xhibit
his genius. The Italians held up our ship, and would not explain why. So
the rumor man explained. It was because Greece had joined the Germans,
and Italy had made a prize of her. Ten minutes later, he said Greece had
joined the Allies, and the Italians were holding our ship until they
could obtain a convoy of torpedo-boats. Then it was because two
submarines were waiting for us outside the harbor. Later, it was because
the Allies had blockaded Greece, and our Greek captain would not
proceed, not because he was detained by Italians, but by fear.

Every time the rumor man appeared in the door of the smoking-room he
was welcomed with ironic cheers. But he was not discouraged. He would go
outside and stand in the rain while he hatched a new rumor, and then, in
great excitement, dash back to share it. War levels all ranks, and the
passengers gathered in the smoking-room playing solitaire, sipping muddy
Turkish coffee, and discussing the war in seven languages, and everybody
smoked--especially the women. Finally the military attaches, Sir Thomas
Cunningham and Lieutenant Boulanger, put on the uniforms of their
respective countries and were rowed ashore to protest. The rest of us
paced the snow-swept decks and gazed gloomily at the wrecked city. Out
of the fog a boat brought two Sisters of the Poor, wrapped in the black
cloaks of their order. They were petitioners for the poor of Messina,
and everybody in the smoking-room gave them a franc. Because one of them
was Irish and because it was her fate to live in Messina, I gave her ten
francs. Meaning to be amiable, she said: "Ah, it takes the English to
be generous!"

I said I was Irish.

The King's messenger looked up from his solitaire and, also wishing to
be amiable, asked: "What's the difference?"

The Irish sister answered him.

"Nine francs," she said.

After we had been prisoners of war for twenty-four hours John Bass of
the Chicago _Daily News_ suggested that if we remained longer at Messina
our papers would say we thought the earthquake was news, and had stopped
to write a story about it. So, we sent a telegram to our consul.

The American consul nearest was George Emerson Haven at Catania, by
train three hours distant. We told him for twenty-four hours we had been
prisoners, and that unless we were set free he was to declare war on
Italy. The telegram was written not for the consul to read, but for the
benefit of the port authorities. We hoped it might im