The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1918-09-12


house), and sit down for the spider to
come down and get him. But always l
pictured myself in the same predica-
ment and rescued the fly just as the
spider was about to grab him. Several
times when things were dull l was
tempted to see the tragedy through,
but perhaps the same Providence that
guided mo safely through all perils
was guarding, too. the destiny of those
flies, for always weakened and the
flies never did suffer from my lust for
amusement.
The house was well supplied with
books-in fact. one of the choicest IL
braries / think l ever saw-but they
were all written either in Flemish or
French. 1 could read no Flemish and
very little French. / might have made
little Roadway with the latter, but
the books all seemed too deep for me
and gave it up. There was one thing
though that l did read and reread
from beginning to end; that was a
New York Herald which must have ar
rived just about the time war was de-
clared. Several things in this in
terested me, and particularly the base
ball scores, which / studied with as
much care as a real fan possibly could
an up-tO-date score. l couldn't refrain
from laughing when / came to an ac-
count of Zimmerman (of the Cubs)
being benched for some spat with the
umpire, and it afforded me just as
/ fntnrnCf of
appened-perhaps more-than some
current item of worldwide interest
had at that time.
1 rummaged the house many times
from cellar to garnet in my search for
something TO eat, but the harvest of
three years of war had made any sue
cess along that line impossible. / was
like the man out in the ocean in a boat
and thirsty with water everywhere but
not drop to drink.
/ was tempted while in the city to
go to church one Sunday. but my better
judgment told me IL would be a useless
risk. OF course, someone would surely
say something to me and l didn't
know how many Germans would be
there or what might happen, so gave
up that idea.
During all the time was concealed
in this house saw but one automobile
and that was German staff officers.
That same afternoon had one Of the
frights of my young life.
had been gazing out of the keyhole
as usual when / heard coming down
the street the measured tread of Ger
man soldiers. 1t didn't sound like very
many, but there was no doubt in my
mind that German soldiers were
marching down the street. went up
stairs and peeked through the window
and sure enough a squad of German in
fantry was coming down the street
accompanied by a military motor
truck. 1 hadn't the slightest idea that
they were coming after me, but still
the possibilities of the situation gave
me more or less alarm, and 1 consid-
cred how / could make my escape If
by chance / was the man they were
after. The idea of hiding i'm the wine
cellar appealed to me as the most
practical; there must have been
plenty of places among the wine kegs
and cases where a man could conceal
himself, but, as a matter of fact, did
not believe that any such contingency
would arise.
The marching soldiers came nearer.
, L could hear them at the next house.
In a moment would see them pass
) the keyhole through which was look.
! ing.
'Halt"
At the word of command shouted by
a junior officer the squad came to at
, tention right in front of the housed
Iwaited no longer. Running down the
{ stairs / flew into the wine cellar and
{ although it was almost pitch dark
, the only light coming from grating
{ which led to the backyard-I soon
} found a satisfactory hiding place in
l the extreme rear of the cellar. had
had the presence of mind to leave the
D door of the wine cellar ajar, figuring
: that If the soldiers found closed door
they would be more apt to search for
5 a fugitive behind 1t than If the door
: were open.
3 My decision to get away from that
5 front door had been made and carried
: out none too soon, for / had only just
!, located myself between two big wine
' cases when heard the tramp of sol
Z diers' feet marching up the front stoop
r a crash at the front door, few hasty
5 words of command which did not un
e derstand, and then the noise of sour
: rying feet from room to room and such
e a banging and hammering and smash
: ing and crashing that could not make
: out what was going on.
i II Huyliger had revealed my hiding
9 place to the Huns, as was now con
; fident he had, felt that there was lit
; tie prospect of their overlooking me
: They would search the house from TOT
{ to bottom add, IL necessary, raze IL t.
d the ground before they would give VI
o the search. To escape from the hous,
q through the backyard through the iror