“Richard.”

The officer to whom I gave this was Major Alfred Wurth, a reservist from Bernburg, on the Saale River.  I liked him from the first because after we had exchanged a few words he exclaimed incredulously:  “What nonsense!  Any one could tell by your accent that you are an American.”  He explained that, when at the university, in the same pension with him were three Americans.

“The staff are making a mistake,” he said earnestly.  “They will regret it.”

I told him that I not only did not want them to regret it, but I did not want them to make it, and I begged him to assure the staff that I was an American.  I suggested also that he tell them, if anything happened to me there were other Americans who would at once declare war on Germany.  The number of these other Americans I overestimated by about ninety millions, but it was no time to consider details.

He asked if the staff might read the letter to the American minister, and, though I hated to deceive him, I pretended to consider this.

“I don’t remember just what I wrote,” I said, and, to make sure they would read it, I tore open the envelope and pretended to reread the letter.

“I will see what I can do,” said Major Wurth; “meanwhile, do not be discouraged.  Maybe it will come out all right for you.”

After he left me the Belgian gentleman who owned the house and his cook brought me some food.  She was the only member of his household who had not deserted him, and together they were serving the staff-officers, he acting as butler, waiter, and valet.  The cock was an old peasant woman with a ruffled white cap, and when she left, in spite of the sentry, she patted me encouragingly on the shoulder.  The owner of the house was more discreet, and contented himself with winking at me and whispering:  “Ca va mal pour vous en bas!” As they both knew what was being said of me downstairs, their visit did not especially enliven me.  Major Wurth returned and said the staff could not spare any one to go to Brussels, but that my note had been forwarded to “the” general.  That was as much as I had hoped for.  It was intended only as a “stay of proceedings.”  But the manner of the major was not reassuring.  He kept telling me that he thought they would set me free, but even as he spoke tears would come to his eyes and roll slowly down his cheeks.  It was most disconcerting.  After a while it grew dark and he brought me a candle and left me, taking with him, much to my relief, the sentry and his automatic.  This gave me since my arrest my first moment alone, and, to find anything that might further incriminate or help me, I used it in going rapidly through my knapsack and pockets.  My note-book was entirely favorable.  In it there was no word that any German could censor.  My only other paper was a letter, of which all day I had been conscious.  It was one of introduction from Colonel Theodore Roosevelt to President Poincare, and whether the Germans would consider it a clean bill of health or a death-warrant I could not make up my mind.  Half a dozen times I had been on the point of saying:  “Here is a letter from the man your Kaiser delighted to honor, the only civilian who ever reviewed the German army, a former President of the United States.”