The Girl from Alsace: A Romance of the Great War, Originally Published under the Title of Little Comrade

In Short

When the opening moves of World War I catch American surgeon Bradford Stewart in Germany, a chance encounter entangles him with a mysterious woman fleeing the imperial police. To survive, they pretend to be a married couple and undertake a perilous journey across Belgium toward the French border. Carrying vital military intelligence that could save France, the two must rely on their wits and growing mutual devotion to evade capture. Burton Egbert Stevenson’s war novel endures because it captures the frantic, confusing atmosphere of August 1914, turning historical turmoil into a high-stakes romance built on trust and shared survival.

The Story

On July 31, 1914, American surgeon Bradford Stewart finishes a leisurely trip through Germany with a German colleague in Cologne. As rumors of war turn real, Stewart attempts to leave the country, only to find himself swept into the opening days of World War I. At a hotel near the frontier, a terrified woman enters his room seeking a contact who was meant to spirit her across the border under the guise of being his wife. With her partner missing and German authorities tightening their grip, Stewart impulsively decides to help. He claims her to police officers as his own wife, naming her "Mary Agnes Fleming," and uses his American passport to shield them both.

Their ruse buys only a brief respite. Trapped in a hotel cubicle by suspicious officials, Stewart and the woman—whom he soon realizes is an operative for France carrying intelligence—manage a daring midnight escape. Disguising themselves in men's work clothes and discarding their luggage, they flee into the countryside just as German armies mobilize around Aix-la-Chapelle. As they navigate the Belgian frontier on foot, Stewart learns the weight of their mission: his companion carries secret letters detailing German invasion routes, intended directly for General Joffre, the commander-in-chief of the French army.

Their journey west toward Liège and the French lines becomes a grueling test of endurance. Moving by night along railway tracks, hiding in wheat fields, and dodging German patrols, Uhlan cavalry, and armored motorcars, the pair forge a deep bond forged by danger. Stewart conceals his growing love out of honor, refusing to compromise her trust while she depends on him. They witness firsthand the terrifying efficiency of the German war machine, including the destruction of Belgian villages and devastating artillery battles along the Meuse River.

To cross the Meuse under heavy guard, Stewart and the young woman stripped off their clothing, placed their dry garments atop a wooden casting box, and swam the river under cover of darkness. Shortly after gaining the far shore, Stewart suffers a flesh wound during an artillery bombardment, but his companion tenderly tends to his injuries. Disaster strikes when they reach a war-torn village. Separated during a chaos-filled firefight and a fire set by advancing troops, Stewart finds their temporary refuge empty, marked only by bloodstains. Devastated and believing his "little comrade" is lost or dead, he pushes forward alone to complete her mission. Reaching French military headquarters, Stewart secures an audience with the head of French Intelligence and General Joffre himself, delivering the critical documents and fulfilling his solemn promise.

How It Unfolds

The gathering storm Bradford Stewart finishes a pleasant journey through Germany just as international tension turns into active mobilization. Warned by hotel staff and cashiers that war is imminent, he hurries toward the Belgian border, only to find his travel plans completely disrupted by sudden border restrictions.

An unexpected alliance A panicked woman enters Stewart's hotel room searching for a contact who was meant to pose as her husband to get her across the frontier. Sensing her desperate plight, Stewart steps into the role, bluffs his way past suspicious German officers, and adopts her as his wife.

Flight through the dark Detained in a locked storage room, the pair manage to break out, shed their identity-revealing possessions, and alter their appearance. They plunge into the night on foot, avoiding sentries as the full force of the German army begins its push into Belgium.

The weight of the secret Hiding in grain fields and watching endless columns of marching soldiers, Stewart learns that his companion is an operative carrying secret operational plans to the French high command. She entrusts him with the secret, asking him to deliver the documents to General Joffre if she falls.

Crossing the Meuse Unable to use guarded bridges or stolen boats, the two construct a makeshift raft out of a wooden crate to push their dry clothes across the river while swimming. They successfully reach the opposite bank, despite the constant threat of spotlight sweeps and patrol fire.

Separation in the flames After Stewart receives a minor wound while navigating a shelled village, heavy fighting breaks out and advancing troops set fire to the buildings. Stewart returns to their rendezvous point to find it empty and blood-stained, leaving him convinced that his comrade has been killed.

A promise kept Overcome with grief, Stewart completes the dangerous journey to French headquarters alone. He presents the hidden letters to the head of the Intelligence Department and General Joffre, delivering the intelligence that could alter the course of the war.

The People

• Bradford Stewart: An American surgeon traveling in Europe whose quiet life is upended by the sudden outbreak of war. He wants nothing more than safe passage home, but his instincts compel him to protect a stranded woman. Guided by a chivalrous code, he willingly places himself in mortal danger, enduring physical hardship and gunfire to see her mission through.
• The Girl from Alsace ("Little Comrade"): A resilient French operative who uses charm, tactical sharp-wittedness, and sheer willpower to navigate behind enemy lines. She wants to deliver vital German invasion plans to the French high command to save her nation. Under her disguises and calm exterior lies a deeply committed patriot who forms a powerful emotional bond with Stewart.
• Hermann Bloem: A German surgeon and Stewart's traveling companion in the opening chapter. Kind-hearted and collegial, he represents the human face of Germany before the war machine fully takes hold, helping Stewart navigate the early language barriers before being called away to his own military obligations.
• General Joffre: The commander-in-chief of the French army, who appears at the climax of the story. Sitting at the head of the military staff, he represents the ultimate objective of the fugitives' perilous journey.

In Its Own Voice

"If Austria might seize Bosnia and Italy Tripoli, why might not Germany seize Belgium? And he suddenly realized that, in spite of protests and denials and hypocrisies, between nation and nation the law of the jungle was, even yet, often the only law!"

Stewart reflects on the realpolitik of European power dynamics as war begins to envelop the quiet border towns.

"On the fifth we shall capture Lille, on the ninth we shall cross the Marne, and on the eleventh we shall enter Paris. On the evening of the twelfth, the Emperor will dine the General Staff at the Ritz."

A confident German officer lays out the rigid, highly orchestrated timetable of the imperial invasion to the hidden secret agent.

"There was about it an electric sense of power; it almost strutted as it marched!"

Stewart observes the staggering discipline and intimidating force of the German army as it rolls through the countryside.

What It's Really About

The novel explores the sudden collapse of civilized European society under the weight of total war. It contrasts the rigid, calculated machine of militarism against the raw, individual impulse of loyalty and self-sacrifice. Beneath its thriller plot, the story questions how ordinary individuals preserve their humanity and moral agency when caught between massive geopolitical forces. It highlights the transformation of an detached American bystander into a committed participant, showing how shared adversity creates profound human connection amidst national hatreds.

Why Read It Today

This novel offers an immersive, atmospheric time-capsule of early 20th-century war fiction. Readers who enjoy classic espionage narratives, historical suspense, and romantic adventures will appreciate its steady momentum and vivid period detail. Stevenson excels at capturing the sensory reality of flight—the cold rivers, the sound of boots on cobblestones, and the sudden, disorienting arrival of modern warfare in quiet rural valleys.

The prose is straightforward, though modern readers should expect the conventional melodrama and theatrical courtliness typical of popular fiction from 1915. Its narrative relies on early-century tropes, including instantaneous chivalry and somewhat idealized heroic endurance. Yet these period characteristics enhance its charm rather than diminish it, providing a genuine sense of how the opening weeks of the Great War were perceived by contemporary audiences. It remains a quick-moving, engaging read that combines romantic tension with historical stakes.