Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1898-10-28

their regiment, and the letters were
Allied with gossip about the officers and
their families for regiment Is naught
but one large family. Then came days
Of watching and waiting, and the next
was the movement of troops to Santiago
Then the women knew that the war
had begun In earnest. The full realiza-
tion of 1t came home to them. The older
women remembered when it WAS moth
ing for their husbands to DO ordered out
to suppress the Indians, while one or
two remembered tho civil war, but
there was nothing of that kind for the
wife of the second lieutenant to remem-
Dor. She carried herself bravely, how
ever, and proudly said that she was the
wife of a soldier and all soldiers wives
should DO brave, "a remark that greatly
pleased tho others
The women learned more about her
now that her husband was not present
to monopolize all hor time. They learned
that she was quite alone in the world,
except for him; that she was an orphan
and that tho aunt who had reared her
had died. This increased their sympathy
for her, II that were possible, tor she had
their sympathy already, They could see
that her thoughts were all of her hus-
band, but II they endeavored to speak
words Of comfort to her she replied al
am soldiers wife"
The news travelled slowly to them
That perhaps was tho hardest. Their
husbands might have been In battle and
have been wounded or killed; the four
troops might DO wiped out and 1t would
BIO fully week before they would know
it. When the papers did arrive, there
was hurried glance ut tho headlines
and then for tho regimental head.
The battle of Santiago had been
fought and won. The news had been
photographed undersea and overland
and the papers had come out with the
particulars under display headlines. 1t
was just week after that the papers
reached tho fort The trooper brought
them In tho evening and delivered them
to the women, sitting under tho cotton.
wood trees that slxirted the parade
ground. The wife of the second lieuten.
ant had gone for walk and was not
with them. A cry burst from tho white
them that their men had been In the
thick of tho fight. They glanced down
the columns. read tho account and Of
the deeds Of bravery Of their men. They
read tho list Of the dead and wounded
The wife of the second lieutenant
came up to them. She saw the papers
lying in the laps of tho women; she
glanced ut their faces She read the
truth.
There has been battleP" she said
interrogatively.
eyes" said one of the women
"And Robert2" she asked
''He was in tho thick of the fight,
leading his men on and cheering thom,"
answered one Of her companions THE
papers speak Of his courage and bravery;
how no struggled on in tho face Of the
deadly fire, encouraging his men Some
Of tho men fell but with cheer on
their lips for him, and then came an
awful cross fire"
She looked out over the plain. the
moonlight changing the grease wood
and sagebrush into shadows and trans
forming tho beds Of alkali into shining
wavoz of silver.
Il knew no was brave" sho Haid,
land no was woundedf''
Yes; very severely, and"- the
woman's voice broke
There was tho sound OF sobbinR, and
one of the women arose and gently
placed her arm about tho waist of the
younger-woman.
80 NV HanrI hauan nna - than