The Press., 1898-12-29
A SOLDIERS WIFE.

\ more desolate site for fort could DpI have been selected by the govern ment However, the United States gov ernment was not looking for beautiful scenery when it had the post huilt, but for a location close to the treacherous Indian aud where the soldiers could quickly move to the front.
 Around the fort stretched the monot- onous plains, rising and falling-the earth's waves-in every direction until in the distance they seemed to meet the sky. It was d dreary, desolate place, the only sign of vegetation being the sagebrush, the grease weed and punches of cactus everywhere. There were acres of alkali, all burning beneath the sun during the day and freezing beneath the moon at night. There was no animal life upon all the cxpanse of country either except the lrairie dogs and now and then lean and hungry coyote.
 So dismally calm was the landscape that even the huZzard be sitated in lis stately flight. and the little gray hawk sailed on and oU, doubtless with his eyes closed to the earth.
 As general thing there was amuse- ment enough at the fort. Men assigned to the post made up their minds that they depended upon each other for amuse nents, ard their wives shared the same belief, and then were they not sol diers. and W ere not the women soldiers wives? But of course the little petty jealOusies and little ct,y Quarrels crept into hat particular Eost jEst the same as they Lad CrCI into every other pest and would continue tu creep in as long as the government supported forts an as long as E.Cn and women lived and breTthed, for that matter. It was very lonely RroIH.d the post now, for the men had gone to tho front. The War had been declared. That awful spevter dreaded by every wife of u soldier and Ionged fer lY tie men, had come There was conside raLle speculation as to it's probable length anl much fear that they would not Le called out, they were SO far removed from the railroad. Perha ps the war department would not even re- member the fort was in existence. The women were not anxious for the war They knew what it meant Their faces were very sad when the orders came calling out the four troops of cav airy that made up the post. There was wild cheering among the enlisted men down around the sta ables and among the youngsters, for each one looked forward and saw himself returning at least a | captain, if not major, and in flights | of fancy even a lieutenant colonel. They did not stop to think that they might be made only first lieutenants. It was all excitement to the women, too. for few days. for they were So busy assisting the men that they did not think of the long, weary days. Be- sides, they really did not believe that their husbands would see any actual warfare. They thought it would all be over within few weeks and then John nie would come marching home, and they would have something else to talk about beside the commonplace things | of life. But one woman thought about | 1t. She was the wife of the second lieu. tenant of Troop D. They had married the very next day after his graduation from the Point, and his first station had been at this lonely fort. He told her to be brave.
 You are soldiers wife" he said to her, as she burst into tears and buried her face on his shoulder.
 "YCs, I am a soldiers wife, but that does not prevent me from having a heart," sho answered.
 "No," he replied, land, having a brave heart, a true heart and a know. ledge that you are a soldiers wife. you must face all sorrows and trials with ont fiinohing."
 The words appealed to her. The hall a dozen other women in the post though, so much of her, a mere girl and pitie6 her sc that her husband should be order. ed to the froEt that they asked the major to assign him as the officer ir charge of the fort during the absence O, the troops, but he begged so hard to gc that he was allowed 10 do so. The wom en spoke to his wife about it; told then what they had done.
 Robert wants to go," she said. "H is the chance of lifetime with him. and does not his country call?"
 "But you?' answered one of the women.
 She looked her questioner straight 1T the eyes
 ''I am soldiers wife, |" she replied proudly.
 The rusk Eiss soon over, and the mer were now mounted and ready to go The officers l. ale their wives goodby and they, t,G. SI rang into the saddle The bugle sUInt.Cd. and the troops took womCn siCcl GDd lNcked across the sur |