Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1918-08-30
ne 10 proceed 10 Ine Tronuer.

had had misgivings as to the kind
of a priest l would make and it seemed
to me to be safer to remain aloof from
everyone in a deserted house han to
have to mingle with people or come in
contact with them, even with the best
Of DISCUSSES.
That night 1 accompanied Huyligerl
to a fashionable section of the ethyl
where the house in which 1 was to bel
concealed was located.
This house turned out to be a four
story structure of brick. Huyliger told
me hat 1t had been occupied by a
wealthy Belgian before the war, but
since 1914 it had been uninhabited save
for the occasional habitation Of some
refugee whom Huyliger was befriend-
ing.
Huyliger had a key and let me in,
but he did not enter the house with
me, stating that he would visit me In
the morning.
I explored the place from top to bot
tom as well as 1 could without lights
The house was deliberately furnished,
but, of course, the dust lay a quarteri
of IN inch thick everywhere. 1t was a
large house, containing some twenty
rooms. There were two rooms in the
basement four on the first floor, four
on the second five on the third and five
on the top. In the days that were to
come l was to have plenty Of oppor-
tunity to familiarize myself with the
contents of that house but at that time
l did not know it and 1 was curious
enough to want to know just what the
house contained. !
Down in the basement there was a
huge pantry but it was absolutely bare,
except of dust and dirt. A door which
evidently led to a endorsement at
tracted my attention and 1 thought it
might be a good idea to know just
where it led to in case it became neces-
sary for me to elude searchers. ?
In that cellar 1 found ease after case
of choice wine-Huyliger subsequently
told me that there were 1900 bottles of
it! 1 was so happy at the turn my
affairs had taken and in the rosy pros
poets which / now entertained that l
was half inclined to indulge in a little
celebration Their and there. On second
thought, however, l remembered the
old warning of the folly of shouting
before you are well out of the woods,
and l decided that it would be just as
well to postpone the festivities for a
while and go to bed instead.
In such an deliberately furnished
house I had naturally conjured up
ideas of a wonderfully large bed,
with thick hair mattress, downy
quilts and big soft pillows. Indeed, 1
debated for a while which particular
bedroom I should honor with my pres
ence that night. Judge of my disap-
pointment, therefore, when after Wis
iting bedroom after bedroom, 1 discov-
cred that there wasn't a bed in any
One of them that was in a condition to
sleep in. All the mattresses had been
removed and the rooms were abSO-
lutely bare of everything in the way
of wool, silk or cotton fabrics. The
Germans had apparently swept the
house clean.
There was nothing to do, therefore,
but to make myself as comfortable as
I could on the floor, but as I had grown
accustomed by this time to sleeping
under far less comfortable conditions,
I swallowed my disappointment as
cheerfully as I could and lay down
for the night.
In the morning Huyliger appeared
and brought me some breakfast, and
after I had eaten it he asked me what
connections 1 had in France or Eng
land from whom I could obtain
money.
1 told him that I banked at Cox &
Co., London, and that if he needed
any money I would do anything I could
to get it for him, although 1 did not
know just how such things could be ar-
ranged.
"Don't worry about that, O'Brien,"
he replied. "We1l find a way of get.
ting it all right. What 1 want to know
is how far you are prepared to go to
compensate me for the risks 1 am
rendering you'll"
The change in the mans attitude
stunned me. I could hardly believe my
ears.
"Of curse I shall pay you as well as
I can for what you have done, Huyli-
GER" I replied, trying to conceal as far
as possible the disappointment his de-
mand had occasioned me, but don't
you think that this is hardly the proper
time or occasion to talk of compensa-
ton? All I have IN me, as you know,
is a few hundred francs, and that, of
course, you are welcome to, and when
I get back, if 1 ever do, I shall not
easily forget that kindness you have
shown me. I am sure you need have
no concern about my showing my
gratitude in a substantial way"
"That's all right, O'Brien," he in
sisted, looking at me in a knowing sort
of way; you may take care of me
afterwards and then again Won NAV