The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1918-09-27
CHAPTER XIV.
A NIGHT Of Dissipation.


During the first two days I spent
with Huyliger after had first arrived
In the big city. he had told me. among
other things, of a moving picture show
In town which he said might have q
chance to see while there.
at is free every night in the week
except Saturdays and Sundays" he
said, land 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 a
few hours, particularly as 1t would
perhaps give me an opportunity to
buy something to eat although l was
at loss to know how was going to
ask for what l wanted.
| While trying to make up my mind
whether 1t was safe for me to go In
walked half n 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 German officer who was just
coming out.
That settled all my hankerings for
moving pictures that night. "Where
you came from. my friend" l figured.
there must be more like you l 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 had been rather
foolish. What l needed more than
anything else at that time was conf
dence. Before / 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 l had so Tar
l Travelled. Safety In these conting-
encles would depend largely upon the
3 cnlmness displayed. 1t wouldn't do
q to get all excited at the mere sight OF
g spiked helmet. The Belgians, l had
I noticed, while careful to obey the
q orders of the Huns, showed no partic-
ular fear of them. and 1t seemed to
me the sooner I cultivated the same
feeling of Indifference the better I
would be able to carry of the part
was playing.
For this reason made up my mind
then and there that, officers or no Of
| ficers, would go to that show that
night and sit 1t through no matter
. what happened. While people may
think that had decided unwisely 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 q
fugitive English officer in even II they
, were searching for me.
, AS soon as evening came, therefore,
, I started out for the theatre. l fixed
myself up as well as possible. l had
on a fairly decent pair of pants which
Huyliger had given me and used
! clean handkerchief as collar.
+ With my hair brushed up and my
beard trimmed as neatly as possible
with a pair of rusty scissors which l
! had found in the house, while my APP
, pearance was not exactly that of
+ Beau Brummel, don't think I looked
much worse than the average Belgian.
q In these days the average Belgian Is
I very poorly dressed at best.
d l can't say had no misgivings as
l made my way to the theatre; GER
o tainly was going there more for dis
e cipline than pleasure, but had made
I'D %kat inc hnr ~
II see it through.
D The entrance to the theatre or beer
Y garden, for it was as much one as the
v other, was on the side of the building
II and was reached by way of an alley
e which ran alongside. Near the door
# was ticket-seller's booth, but as this
e was one ofsthe free nights there was
D. no one in the booth.
IS l marched slowly down the alley
is initiating as best I could the indiffer-
l. ent gait of the Belgians, and when
n entered the theater endeavored to act
e as though had been there many times
n before. A hasty survey of the layout
1t of the place was sufficient to enable
1t me to select my seat 1t was early and
lie there were not more than half dozen
D. people in the place at that time, so
a. that I had my choice.
s. There was a raised platform, per-
E. haps two feet high, all around the
d walls Of the place except at the end
IS where the stage was located On this
platform tables we're arranged and
ID there were tables on the floor proper
IS as well.
mr., ID III