The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1918-07-12
CHAPTER XIV.
"A Night of Dissipation.

/ with Huyllger a1Ier ndu urSt drrlVeC
| in the big city, he had told me, among
other things, of moving picture show
| in town which he said might have 9
| chance to see while there.
at is free every night in the week
except Saturdays and Sundays" be
| said, land once you are inside you
would not be apt to be bothered by
| anyone except when they come to take
| your order for something to drink
! While there is no admission, patrons
are expected to eat or drink while en-
| joying the pictures"
| A day or two later, while walking
| the streets at night in search for food
! I had passed this place and was very
much tempted to go in and spend a
| few hours, particularly as it would
perhaps give me an opportunity to
buy something to eat, although l was
at loss to know how was going to
! ask for what / wanted.
While trying to make up my mind
whether it was safe for me to 60 In l
walked half block past the place, and
when turned back again and reached
the entrance with my mind made up
that would take the chance I ran full
tilt into German officer who was just
coming out.
That settled all my hankerings for
moving pictures that night. "Where
you came from, my FRIEND" I figured,
''there must be more like you'll guess
it is good night for walking"
The next day, however, in recalling
the incident Of the evening before, it
seemed to me that I lad been rather
foolish. What I needed more than
anything else at that time was conf
dence. Before I could get to the from
tier would have to confront German
soldiers many times, because there
were more of them between this city
and Holland than in any section Of the
country through which I had SO far
Travelled. Safety in these conting-
eEcies would depend largely upon the
calmness I displayed. It wouldn't do
to get all excited at the mere sight OF
a spiked helmet. The Belgians, I had
noticed, while careful to obey the
orders Of the Huns, showed no partic-
ular fear of them, and it seemed to
me the sooner I cultivated the same
feeling of Indifference the better l
would be able to carry off the part l
was playing.
For this reason / made up my mind
then and there that, officers or no Of
ficers, I would go to that show that
night and sit it through no matter
what happened. While people may
think that had decided unwisely be-
cause Of the unnecessary risk involved
in the adventure, it occurred to me
that perhaps after all that theater was
about one of the safest places | could
attend because that was about the last
place Germans would expect to find a
fugitive English officer in even if they
were searching for me.
As soon as evening came, therefore,
] started out for the theatre. I fixed
myself up as well as possible. I had
on a fairly decent pair Of pants which
Huyliger had given me and I used
clean handkerchief as a collar.
With my hair brushed up and my
beard trimmed as neatly as possible
with a pair Of rusty scissors which /
had found In the house, while my ap-
pearance was not exactly that Of
Beau Brummel, / don't think looked
much worse than the average Belgian.
In these days the average Belgian Is
very poorly dressed at best.
y I can't say had no misgivings as I
made my way to the theatre; GER
tainly was going there more for dis
cipline than pleasure, but I had made
up my mind that was going there to
see it through.
The entrance to the theatre or beer
garden, for 1t was as much one as the
other, was OIL the side Of the building
and was reached by way Of an alley
which ran alongside. Near the door
was ticket-seller's booth, but as this
was one Of the free nights there was
no one in the booth.
marched slowly down the alley
initiating as best I could the indiffer-
ent gait of the Belgians, and when |
entered the theater endeayored to act
as though had been there many times
before. A hasty survey of the layout
of the place was sufficient to enable
me to select my seat. 1t was early and
there We're not more than half dozen
people in the place at that time, so
that / 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.
I decided promptly that the safest |
place for me was as far back as pos |
sible, where would not be In the line |
OF vision Of others In back Of me. Ac-
cordingly I slouched over to a table |
on the platform directly opposite the |
stage and / took the seat against the
l