And it isn't misplaced. Well make
good. That's our pet passion.
On the steamer, coming over, some
of the helpful souls conceived and
executed a counter irritant to the
apprehended danger zone, and a mem
Der of the medical staff of the u. S.
army, whom we shall call Lieutenant
Bill, was appointed chairman of the
committee of one on costumes and
properties from which time forth he
was ANONYMOUSLY called "Props"
He was summoned Immediately after
the Libretto committee, had held it's
Preliminary session, and his first and
only question was characteristic.
"Well," he smiled producing pen
ell and paper, give me a list of what
you want"
They did. They laid it before
him, then loftily left him alone in his
stupefaction. With reckless dis
regard of wartime restrictions, they
had planned a grand, glittering allie
gorical masque, combined with a
magnificent male ballet; and all they
wanted was costumes for Neptune,
two golden-tres he-mermaids, sew
eral other principals. and fourteen
beautiful Wavelets of the Atlantic
ocean,
Some five minutes later Lieutenant
Bill came brisklv out of that little
salon, and confidently intarvie're,,
the six lady passengers of the ship.
He finished those interviews sad
der and a wiser man. Such ladies
as were abdoard these serious times
were on no frivolous errands, and they
had not, individually or collectively,
enough broad, blue ribbon to make
fiet for the hair, a bow, treamer,
and wide biIlow for even one beaut-
iflul wave of the Atlantic ocean. let
alone fourteen.
Thought on the part of Props. He
went to the second steward, who
sent him to the linen steward, who
sent him to the purser. The purser
listened atteqttively, gazing the while
on the unfaltering determination of
the ray of hope. Among the flags
which were used for signals and sa-
lutes, there might possibly be some
blue bunting, but the only man who
could give him. permission to use that
if there were any, was the skipper.
"Where is the sl1ipper?" asked
Lieutenant Bill.
Hugh" The puresr laughed, and
shrugged his ohoulders. The captain
is on the bridge"
1t was a beautifully clear and star
lit light, and the sea was calmly gilt
tering its diamonds from horizon to
horizon; an ideal night for submarines
had any CHANGED to cross our path;
and we had just entered the So
called danger zone. Out on the
darkeEed deck, where no smokers
smoked and no CLEAN or crack of
light was allowed to be visible from
within. went Lieutenant, and consld-
cred. Up there in the dimness was
the bridge, with the head of the skip
per motionlessly silouhetted against
the midnight sky. To port and star
board and amidships and fore andaft,
were the gun crews, in their queer
night uniforms like COLLINS out of
some weird fantasy, and all motion
less in their cat-like watchfulness.
Equally motionless stood Lieutenant
Bill at the bottom of the narrow
until at last duty
drove him on! Slowly he climbed the
steps. On a sudden like the crack OF
a gun there came from out of the
darkness above the irascible voice OF
the nerve-strained skipper.
''Who in blazes is that ?"
Lieutenant So-and-So, returned /
Props deferentially, standing still IN
Lieutenant whatw rasped the
skipper.
Zone of the passengers, sir
''What in blazes do you want :"
"Well, captain, explained Lieut.
enant Bill, drawing long breath as
he braced himself for the effort,
we're getting up a little entertain
ment and if you could let US have
some BLUE bunting"
"Get to blazes down from there"
yelled the skipper in a justifiable
rage.
Eyes sir" meekly returned Lieu
tenant William So-and-So, and, going