Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-06-18

oh that day OF waiting. waiting FOL
.hc cloak Of darkness and oh, the fear
shat truck a, my heart when ! heard
sudden noise anywhere near nac
heard OF French prisons, and felt tha'
few hours in one would turn ms han
.5ray and bereavc me of my reason
This. my last tho. CHIT IL Was that
suggested 20 me a rusc whereby, IN
the event of being caught. nigh,
escape imprisonment. But escape un-
detected ! must, somehow
suppose | must have slept. for all
Of sudden realized that night had
come and all was dark, except for the
glare OF electric lamps. shivered
with the cold. and my limbs were stiIf
as the bouchs OF trees. The illumlneo
dial Of my watch told Cos. In five
minutes then. the workers would
down tools" and scurry home wards.
In the rubbish heap now buried my
PENCIL prismat.c compass and my
magnifyins glass. My brown paper
parcel rcposcd in my coat pocket
When the time came. ] was fully pre-
pared 10 descend the scaTolding ana
take my t.ance. ! would slip out Of
the dock gates in tho midst OF the
workers. pulled my cap we'll over
my hair and rubbed my face with dust
ana dirt from off the floor Yes,
stooc, chance TO pass III a crowd as
= n,an-at night
Creeping out of my studio" at the
tcp of the powcrhouse walked along
tn. Platform and gained the ladder. !
could only just see. a siren sent
:4Ucuu: blast from the sea: now Il
bell changed, dismally and doietully.
Half II dozen sirens screamed all round
N. The days work was over for the
worker: OF the dock yard. WAS mine:
From far below in the darkness came
the sound OF many hurryInS feet. Now
was the time TO descend. ] slowly
climbed down the ladder. not daring
10 look below. On The lowest plat
form | paused.
Yes. the yard ;hc-cabouts was very
dark should be able to Iningle with
thH streams OF workers unpcrceivcd.
Al last my feet touched terra firma
again, but that soft mud close by the
poMerhouse seemed TO me more beau
tifrl than any bed OF roses.
got in the middle Of throng Of
workers fastening towards the gates
Suddcnly-"Wcll. comrade." exclaimed
4 Eruf voice on my right. Involun-
tsriiy I started, but kept on. The man
who addressed me. receiving no an
swer, spoke to some one else. Coarse
Jokes. though, heard on all sides.
smut my ears. and passed with the
crowd Out OF tho gatc.--Frce:-I
walked quickly on.
had got about 100 yards away from
the gates when a hand descended on
my shoulder. and-twO Eendarmcs
stood ei;he: side OF me.
ARRESTED AFTER ESCAPING
FROM THE DOCK YARD
The GcnGarmt on my right addressed
Fme politely.
Il regret. madame" ne said. ",ha,
/ shall have to ask YOU to accompany
us 10 the police station We followed
YOU out Of the dock yard. You had
10 right there. You need not say any
thing nov. but sou Will have TO give
an account OF yourself before IL com
missaire dc police"
Escape was out OF the question.
should have TO interview lc commits.
sairc de police
| made no reply. but walked on be-
tween the two gcndarmcs. thinking out
my defense" suppose IL was the
nollteness Of the ecndarmcs that miti-
gated my fear. Had they arrested me
roughly ! might have been so nm.
nerNed that my guilt might have be-
come patent At once
MY 'ociense' soon settled in my
nind recUllcctcd ii schoolgirl
friend. Sophie Groencr. who. owing 10
oVcrstud4. almGs, lost the power Of
speech. tor.a- lime
remembered wildly her vacant an.
pcaTance. her mannc'. and i,r pecular
mode OF constructing. or rather mis-
constructing sentences her strange uso
OF WORDS coined in her own b-ain. II
prtore lie commissair1 de police could
initiate sophie Grocner to his convic-
ton he might hc slow 10 believe me =
h,,,
IN my pocket.
Before lie commissaire in his ooioa
| stood between the two eendarmss.
VINO briefly Explained TO him tho 20
son or my appearance there.
" nat nave YOU 10 say to this charr,
madame? saw that monsieur &c com
missaire had a E!mpathetic fa., lie
was "u'' ra,he7 over middle age, and
ne gave me The impression Of bcior :,
'"uDy man VINO loved his homo. his
wife and children. Such is a woman.s
inst!hci. stared at him vacantly.
then looked AZ my custoaians.
come, madame. please reply to nv
question" NY
Came England. born rolubka nicn,
"ahr ia, naturally" | replied. During
tho conservation spoke in French ev-
cept for the occasional use Of foreign
words)
HAS this LADY been drinking" asked
tho chief. Of my two custodians.
no SIR. it has no, struck us tina,
way at all. The lady does not smell ot
oFHhk' We suspect she is spy. and
clever one"
Bertrand" replied the chief" adj
dressing the gendarrlc who smoke ~
am AFRAID you must have made mis-.
take Why should YOU SUSPECT =
woman Ike this as spy You mus,
see that she is-not quite herself
$50 far had evidently acted the par,
WELD
That may be. sir but The fact re.