Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-11-29
CHAPTER XIV-(Continued)

MY LIFE in that foul den was burden 10
lyl me. The living conditions were uhspeaN-
able. Otto n pale and ill-tempered consump''e,
compelled like me, to rise in the uarkhess VI
the dawn, never washed. and his comPah-
tonsh!p In the stuffy hole where we sept was
offensiye beyond belief He openly jeered at
my early morning journeys out to narrow
stinlsing court, where I eXulted in the ice,
cold water from the pump. Ana the ~
I. was only when I saw the mean ''o.ua,s
the coarse and often tainted horsehesh'
the unappetizing war-bread. the coftee SUD-
st,tute and the rest-that l realized now
Germany was suffering, though only throush
her moor as yet, from the British pl'cKade.
That thought used to help to overcome the
nausea with which I sat down to eat
Domestic life at Haase's was nell upon
Garth Haase himself was drunken puiig'
,,bo made advances to every woman ne met'
ord whose complicated intrigues with the
feminine portion of his clientele leo 10 IRE
ouent scenes with the fair-haired heoe VINO
presided at the bar and over MS housenoio'
II was she and Otto who fared daiy torln 70
take their places in the long queues that
waitad for hours with food cards outside the
provision shops.
These trips seemed to tell upon her temper,
which would fash out wrathfully at meal
times, when Haase began his ineVltapie'
grumbling about the food. AS QUO LOOK d
malicious delight in these family scenes,
was frequently called upon to assume the role
Of peacemaker. More than once mter'eheo
to save Madame from the violence she had
called down upon herself by the sharpness OF
her tongue She was a poor. faded creature.
and the tragedy of 1t ali was that she was
in love with this degraded bully. she was
grateful to me for my good Offices thinB'
for, though she hardly ever addressed me-
her manner was always friendly.
These days of dreary Squalor would have
been unbearable If 1t had not been for my
eiucidation of the word Boonekamp, which
was said to hold the clue to my prothers
address. On the wall In the cubbyhole where
I slept was a tattered advertisement card OF
this aperitif-for such Is the preparation
proclaiming It to be "Germanys Best Cor
dial" AS l undressed at night, often used
to stare at this placard, wondering Wnat
connection Boonekamp could possibly have
with my brother. / determined to take the
hrst opportunity of examining the card itself.
one morning while Otto was out in the
oueue at the butchers, I slipped away from
the cellar to our sleeping place and, lighting
my candle, took down the card and examined
It closely. 1t was perfectly plain, red letters
on a green background in front, white at the
back.
AS was replacing the card on the nail I
saw some writing In pencil on the wall where
the card had hung My heart seemed to
stand still with the Joy of my discovery. For
the writing was In my brothers neat, artistic
hand. the words were English, and, best of
all, my brothers initials were attached. This
Is what read:
(Facsimile) 57l6.
You will find me at the Cafe Regina,
Dusseldorf.-F. o."
After that felt could bear with every
thing. The message awakened hope that was
fast dying in my heart. At least on July
& Francis was alive. To that fact ! -clung
as to a sheet-anchor. 1t gave me courage
for the hardest part of all my experiences
In Germany. those long days Of waiting in
that den of thieves
For knew must be patient. Presently.
I hoped. might extract my papers from
Haase or persuade Kore. when he came back
70 see me. to give me a permit that would
enable mo 10 get 70 Dusseldorf. But the