Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 122, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 May 1915 — WOOS OVER BORDER [ARTICLE]

WOOS OVER BORDER

Barbed Wire Hinders Course of True Love. Dutch Buitor Parted by Frontier Fence From Bweetheart on Next Farm Has Lively Experience Getting Past Sentries. By W. J. L. KIEHL, (Correspondent of the Chicago News.) The Hague.—The course of true love runs anything but smoothly on the Belglan-Dutch frontier, especially when the sweethearts reside on opposite sides of the barbed-wire fence. Pete is a Netherlander, Mleke is a Belgian; his farm standß securely on Dutch soil, hers precariously In “Little Germany” (as the Germans call Belgium). At first the lovers had not noticed much of the war, which has left their district almost untouched; then a strong wire fence was put up and German detachments of cavalry continually patrolled the Belgian side, while sentries were placed at intervals with loaded rifles and fixed bayonets. Now it was no longer possible to hold sweet converse at eventide after the farm work was done. All that remained was to walk, he on one side of the wire, she on the other, and cast loving glances at each other, for the Germans would allow no talk across the border. At last the swain spoke of his sad plight to an acquaintance who for a consideration made it his business to conduct Belgian refugees into Holland. Would Louis (that was the acquaintance’s name) take him across on Saturday night so that he could pass the whole Sunday with his Mleke? And Louis promised to do so on the very next Saturday, when he was due on the other side to meet fugitives at a certain prearranged place to take them safely into Holland. That Saturday evening was damp and misty. “Just the right sort of weather for us,” Louis enthusiastically put it, but his companion could not quite agree with him, as he waded through marshes to the dike beyond which stretched the wire fence. He was wearing his Sunday best and the seeping mud did not improve the appearance of his nether garments. But Louis assured him this marshy land was just the safest spot to get across. As they approached the dike Louis cautioned Pete not to whisper or even breathe loudly. Cautiously they crawled up the dike, reached the top and raised their heads for a hasty glance around, but at once dropped them again. For there —though luckily with his back toward them —stood a sentinel. Down the dike slid the adventurers as noiselessly as they had come. Louis assured him that a few hundred yards farther along he knew of another safe place. This time they were more fortunate, and, like rabbits, they burrowed under and through the wire and stood on Belgian, or perhaps we should say German, ground. “Now Just a few hundred yards of marsh and then we get into a good hard road,” Louis exclaimed, and they deemed their troubles over. Then they heard the tramp of feet along, the good hard road and distinguished the form of a German patrol. The men came straight up to the gate that led into the marshy meadow where the frontier runners had hurriedly dropped to the earth, “They’re only resting,” said Louis. And so it was. The Germans clambered on to the gate and Bat there talking for about a quarter of an hour, that seemed like a century to the two cramped and bedraggled men. Now, however, their troubles were over. * They came out into the road and soon reached the small farm where Louis was to meet the refugees. Pete felt somewhat better after a hearty supper and dry clothes had been provided for him by the farmer’s sympathetic wife and she had promised to clean his Sunday attire and have it ready for him to wear next morning. Sunday dawned fine and sunny. Somewhat stiff from hia unwonted exercise, the strenuous suitor proceeded to the farm where his Mleke lived. Mleke, her mother and Pete ware eating the meal whaa suddenly

they heard the thud of horses’ hoofs and down the bend in the road they saw a patrol of uhlans heading straight for the house. Mleke hastily pushed her gallant Into the stable, then rushed back to remove the third plate and seat herself at the table as if nothing had happened. Pete hurriedly crept into a meal bin and drew down the lid. He must have been there for hours, when toward evening Mieke came into the stable. "Where are you, Pete?” Bhe whispered, and Pete crept out from his hiding place as white as a miller. Mieke stopped for a laugh, then told him to get away back into Holland as fast as possible, as the uhlans were not all asleep and this might be his only chance, for the whole patrol had been billeted on the farm and would be in and out at all hours. So the sweethearts bade each other a hasty farewell and Pete hastened to return by the same arduous way he had come. Now he is once more doing his love making through a barbedwire barrier.