Daily camera., 1899-12-01

and ammunition had, at last, been swung
into the hold; the guns of the battery
had been lowered and securely
checked; the forecastle head was
thronged with the red trimmed uni
/ forms of the artillery men. who had al
ready been embarked and were now
jealousy clamoring that the troopers
should be shut OFF, from the further
ministrations of the Red Cross, and
broadly intimating that il wasn't fair
deal that their rivals should be allowed
whole additional hour of lingering
farewells.
Lingering farewells there certainly
were. Many young soldier and many
a lass paired off, in little hooks and
corners among the stacks of bales and
| boxes, but at the table nearest the
staging all seemed gay good humor
merry little woman with straw-col-
ored hair and pert, tip-tilted nose and
much vivacity, and complexion. had APP
paren,ly taken the lead in the warfare
of chaff and fun. Evidently she was
no stranger TO most of the officers. AL
most as evidently, to a very close OBJ
server who stood few PAGES away,
she was no intimate of the group of
women who with good right regarded
that table as their especial and per
sonal charge. Her Red Cross badge was
very new; her garb and gloves were
/ Just as fresh and spotless. She had
, not been ladling out milk and cream,
or buttering sandwiches, or piuning
| i've l. Ii
| since early morning. Other faces
there showed through all their smiles
| and sweetness the traces of long days
OF upaccustomed work and short nights
| of troubled sleep. Marvellous were Mrs
Frank Garrison's recuperatiye powers.
though, they who saw her brought
home in the Primex' sty ylish carriage
weak and helpless and shaken after her
adventure of the previous day. She
had not been at the Preside a week
and yet she pervaded il. She had never
thought of such a thing as the Red
Cross until she found it the center OF
the social armament after her arrival
AT San Francisco. and here she was
the las, conner, the foremost ("most for
ward" | think some one described it)
in their circle at one of the most prom
inent tables. absorbing much of the
attention, most OF the glory, and none
of the fatigue tina, should have been
equally shared by all.
"Adiosl" she gayly cried, as the "as-
scmhly" rang out, loud and clear. and
waving their hands and raising their
caps, the officers hastened TO join their
commands. "Adios. till we meet in
Manila"
DO you really think Of going to the
Philippines, Mrs. Garrison" queried
much older looking, yet younger wom-
an. why, we were told the general
said that none OF his staff would be
allowed 10 take their wives"
yet there are others" laughed Mrs.
Garrison, waving dainty handkerchief
toward the troops now breaking into
column of twos and slowly climbing the
stage. "Who would want TO go with
that blessed old undertaken? Good
by-bop voyage, Geordie." she cried.
blowing a kiss to the lieutenant at the
head OF the second troop, a youth who
blushed and looked confused at the at
,cntion thereby cen,ered upon him and
| who would fain have shaken his fist
| rather than waved the one unoccupied
| hand in perfunctory reply. when !
I go I'll choose n ship with n band and
broad decks, no, any such cramped old
| canal boat as the Portland"
"Oh, though, perhaps your hus.
| band" began the lady, obviously, bu,
with a significant glance at the silent
faces about her.
who? Frank Garrison7 Heavensl
haven't known what it was TO have n
husband-since that poor dear boy
went on staif duty" promptly answered
the diminutive center OF attraction, a
merry peal OF laughter ringing under
the dingy archway Of the long. long
roof. why. the Portland has only one
stateroom in II big enough for n band
box. and OF course the general has to
have that, and there isn't deck where
one couple could turn n slow waltz. No.
indeedl wait for the next flotilla, when
our fellows go, bands and all. Then
we'll see"
But surely. Mrs. Garrison, we are
told the war department has positively
forbidden officers wives from going on
the Innsports"-again began her in
terrogntor. a wistful look in her tired
eyes. IL know I'd give anything TO join
Mr.. Dutton."
"Thc war department has to take or
ders quite ms often as it gives them,
hrs. Dutton. The thing isto know how
to be OF the order giving side. Oh, joy!"
she suddenly cried, Hero are the
Primes and Amy Lawrence-then the
regiments must be coming! And there's
Stanley Armstrong;"
Far up the westward street the dis
tant roar of voices mingled with the
swing and rhythm and crash OF martial
music. Dock policemen and soldiers on
guard began boring wide lane through
the throng OF people on the pier. a huge
black transport ship lny moored along