The Washington times., 1920-12-26

" in elbowing his way through
" the surging. perspiring
throng OF poilus. officers, civilians
French, British, Italian, American
lat the Care du Lyon in Paris, he
was struck, as he boarded the train,
by the pleasant sounds of drawing.
Southern American speech. Two
Gtalwsrt American civilians were
standing in the corridor before the
compartment next his own, and as
he glanced through the CLASH door
into their cubicle, he saw that It
was filled with leather mail pouches.
The older of the two Americans.
man Of fifty, erect and soldierly,
with a gray moustache. nodded to
Anthony.
warm night" he said politely.
Eyes" replied Anthony, but I
hope 1t will be cool where I am
going"
"Not Switzerland" ventured the
stranger.
switzerland It is," confirmed
1Anthony. ever been there!" The
man laughed.
''Only about three times q week
the last few months. 1 am" he ex-
Planned. "the diplomatic courier be-
tween Paris and Berne."
! They told each other that their
names were West and Thompson,
respectively, and Thompson babe
Anthony shake hands with Mr..
Briar, my buddy here" private OF
Marines, the courier between Paris
and Rome. Some time during the
night Briar would leave them at
Modene, Anthony was informed,
and go on to Italy.
So those are diplomatic couriers,
he said to himself. In stories
diplomatic courier always wore o
rlonocle and looked particularly ele-
sant, sinister and mysterious. Those
two slouch-hatted Americans spoke
rot a word OF any language but
their own, and were proud of 1t.
Yet Thompson, the Kentuckian, ex-
sergeant Of Marines, and Briar, the
Alabaman, private, were prepared to
defend their pouches with their
yes, and made excellent couriers.
With their ready American smile
end adaptability they leased" their
way through polyglot Europe, these
Marines, their one Formally being
ABSOLUTE adhesion to their mailbags.
Thompson was possessed Of a re-
r1arkable gift for narrative. He en-
rtained both Anthony and his
buddy" with long and vivid tales
CT espionage, OF danger; Of how an
attempt had been made to loot one
or his pouches on the train between
Eerne and Geneva; of the fight that
ensued in which his assailant came
Off minus several teeth and plus
several contusions; of the dangers
tlat lurked throughout Switzerland
and notably in the city of Berne.
Half the crooks of Europe are
there" he rumbled On. They'll try
to get you-try to get you. Keep
your eyes open-that's all l say
leep your eyes open. You goin' to
the Legation?" he asked abruptly.
"Yes-to the military attache,"
Anthony told him.
Colonel Cole-fine fellow. But
keep your eyes open. Don't leave
any valuable papers in your trunk
CIR bags 1t don't matter what kind
OF lock you've got, they'll go
through It," And then he related
the (fof him) brief epic of fight
Re had when he returned to his
hotel room unexpectedly one eve
ring and found a man bending over
his open trunk.
Anthony was thrilled, and for the
FIRST time since he came to Europe,
delighted. Perhaps after all this
might prove better than checking
debarkations.
Lieutenant Anthony West! The
military designation had seemed a
rlockery to him, even at Bordeaux;
and why he was now being hurled
into Switzerland, removed from the
war. he was at total loss to under
: stand. He assumed, perhaps with
ccuracy, that the most drastic OF
al our generals, the General Gard IN
dex at Headquarters, had answered
, a demand for one reputed to be In
possession Of German, French and
possibly newspaper experience,
tucked him like wayside weed
> and thrown him into Switzerland.
. "Get civilian clothes and your
travelling papers and report to the
II ilitary attache at Berne," had been
tie order, and he had complied.
I. had been forbidden him to carry
civilian clothes from home; now he
q must buy them and leave behind
him any hope OF military adventure
or experience.
In the few weeks he had been al
bordeaux he had already fallen Into
his routine, and with the routine
had come sort OF dull, mechanical
. contentment
II.