The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-09-24
A Soldiers Wife and Widow.


stately fight and the little gray hawk
sailed on and on, doubtless with his eyes
closed 70 the earth.
AS a general thing there was amuse-
ment enough at the fort Men assigned
10 the post made up their minds that
thsy depended upon each other for
amusements. and their wives shared
the same belief, and. then, were they
not soldiers and were rot the woman
soldiers wives.
The women were not anxious Tor the
war. They knew what il meant Their
faces were very sad when the orders
came calling out the four troops OF cav
airy shat made Up the post There was
wild cheering among the enlisted men
down around the stables, and among the
youngsters.
II was excitement TO the women. too,
for a few days, for they were so busy
assisting the men that they did not
th:nk Of the long. weary days. Besides
they did not believe that their husbands
would see any actual warfare they
thought X would be all over within few
weeks and then Johnnie would come
marching home, and they would have
something else to talk about besides the
commonplace things of life. But one wo-
man thought about ii. She was the wife
Of the second lieutenant Of troop D. They
had married the very next day after the
graduation from the Point. and his nrst
station had been at this lonely fort. He
told her to be brave.
You are a soldiers wife" he said to
her, as she burst into tears and buried
her face on his shoulder.
Eyes, l am soldiers wife, but that
does not prevent me from having a
heart" she answered.
NO" he replied, land having brave
heart, a true heart and knowledge that
YOU are a soldiers wife, you must face
al! sorrows and trials without finchlng-
The words appealed to her The half
q dozen other women in the post thought
so much Of her, mere girl, and pltled
her so that her husband should be order
ed to the front that they asked the major
to assign him as the officer in charge of
the fort during the absence of the troops
but he begged so hard to go that he was
allowed to do SO. The women spoke to
his wife about it; told them what they
had done.
Robert wants to CO." she said; " II is
the chance of lifetime with him, and
does not his country call?'
But you," answered one of the wo-
men.
She looked her questioner straight in
the eyes.
81 am a soldiers wife," she replied.
proudly.
The rush was soon over, and the men
were now mounted and ready TO go. The
officers babe their wives goodbye, and
they, too, sprang into saddles; the bugle
sounded, ana the troops took up the march
over to the railroad.
The loneliness was more intense than
ever at the fort. Five troops and lieu
tenant had been left to guard the prop
erty and the women, and they were the
only signs of life down around the quar-
tiers and the stables.
Then came days Of watching and wait
ing, and the next was the movement OF
troops to Santiago.
Then the women knew that the war had
begun in earnest. The full realization of
it came home to them. The older women
remembered when 1t was nothing for
their husbands to be ordered out to sup
press the Indians, while one or two re-
membered the Civil War, but there was
nothing of that kind for the wife of the
second lieutenant to remember. She car
ried herself bravely, however, and proudly
said that she was the wife Of a soldier,
and all soldiers wives should be brave,
a remark that greatly pleased the others.
The women learned more about her, now
that her husband was not present TO
monopolize all her time. They learned
that she was quite alone in the world,
except for him; that she was an orphan,
and that the aunt whB had reared her
had died. This increased their sympathy
for her, if that were possible. for she had
their sympathy already. They could see
that her thoughts were all of her hus-
band, but if they endeavored to speak
words of comfort to her, she replied: Il
am a soldiers WIFE
The news Travelled slowly to them
That, perhaps, was the hardest Their
husbands might have been in battle and
have been wounded or killed; the four
troops might be wiped out and it would
be fully a week before they would know
1t. When the papers did arrive there was
hurried glance at the headlines and
then for the regimental head.
The BATTLE of Santiago had been fought
and won. The news had been telegraph
ed under sea and over land and the papers
had come out with the particulars under
display headlines. 1t was just week af-
ter that the papers reached the fort. The
trooper brought them in the vening and
delivered them to the women, sitting I'M
der the cottonwood trees that skirted the
lieutenant had gone for a walk and was
not with them. a cry burst from 49,
white lips of the women. The headlines
told them that their men had been in
the thick Of the fight. They glanced down
the columns, read the account and of the
deeds of bravery Of their men. They
read the list of the dead and the wounded.
The wife of the second lieutenant came
up to them. She saw the papers lying
in the laps OF the women: she glanced
at their faces. She read the truth.
There has been a battle?" she said,
interrogatively.
Yes" said one OF the women.
And Roberto" she asked.
He was in the thick OF the fight. lead
ing his men On and cheering them an
swered one Of her companions. The pa
pers speak of his courage and bravery:
how he struggled on in the face OF the
deadly fire, encouraging his men. Some
of the men fell. but with a cheer on their
lips for him, and then came an awful
cross FIRE.
She looked out over the plain. the moon
light changing the grease weed and SAGE
brush into shadows and transforming the
beds Of alkau into shining waves Of sill
Yer.
Il knew he was brave" she said. and
he was woundedT
Yes" very severely. and" the wo-
mans voice broke
There was the sound OF sobbinz and one
OF. the women arose and gently placed
heS arm about the waist Of the younger
woman.
MY dear" began one Of them.
She drew away and unwo0nd the arm
about her. Her face was terribly drawn
y an not q soldier widow? she ask
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