The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1912-1921, 1918-07-05
CHAPTER xiv.
A Niaht of Dissipation


with Huyliger after l had first arrived
in the big city, he had told me, among
other things, of a moving picture show
in town which he said l might have a
chance to see while there.
1T is free every night in the week
except Saturdays and Sundays" he
said, "and 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,
had passed this place and was very
much tempted to go in and spend
few hours, particularly as it would
| perhaps give me an opportunity TO
/ buy something to eat, although ] was
ut a loss to know how was going r.
ask for what I wanted
| While trying to make up my mind
| whether it was safe for NE TO 60 in |
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 | ran full
tilt into a German officer who was just
! coming out
That settled all my hankerings for
moving pictures that night. "Nhere
you came from, my friend | figured.
there must be more like you | guess
1t is a good night for walking"
The next day. however. in recalling
the incident of the evening before, 1t
seemed to me that l had been rather
| foolish. What I needed more than
anything else at that time was conf
| dence, Before l 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 / had SO far
! Travelled. Safety in these coming
encies would depend largely upon the
calmness l displayed. II wouldn't do
| to get all excited at the mere sight of
/ a spiked helmet. The Belgians, 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
would be able to carry off the part
| was playing.
! For this reason | made up my mind
then and there that, officers or no Of
I 90 IN
night and sit it through no matter
what happened. While people may
| think that had decided uuwisely be-
| cause of the unnecessary risk involved
| in the adventure, 1t 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
| fugitive English officer in even Ii they
were searching for me.
AS soon as evening came, therefore,
l started out for the theatre. / fixed
myself up as well as possible. I had
on fairly decent pair of pants which
Huyliger had given me and / used a
clean handkerchief as q collar.
With my hair brushed up and my
beard trimmed as neatly as possible
with a pairsof rusty scissors which |
had found in the house, while my APP
pearance was not exactly that of a
Beau Brummel, don't think I looked
much worse than the average Belgian.
In these days the average Belgian is
very poorly dressed at best.
I can't say | had no misgivings as I
made my way to the theatre; GER
tainly l was going there more for dis
cipiine than pleasure, but had made
up my mind that / was going there to
see it through.
The entrance to the theatre or beer
garden, for it was as much one as the
other, was on the side Of the building
and was reached by way Of an alley
which ran alongside. Near the door
was a ticket-seller's booth, but as this
was one of the free nights there was
no one in the booth.
l marched slowly down the alley
initiating as best | could the indiffer-
ent gait of the Belgians, and when l I
entered the theater endeayored to act /
az 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
Ito be continued)