Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-02-21
CHAPTER XIV.

CHAPTER XIV.
Manila at last! Queen city of the
archipelago, and Manila again be-
sieged! The loveliest of the winter
months was come. The Luneta and the
Paseo de Santa Lucia, close to the
sparkling waters, were gay every even
ing with the music Of the regimsntal
bands and thronged with the car1iagea
of old-time residents and their new and
not too welcome visitors. Spanish
danes and damsels, invisible at other
hours, drove or strolled along the road
way to enjoy the cool breezes that
swept in from the beautiful bay and take
wistful peeps at the dainty toilets Of
the American bellies now arriving by
every boat from Hong-Kong. All the
Castilian disdain they might look and
possibly feel toward the soldiery of
Uncle Sam gave place to liveiest inter
est and curiosity when the wives and
daughters of his soldiers appeared
upon the scene; and there was one car
riage about which, whenever it stopped.
little swarm of officers gathered and
toward which at any time all eyes were
directed-that of the White Sisters.
Within the old walled city and in the
crowded districts OF Bimondo, Quiapo
and San Miguel north of the Pasig, and
again in Pace and Ermita to the south,
strong regiments were stationed in
readiness to suppress the first sign OF
the outbreak SO confidently predicted
by the bureau of military intelligence.
In great semicircle of over 20 miles,
girdling the city north, east and south,
the outposts and sentries Of the two
divisions kept watchful eyes upon the
insurgent forces surrounding them.
Aguinaldo and his cabinet at Malolos
to the north had all but declared war
upon the obstinate possessors of the
city and had utterly forbidden their
leaving the lines of Manila and seeking
to penetrate those broader fields and
roads and villages without. Still hug
ging to its breast the delusion that a
semi Malaysian race could be appeased
by show of philanthropy, the govern
ment at Washington decreed that, de-
spite their throwing up earthworks
against and training guns on the
American positions, the enemy should
be treated as though they never could
or would be hostile, and the privileges
denied by them to American troops
were by the American troops accorded
to them. Coming and going at will
through our lines, they studied our
force, our arms, equipment, numbers,
supplies, methods; and long before the
Christmas bells had Changed their
greeting to that universal feast day,
and the boom of cannon ushered in the
new year, all doubt of the hostile senti-
ments of the insurgent leaders had van
ished. Already there had been ominous
clashes at the front; and with every day
the demeanor of the Philippine officers
and men became more and more in
solent and defiant. Ceaseless vigilance
and self-control were enjoined upon the
soldiers of the United States, nearly all
stalwart volunteers from the far west,
and while officers of the staff and of the
haif-doZen regiments quartered with
in the city were privileged each day to
stroll or drive upon the Luneta, there
were others that never knew an hour
away from the line of the outposts and
their supports. Such was the case with
Stewards regiment far out toward the
waterworks at the east. Such was the
case with the Primeval Dudes on the
other side Of the Pasig, lining the banks
of the crooked estuary that formed the
Rubicon we were forbidden to cross.
Such was the case with Canker and the
-teenth in the dense bamboo thicket to
the south, and SO it happened that at
first Armstrong and Billy Gray saw
nothing of each other, and but little
of the White Sisters, probably a for
tunate thing for ala
Ever since that memorable night on
the Queen of the Fleet, Gray had stu
diously avoided his whilom friend and
counselor, while the latter's equally
studious avoidance of Mrs. Garrison
had become observed throughout the
ship. The dominion and power of that
little lady had been of brief duration,
as was to be expected in the case of a
woman who had secured for her undi-
| vided use the best, the ARREST and by
far the largest room on the steamer
a cabine de luxe indeed, that for a
weeks voyage on an Atlantic liner
would have cost small fortune, while
here for sea sojourn of more than
double the time under tropic skies, and
while other and worthier women were
sweltering three in a stuffy box below,
it had cost but a smile. The captain
had repented him of his magnanimity
before the lights of Honolulu faded
out astern. The general began to real
ize that he had been made cat's-paw
of and, his amour propre being wound
ed, he had essayed' for day or two
majestic dignity of mien that became
comical when complicated with the
qualms of seasickness. There was even
noticeable aversion on part of some of
the officers of the Dudes who, having
made the journey from "the bay" to
Honolulu with the women passengers,
army wives and Red Cross nurses, nat
urally became the recipients of the
views entertained by these ladies.
Quick to see if slow TO seem to see, Mrs.
Frank has lost no time in begging one
of the young soldier wives to share her
big stateroom and broad and comfort
able bed, and the lady preferred, the
heat and discomfort between decks to
separation from her friend. Then Mrs.
Garrison rendered both the rum of her
cabin during the day and evening; sug-
gested, indeed, that on hot nights they
come and sleep there, one on the bed
and one on the couch; and they thanked
her, but-never came. She coddled, the
general with cool champagne cup when
he was in the throes Of NAL de mer, and