Willmar tribune., 1900-03-28
blowing kiss to the lieutenant at the

who would fain have shaken his fist,
rather than waved the one unoccupied
hand in perfunctory reply. ''When l
go I'll choose a ship with band and
broad decks, not any such cramped old
canal boat as the Portland"
"Oh! I thought perhaps your hus-
band," began the lady, obviously, but
with significant glance at the silent
faces about her.
"Who? Frank Garrison? Heavens!
I haven't known what it was to have a
husband-since that poor dear boy
went on staff duty" promptly answered
the diminutive center of attraction,
merry peal of laughter ringing under
the dingy archway of the long, long
roof. 'Why, the Portland has only one
stateroom in it big enough for band
box, and of course the general has to
have that, and there isn't deck where
one couple could turn slow waltz. No,
indeed! 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 Transports began her in
terrogator, wistful look in her tired
eyes. II know I'D give anything to join
Mr.. Dutton.''
'The war department has to take or
ders quite as often as it gives them,
Mrs. Dutton. The thing is to know how
to be of the order giving side. Oh, joy!"
she suddenly cried. Here 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 lay moored along
| the opposite side to that on which the
guns and troopers were embarked, and
for hours bales, boxes and barrels had
been swallowed up and stored in her
capacious depths until now, over
against the tables of the Red Cross,
there lay behind rope barrier, taut
stretched and guarded by line of SEN
tries, an open space close under the
side of the greater steamer and be-
tween the two landing stages, placed
fore and aft. By this time the north
the inevitable relics of open air lunch
ing, and though busy hands had been
at work and the tables had been
cleared, and fresh white cloths were
spread and everything on the tables
began again to look fair and inviting,
the good fairies themselves looked ask
ance at their bestrewn surroundings.
"Oh, if we could only move everything
bodily over to the other side," walled
Madam President, as from her perch
on stack of Red Cross boxes she sur
veyed that coveted stretch of clean, un-
hampered flooring.
''And why not?" chirruped Mrs. Gar
rison, from a similar perch, tier or two
higher. "Here are men enough to move
mountains. All we have to do is to say
the word"
'Ah, but it isn't" replied the other,
gazing wistfully about over the throng
of faces, as though in search of some
one sufficient in rank and authority to
serve her purpose. "We plead in vain
with the oficer-of-the-guard. He says
his orders are imperative-to allow no
one to intrude on that space" and
madam looked as though she would
rather look anywhere than at the ami
mated sprite above her.
''What nonsense!" shrilled Mrs. Gar
rison. "Here, Cherry" she called to
pretty girl, standing near the base of
the pile, give me my bag. I'm army
woman enough to know that order re-
ferred only to the street crowd that
sometimes works in on the pier and
steals" The bag was duly passed up to
her. She cast one swift glance over the
heads of the crowd to where hand
some carriage was slowly working it's
way among the groups of prettily-
dressed women and children-friends
and relatives of members of the depart
ing commands, in whose behalf, as
though by special dispensation, the or
der excluding all but soldiers and the
Red Cross had been modified. Already
the lovely dark-eyed girl on the near
side had waved her hand in greeting,
responding to Mrs. Garrison's en-
thusiastic signals, but her companion,
equally lovely, though of far different
type, seemed preoccupied, perhaps uc-
willing to see, for her large, dark,
thoughtful eyes were engaged with
some object on the opposite side-not
even with the distinguished looking
soldier who sat facing her and talking
quietly at the moment with Mr.. Prime.
There was a CLEAN of triumph in Mrs.
Garrison's dancing eyes as she took out
fiat notebook and pencil and dashed
off few lines in bold and vigorous
strokes. Tearing out the page, she rap
idly read it over, folded it and glanced
imperiously about her. A cavalry SER
geant, one of the home troop destined
to remain at the Presidio, was leaning
over the edge of the pier, hanging on to
an iron ring and shouting some part
ing words to comrades on the upper
deck, but her shrill soprano cut through
the dull roar of deep, masculine voices
and the tramp of feet on resounding
woodwork.
"Sergeant!" she cried, with quick de-
cision. Take this over to the officer
in command of that guard. Then bring
a dozen men and move these two tables
across the pier" The cavalryman
glanced at the saucy little woman in
the stunning costume, took in" the
gold crossed sabres, topped by regi-
mental number in brilliants that