The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-04-08
From the Fnemy's Line,

over his head. The Spanish picket line
was sheltered by a group OF trees not
far away. and occasionally guerrilla
| sharpshooter sent a message Of defiance
from the nigh branches.
| The Sergeant belonged TO New YORK
regiment which had hurried to the front
almost before congress had officially de-
ciared that the United States was al war
with the proud old land which had taken
the trouble 10 discover her.
| Three or four of the guerrillas had
| dropped from the trees and the Spanish
| stragglers had been driven back toward
! Santiago by a rafting hre from the
| Springfield rifles OF the volunteers. The
weather was entirely too hot 10 follow
up an advantage gained over few rice
| fed conscripts, and Company X was rest
| ing a bit and wondering if the commits
sary department would call upon them
/ that day.
Teddy Wilkins was smoking the ar
/ tistically colored meerschaum which he
! had brought from home. There had been
/ no tobacco in the rich brown bowl for
| days, and the Sergeant was contentedly
putting at some Of the dried grass of the
| country.
"HeIlo!' exclaimed De Jones. Here
! they come TO our pink teal I wonder
| how they found out we were receiving
this afternoon. Get out the Boston wa
| fers Sarg., and I'll hunt up the SOU
venir spoons
They proved to be a slender young
woman, who walked with springy step,
and an elderly woman, who was any
! thing but sylphlike, who seemed to roll
along the brown earth. There was a
| look of terror in the eyes Of both OF
them. They advanced toward the Amer
| lean soldiers and held their hands above
their heads.
Mercy, mercy, Senori" cried the girl,
| in broken English.
TELL them to sit down on the sofa and
make themselves at home" suggested
De Jones. THE young one is rather good
looking, at that
Sergeant Theodore Wilkins of Compa-
ny K bent his stiffened limbs, adjusted
his cartridge belt, and went to meet the
new corners.
1--WE beg protection" said the younger
woman. 1--WE have come from the city,
and we beg to be spared by the chivalry
of los Americanos."
wilkins, who remembered somewhat of
his Ollendorf attempted to say something
in Spanish which he meant to De reas
surfing. The girl shook her head and
puzzled expression came into her eyes.
do not spik Spanish more, Senior"
she said. Il have the English very well.
1 went to school in Connecticut.
Whereupon the men who had been en-
gagged in the gentle occupation of ex-
changing compliments with Spanish foe
men burst into an uproarious guffaw,
to the great annoyance of Sergeant Theo-
dore Wilkins.
That Spanish of yours is great" sug
gested the corporal.
A Lieutenant came up just then. The
two women said that they had just come
from beleaguered Santiago in order that
they might escape death in the lombard
ment which was sure TO come. The Lieu
tenant told them that they need fear no
danger, for los Americanos" did not
make war upon women and children.
He ordered Sergeant Wilkins and guard
of two men to escort the visitors out of
harms way.
Teddy wilkins was young. He was so
youthful that he had had hard work in
getting into the regiment when he en-
listed about a year before. He had been
educated in a military school, and the
mechanism of drill seemed a second ma
ture to him
He remembered as he escorted the
refugees through the chaparral that
there was a situation in a grand opera
which was not so very different from the
one In which he found himself. He Won
U6ISu IL 1dTHltH were as D6duLlluI dS
the Cuban girl who picked her way
among the fallen branches and the stones
which lay in their pathway. Then he
tried to convince himself that he knew
a girl in Harlem who was far more So
The more he advanced this proposition
to himself, the more was he convinced
that it was utterly untenable.
"Senor," said the girl, you are kind.
You are-our valiant knight
Teddy wilkins youth often caused him
to speak hastily. He glanced at the
young woman's mother. and, being con-
WINGED by her look of entire stolidity
that the duenna did not understand En-
glish, he remarked, in low and suppos-
eddy tender voice, II wish that you
would say my instead of our senorita-
1 should be happy II you did"
The young woman laughed, and then
checked herself.
"Ah, senor," she said, 'I have left those
behind who were dear to me. I think
only of being reunited to them"
Let me go in search Of them" ex-
claimed the young sergeant. 81 will go
everywhere to find them in order to win
even a smile from YOU
Senior" responded the young woman,
there is nothing in our Spanish tongue
to describe one so noble. You are in
deed a Sir Galahad. They came with US
and were frightened from US. ] have
no doubt that they have succeeded in
also placing themselves in the protec-
ton Of los Americanos. Such is my earn
est hope"
The girl stepped back in a coquettish
way so that the young sergeant might
walk beside her. The more he talked
with her the more he was convinced that
she was hiding a great sorrow There
lines in tho 1=eiPal f0rphaaH TrFhi1 oh
showed that the young woman was more
worried about the safety OF those whom
she had left behind that she would tell
even the sympathetic sergeant.
Sergeant wilkins as he walked along
felt a violent attack OF jealousy.
Your sweetheart, perhaps?" he sug-
gested. The girl shook her head.
Alas, senor." she said, mot so. II fl
were a few years ago could truthfully
answer vss.'
The sergeant was sorry, but at last
they reached the rear. The young 7ro-
man and her mother were taken under
the protection Of a branch OF the Red
Cross. The sergeant remained near them
as long as he could. and then reluctantly
started back to the front.
perhaps we shall meet again" said
the girl, just before he went away.
You give me great hope" replied Ted
dy wilkins. IF I can ever be az ser
vice to you, no matter where you may
be. you must let me know"
The girl smiled and said that she would
never forget him The young sergeant
touched his cap and with one last, In
gering glance, ne went MS way. He was
50 preoccupied on the way back that
the soldiers with him exchanged sIy
winks and assumed expressions intended
TO be exceedingly Ioveiorn.
Sergeant Theodore wilkins found little
time that night 10 think OF the fair Sc
rorfta The Standards advanced a-1