Willmar tribune., 1900-05-23

f4 II
spirits simply irresistible. Her sallies
Of wit had made him roar with delight;
her mimicry of one or two conscientious
but acidulated danes who had come
over on the Queen, bound al nurses for
Manila, had ltickled him to the verge
of apoplexy; but when later she backed
him into the coolest corner of the
lanai" with the plash of fountain close
at hand, and the sweet music OF Ber-
gers famous band floating softly on the
evening air, and told him how her
father had loved to talk of his, the gen
erals, dash and daring in the great
days of the great war, and led him on
to tell of his campaigns in the Shenan-
doah and the west, listening with d.
lated eyes and parted lips, the cam
paigner himself was captivated, and
she had her will. A great senator had
told him how she had come thither to
nurse a gallant young officer in her
husbands regiment, how she had
pulled the boy through the perils of
brain fever until he was now conval-
escent and going on to rejoin his COM
rades in Manila, and she, she was pining
to reach her husband now serving on
Gen. Drayton's staff. Other women.
were aboard the Queen; could not Gen.
Crabb find room for her? 1t is hard
for soldier to refuse pretty woman
or prominent member of the commit
tee on military affairs. There was not a
vacant stateroom on the ship. Officers
were sleeping three or four in a room,
so were the Red Cross nurses; and the
two army wives already aboard had
been assigned little cubbyhole of a
cabin in which only one could dress at
Il time. There were only two apart
ments on the big craft that were not
filled to their capacity-the room occu-
pied by that sea monarch, the captain,
and that which. from having been the
''ladies boudoir," had been fitted up
for the accommodation of the general.
The piano had been wheeled out on
deck. the writing table slowed away,
and a fine new wide brass bedstead,
with dainty white curtains and mos
quito bar, a large bureau and a wash.
stand had been moved in, and these,
with easy-chairs, electric fans, electric
lights and abundant air, made it the
most desirable room on the ship. Even
Armstrong, colonel commanding the
troops aboard, was compelled to share
his little cabin with his adjutant, and
the generals aides were bundled into
4 "skimpy'' box between decks. There
really seemed no place for Mrs. Gar
rison aboard, especially when it was
found that the passenger list was to be
increased by three, a surgeon and two
officers going forward from Honolulu;
and one of these was our old friend and
once light-hearted BILLY Gray, now
nearly convalescent, but weak and, as
all could see, feverishiy eager to get on
to Manila.
All this was explained to the senator.
1t was even suggested that there was
room for Mrs. Garrison on the Louis
lana, safe old tub, if she was slow;
but Mrs. Frank looked so pathetic and
resigned when this arrangement was
suggested that no one had the hardi-
hood to actually dwell upon it, and the
senator said it was shame to think of
it. With whom of her own sex could
she associate on that long, hot voyage
ahead of them? Why not transfer some
of the Red Cross nurses to the Louis
lana? Mrs. Garrison had no objections,
but they had; and the surgeon in
charge made prompt and vigorous pro-
test. He knew Mrs. Frank, and she
knew him and did not in the least de-
spair. She still had plan. There was
a coy dinner one evening-just the
evening before the departure of the
Queen, and the gallant captain OK the
ship, the veteran general, the quarter
master in charge of transportation, the
member of the senate military commit
tee, some charming girls-but none so
charming as Mrs. Garrison-were of
the party. There was some sentiment
and much champagne, as result Of
which, at one a. M, the Dig-hearted sea
aforementioned swore by the
bones of his ancestors in the Shiny
grasp of Davy Jones that that sweet
little woman shouldn't have to go
a-begging for accommodations on his
ship. If the general would condescend
to move into his room, by thunder. he'd
sleep up in his foul-weather den next
the chart room, and Mrs. Garrison
God bless he-!-could take the gener-
ais roo1r, and be queen of the ship
queer OF the Queen-queen of queens
hy Jupiter! and here's her health with
all honor! A soldier, of course, could
be no less gallant than sailor, espe-
cially as the captains room was bit
better than the "Boudoir," and had an
ice chest and contents that the veteran
campaigner was hidden to consider his
own. The agreement was clinched that
very night before the party broke up;
and little Mrs. Frank shed tears of
gratitude upon the generals coat
sleeve and threw kiss after kiss to the
handsome sailor as She hung over the
balusters of the broad veranda and
waved them away in their swift-run-
ming cabs, and then danced off to her
room and threw herself on the bed aft
er a mad pirouette about the spacious
and laughed and laughed
until real tears trickled from her eyes,
and then gave orders to be called at
seven o'clock. She meant to be up and
aboard that ship with all her luggage
before sense and repentance could
come with the morning sun-before
either soldier or sailor could change
his mind.
To the amaze of the women already
aboard, to the grave annoyance of Col.
Armstrong, to the joy of poor Billy
Gray, and the mischievous merriment
of several youngsters on the commis-
stoned list, Mrs. Frank Garrison, the