Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-04-05
BY ERNEST JARROLD-

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ing she went to costumer's shop. By
the payment Of So she was instructed
in all the arts necessary to transform
herself into man.
That night she laughed for the first
time since Roger had left her. She
was standing before mirror in her
rooms clothed in cast off suit of her
boys. Upon her head was perched a
SLOUGH hat well drawn down over her
eyes. Her hands and face were stain
ed a brown color from preparation
which the costumer had given her.
She had cut off her hair close up to
the roots. She laid the long, black
tresses carefully away in the bureau
drawer. Parading up and down before
the mirror little Of her native CO.
quetry awoke, and she laughed softly
as she thought:
He'll never know mew
When she stepped out upon the side
walk on the following morning, carry
Ing large hand bag, she glanced nerv-
ously up and down the street, expect
Ing to be recognized. But no one paid
her any attention, and in little while
her fears passed away, and she felt Sc
cure in her disguise.
1t was the evening before the assault
on the earthworks at Santiago. The
tropical night air was heavy with MAS
matte dew, and the heavens cleaned
with million jewel stars. Flooding
YEARLY along over a narrow wagon
road, famished with hunger and reel
Ing with weakness, was Mrs. Williams,
still wearing her disguise. The terrors
Of that night required to her after
ward as a nightmare. The rain had
filled the narrow road with water, in
which she sank up to her knees only to
founder out into sandy loan where
every step was torture. Frightened
almost into fainting condition by
enormous land crabs, whose rapid
movements in the grass sounded in
her affrighted ears like the rattle Of
musketry, she at last fell in the under
brush utterly exhausted.
Then came the daybreak over the
bills, the sun throwing out her lances
Of gold as If to guide her faltering foot
steps. New vigor was infused into her
fainting heart by the sound Of bugle
over the ridge in front Of her. Her
heart leaped in her bosom as she heard
the neighing Of horse. At last her
search was over. She would soon be
in the arms Of her boy! She was near
I m A Cot, =, IL.
by tie distance, reached her ears This
was followed by the boom of artillery,
and the earth trembled. The sharp
Zip" Of bullet caused her to look up
as q small tree branch fell at her feet.
Still she pressed on until as she mount
ed an elevation the whole panorama of
war burst upon her sight. In the dis
lance she could see the roofs Of the
houses in Santiago. Between We're
rifle pits vomiting fame. On her right
she heard a cheer, and out of the grass
there sprang a legion Of men, who
charged up a long, green slope.
What regiment is that?" she asked.
passing forward, Of a soldier who lay
in the grass with broken leg.
"The Seventy-first," he replied.
They're charging San Juan. You
fool. lie down! Do you want hole
through your head?"
She did not wait to hear the warn
ing, but ran toward the slope. Her on
~ fear was that she might be too late
to save her boy. She did not know
how she could serve him even If in all
that rucl she could find him. Still for
ward she went. Now she was among
the soldiers charging up the slope. She
felt none Of the thrill Of battle which
inspired her comrades; but, eager eyed,
expectant, she watched for the one face