The Girl from Alsace: A Romance of the Great War, Originally Published under the Title of Little ComradeStevenson, Burton Egbert
History
The Girl from Alsace: A Romance of the Great War, Originally Published under the Title of Little Comrade
Stevenson, Burton Egbert
Alsace (France) -- Fiction; War stories; World War, 1914-1918 -- Fiction
They had reached the end of the platform, and, as they turned, Stewart
found himself face to face with a bearded German who had been close
behind them, and who shot a sharp glance at him and his companion before
stepping aside with a muttered apology. Not until they had passed him
did Stewart remember that he had seen the man before. It was the surly
passenger in the crowded compartment on the journey from Cologne.
His companion had not seemed to notice the fellow, and went on talking
of the voyage home and how glad she would be to get there. Not until
they turned again at the farther end, and found the platform for a
moment clear around them, did she relax her guard.
"That man is a spy," she whispered, quickly.
"We are evidently still suspected. What sort of railroad ticket have
you?"
"A book of Cook's coupons."
"I feared as much. You must rid yourself of it--it is quite possible
that you will be searched at the frontier. No, no," she added, as
Stewart put his hand to his pocket. "Not here! You would be
seen--everything would be lost. I will devise a way."
Stewart reflected with satisfaction that only a few coupons were left in
the book. But why should he be searched? He had thought the danger over;
but he began uneasily to suspect that it was just beginning. Well, it
was too late to draw back, even had he wished to do so; and most
emphatically he did not. He was willing to risk a good deal for another
hour of this companionship--and then there was that explanation at the
end--his reward----
There was a sharp whistle down the line, and the train from Cologne
rolled slowly in.
"First class," said Stewart to Hans, as the latter picked up the
luggage; and then he realized that they would be fortunate if they got
into the train at all. The first five carriages were crowded with
soldiers; then there were two carriages half-filled with officers, upon
whom no one ventured to intrude. The three rear carriages were already
crowded with a motley throng of excited civilians, and Stewart had
resigned himself to standing up, when Hans shouted, "This way, sir; this
way!" and started to run as fast as the heavy suit-cases would permit.
Stewart, staring after him, saw that an additional carriage was being
pushed up to be attached to the train.
"That fellow has more brains than I gave him credit for," he said. "Come
along!"
Before the car had stopped, Hans, with a disregard of the regulations
which proved how excited he was, had wrenched open the door of the first
compartment and clambered aboard. By the time they reached it, he had
the luggage in the rack and sprang down to the platform with a smile of
triumph.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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