Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1900-01-30


succeeded in convincing the surgeons
that he would be as much out of place
MS his name itself in such cline and
climate, and was in daily expectation
of an order home. Billy Gray, mending
only slowly, had been sent to Corregi-
dor, where the bracing breezes of the
China sea drove their tonic forces
through his lungs and veins, and the
family rising hue of coming health
back into his hollow checks. The boy
had been harder hit than seemed tie
case at first, said the fellows of the
tenth; but the wise young surgeon
of the Second reserve" and a grave
faced colonel of infantry could have
told of causes little dreamed of in the
egiment-were either given to telling
the half of what he knew.
That something most unusual had oc-
Cured in the room of Mr.. Gray the day
that the sad-faced: kind old general Wis
tied the hospital at least half dozen
patients could have told; for an at
tendant went running for one of the
women nurses, and the doctor himself
hurried to the scene. 1t was on his
arm that, half an hour later, Mrs. Gar
rison slowly descended the stairs, her
flimsy white veil down, and silently
bowed her thanks and adieux as the
doctor closed the door of her carriage
and nodded to the little coachman. 1t
was the doctor who suggested to Col.
Frost that Manila air was not conducive
to his wife's recovery, and recommends
ed Nagasaki as the place for her re-
cuperation until he could join her and
take her home. The Esmerelda bore
the White sisters over Hong-Kong way
within week; and they left without
flourish of trumpet, with hardly the
flutter Of handkerchief; for, since the
battle of the 5th of February, neither
had been seen upon the Luneta. Their
women friends were very few; the men
they knew were mainly at the front.
The story got out somehow that Garri-
son had asked to be relieved from fur
Their duty as aid-de-camp and returned
to duty with his regiment, and that
Drayton would not have it. The gen.
erals manner toward that hard-work-
ing staff officer, though often preoccu-
pied as of old, grew even kinder. He
did not see the sisters off for China
he was star too busy" was the expla-
nation; but he offered Garrison fort
nights leave and urged his taking it,
and was obviously troubled when Gar
rison declined. you need rest and the
change of air more than any man l
know" said he; but Garrison replied
that change Of scene and air would not
help him.
There were two young fellows in
khaki uniforms landed from the hospi-
tai launch on the back trip from Correg-
idor one warm March day. One wore
the badge of subaltern of the -teenth
regulars, the other the chevrons of q
corporal and the hatband of famous
fighting regiment of volunteers; yet
the same carriage bore them swiftly
through the sentineled streets of the
walled city, and the guards at the Ayun-
tamiento sprang to their arms and
formed ranks Mt sight Of 1t, then dis
persed Mt the low-toned order of its
commander when it was seen that, in.
stead of stopping at the curb and dis
charging an elderly general officer, i,
whirled straight by and held two youths
in field uniform.
"One of ems young Gray, of the
tenth; he that was hit in the charge
on the Panay road" said the officer Of
the guard to a comrade. 'But who the
devils the otherP He had corporars
chevrons on. Some fellow Just got a
commission. perhaps" And that was
the only way the soldier could account
for corporal riding with commits
stoned officer In generals carriage.
They had long whirl ahead of them
these two; and the corporal told Gray,
as he already had the general and Col
Armstrong, much of the story of his
friendship for "Pat" Latrobe, of that
poor fellows illness at San Francisco
and all the trouble It cost his friend
and chum. There was strong bond
between them, he explained; and the
blush OF shame that stole up in the face
OF the narrator found instant answer
in that of Billy Gray. Determined to
see service at the front and not return
to punishment In his regiment, never
dreaming that, in quitting corps
doomed apparently to inaction at home,
and Joining one going straight to the
nemy's country, he was committing the
grave crime of desertion, "Gov" Prime
had spoken to some men in Stewards
regiment and was hidden to come along
and fetch his friend; for they were just
as ignorant as he. Having still consid-
cradle money, "Gov" had bought civil
ian clothes and all the supplies they
needed while about town, and hired a
boat that rowed them, with certain
Items contraband of war, to the dark
side of the transport as nightfall came;
and they were easily struggled aboard
and into uniform, and then, during the
few days stay at Honolulu, were for
mally enlisted and no embarrassing
questions asked.
And now poor Pat was gone and
Primes father had been cabling for him
to return home; but there was that awk-
ward matter about the desertion. Gen.
Drayton was trying to have it straight
ened out at Washington, for. he had
been Kindness itself the day of his visit
to the hospital, where almost his first
act had been to seek out the wounded
young soldier who had been his beloved
nephew's boon companion, and at one
time sole support. The sentry was re-
leved OF his surveillance, and Corp.
Norton transferred to Corregidor to re-
cuperate; and now that both lads were
well on the road to recovery, Drayton
had sent for them, Strictly speaking,