em to attempt. There were two Belgian girls once, who lived
together in a room, in a little village back of our lines. They were
natives, and had always lived there, so of course they were not turned
out, and when the village was shelled from time to time, they did not
seem to mind and altogether they made a lot of money. They only received
officers. The common soldiers were just dirt to them, and they refused
to see them. Certain women get known in a place, as those who receive
soldiers and those who receive officers. These girls were intelligent,
too, and always asked a lot of intelligent, interested questions, and
you know a man when he is excited will answer unsuspectingly any
question put to him. The Germans took advantage of that. It is easy to
be a spy. Just know what questions you must ask, and it is surprising
how much information you can get. The thing is, to know upon what
point information is wanted. These girls knew that, it seems, and so
they asked a lot of intelligent questions, and as they received only
officers, they got a good lot of valuable information, for as I say,
when a man is excited he will answer many questions. Besides, who could
have suspected at first that these two girls were spies? But they were,
as they found out finally, after several months. Their rooms were one
day searched, and a mass of incriminating papers were discovered. It
seems the Germans had taken these girls from their families--held their
families as hostages--and had sent them across into the English lines,
with threats of vile reprisals upon their families if they did not
produce information of value. Wasn't it beastly! Making these girls
prostitutes and spies, upon pain of reprisals upon their families. The
Germans knew they were so attractive that they would receive only
officers. That they would receive many clients, of high rank, of much
information, who would readily fall victims to their wiles. They are
very vile themselves, these Germans. The curious thing is, how well
they understand how to bait a trap for their enemies. In spite of having
nothing in common with them, how well they understand the nature of
those who are fighting in the name of Justice, of Liberty and
Civilization.

PARIS,
4 May, 1916.

POUR LA PATRIE

This is how it was. It is pretty much always like this in a field
hospital. Just ambulances rolling in, and dirty, dying men, and guns off
there in the distance! Very monotonous, and