Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-07-09
" Outwitting
The Hun"
------------
The Wars Greatest Story
BY Lieut.. Pat O'Brien
(Continued from Last Issue)
BY Lieut.. Pat O'Brien

n
tainly | was going there more Tor
discipline than pleasure. but l had made
up my mind and l was going to see
it through.
The entrance to the theater or beer
garden. for it was as much one S the
other, was on the side of the building
and was reached by way of an alley
which ran along the side. Near the
door was a ticket sellers booth, but as
this was one of the free nights there
was no one i'll the booth
marched slowly down the alley, imi
tatIng as best | could the Indifferent
gait of the Belgians, and when entered
the theater l endeavored to act as
though | had been there many times
before. hasty survey OF the layout
of the place was sufficient to enable me
to select my seat. 1t was early and
there were not more than half dozen
people in the place at that time, so
that l had my choice.
There was a raised platform, per-
haps two feet high, all around the walls
of the place, except at the end where
the stage was located. On this platform
tables were arranged and there were
tables on the floor proper as well.
|, / decided promptly that the safest
place for me was as far back as posi-
BILE, where | would not be In the line
of vision of others in back of me. Ac~
cordingly l slouched over TO a table on
the platform directly opposite the stage
and / took the seat against the wall.
The whole place was now in front OF
me. l could see everything that was
going on and everyone who cane in,
but no one, except those who sat at
my own table would notice me unless
they deliberately turned around to look
A Night of Dissipation
The place began TO fill up rapidly.
Every second person VINO came IN the
door seemed to me to be a German sol
der, but when they were seated at
the tables and 1 got a chance later on
to make rough count. l found that in
all there were not more than hundred
soldiers in the place and there must
have been several hundred civilians.
The first people to 81 OF my table
were a Belgian and his wife. The Bel
gian sat next to me and his wife next
to him. l was hoping that other civil
ians would occupy the remaining two
seatSat my table, because l did not rel
ish the idea of having to SIT through
the show with German soldiers within
a few feet of me. That would certainly
have spoiled my pleasure for the eve
ming.
Every uniform that came in the door
gave me cause to worry until L was
sure ii was not coming in my direction.
l don't suppose there was a single SOL
dier who came in the door whom 1 didn't
follow to his seat--with my eyes.
Just before they lowered the lights,
two German officers entered. They
stood at the door for moment looking
the place over Then they made a bee
line in my direction and 1 must con-
TESS my heart started to beat a little
faster. l hoped that they would find
another seat before they came to my vi
entity, but they were getting nearer
and nearer and l realized with a sicken-
ing sensation tina. ---cy were headed dl-
rectly for tho two seats at my table,
and that was indeed the case.
Germans at Same Table
These two seat. were in front of the
table facing the stage and except when
the officers would be eating or drinking
their backs were toward me, and there
was considerable consolation in that.
From my seat l could have reached
right over a. ---.~ned one of them on
his bald head. 1t would have been more
than a touch, / am afraid, if l could
have gotten away with it safely.
AS the otncers seated themselves a
waiter came to us with printed bill
of fare and program Fortunately, he
waited on the others first and / listened
ordered some light wine, but my Bel
gian neighbor ordered Book" for him
self and his wife, which was what I
had decided to order anyway, as that
was the only thing ! could say. Heaven
knows l would far rather have ordered
something to eat, but the bill of fare
meant othing to me, and 1 was afraid
to take a chance at the pronunciation
of the dishes as set forth.
10 of
which l might safely enough have or
dered. For instance, l noticed Lemon
squash, 1.50," ginger beer. l." Spark
ling Dry Ginger Ale, l." "Apolinaris,
l." and "Schweppes soda. $50" but
it occurred to me that the mere fact
that a selected something that was
listed in English might attract atten-
ton to me and something in my pro-
nunciation might give further cause for
suspicion.
1t seemed better to parrot the Belgian
and order Book" and that was what l
decided to do.
One item on the bill of fare tanta-
LIKED me considerably. Although 1t
was listed among the "Prizzan der
drunken" which 1 took to mean
prices of drinks" it sounded very
much TO me like something to eat,
and Heaven knows 1 would rather have
had one honest mouthful of food than
all the drinks in the world.
The item / refer to was Dubbed
Gersten de Flesch (Michaux)." A dou-
BILE portion of anything would have
been mighty welcome to me, but l
would have been contented with a sim
gle "Gersten" if 1 had only had the
courage to ask for it.
To keep myself as composed as pos
sible. l devoted a lot of attention to
that bill of fare. and l think by the
time the waiter came around l almost
knew it by heart. One drink that al
most made me laugh aloud was listed
as "Lemonades gazeuses," but l might
Just as well have introduced myself
to the German officers by my right
name and rank as attempt to pronounce
it.