Baxter Springs news., 1918-11-15

case may be. Every letter is read
through, but their contents IL never
afterwards discussed or revealed In
any way. II the pilot Is finally re-
ported dead. his effects are forwarded
TO his next Of kin. but while he II Of
ficially only missing" or is known to
be q prisoner Of war. they are kept
either at the squadron headquarters
or sent to his bankers.
In my case as soon as II was learned
that / had fallen from the sky, II was
assumed that l had been killed and
my chum. Paul Raney. and another
officer detailed to check over my ef-
fects. The list they made and to
which they affixed their signatures.
as l have previously mentioned, IL
now In my possession and is one Of
the most treasured souvenirs Of my
adventure.
Ny trunk was sent to Cox & Co. in
due course, and now that ! was In
London thought I would 90 and claim
II.
When I arrived at the bank I ap-
piled to the proper window for my
mail and trunk.
"who are yOui" I was asked rather
sharply.
"Well. I guess no one has any
greater right to Pat o'Brien's effects
than / have" replied. "and would
be obliged to you II you would look
them up for me-"
"That may be all right, my friend"
replied the clerk, ''but according to
our records Lieutenant 0Brien Is a
prisoner of war in Germany, and we
can't very well turn over his effects
to anyone else unless either you pre-
sent proof that he is dead and that
you are his lawful representative. or
else deliver to us properly authenti-
ticated order from him to give them
to you"
He was very positive about It all.
but quite polite, and / thought /
would kid him no more.
SWELL" I said, II can't very well
present proofs to you that Pat O'Brien
is dead, but will do the best can to
prove to you that he Is alive, and II
you haven't quite forgotten his sig
nature guess I can write you out
an order that will answer all your re-
Quirements and enable you to give me
Pat O'Brien's belongings without run
ming any risks" and ! scribbled my
signature on a scrap Of paper and
handed It to him.
he looked at me carefully through
the latticed window, then jumped
down from the high chair and came
outside to clasp me by the hand.
"Good heavens, leftenant" he ex-
claimed. as he pumped my hand up
and down, show did you ever get
away?" and I had to sit right down
and tell him and half n dozen other
people in the bank all about my ex-
perlences.
I had been in England about hve
days when I received a telegram
which, ut first, occasloned me almost
as much concern as the unexpected
sight of a German spiked helmet had
caused me In Belgium. 1t read as
follows:
'Lieut. P. A. o'BrIen. Royal Flying
Corps, Regents Palace Hotel. Lon
don:
1.-THE king is very glad to hear OF
your escape from Germany. If you
are to be in London on Friday next,
December 7th, His majesty will re-
ceive you at Buckingham palace at
10 80 a. m. Please acknowledge.
"CROMER."
OF course, there was only one
thing to do and that was to obey ord
ers. was an officer In the army and
the king was my commander in chief,
had to 60, and SO / sat down and
sent off the following answer:
earl Cromer, Buckingham Palace.
London:
~ will attend Buckingham palace
as directed, Friday, December dtn' al
1880.
LIEUT.. PAT o'BRIEN."
In the interval that elapsed, must
confess. the ordeal Of calling on the
king of England loomed up more
dreadfully every day, and l really
believed would rather have spent an
other day in the empty house In the
big city in Belgium or, say, two more
days Mt Courtrai, than to go through
what believed to be In store for me-
Orders were orders, however, and
there was no way Of getting out OF 1t.
As It turned out, 1t wasn't half as bad
as / had fearsd-On the contrary. II
was one Of the most agreeable expe'
rIences Of my life.