Waterbury Democrat., 1901-04-10

or the occasion, Sue nau dSSuueu guardianship, so to speak, over that young lady which became almost pos sessiye in form, so passiyely was it tolerated.
 She had piled the girl with ques- tions as to the friends who were to meet her on arrival in San Francisco, and Miss Ray had smilingly given evasive answers.
 When, therefore, they neared Sac ramento and the vice president an- nounced her intention of sallying forth to see to it that proper victuals were provided for her soldier boys, Miss Ray had few minutes in which to make her preparations, and the next thing the vice president saw of her supposed ward and dependent, that young lady was in the embrace of richly dressed and most distin- gnished-looking woman, whose gray hair only served to heighten the re- finement of her features. Just be- hind the elder lady stood silk halted dignitary III the prime of life. and behind him footman or valet, to whom the porter was handing Miss Rays belongings.
 And what the vice president so much resented was that Miss Ray had not only never mentioned her purpose of leaving the train at Sacra- mento, but never so much as intro- duced her friends, at whom the vice president smiled invitingly while ac- cepting Miss Rays courteous but brief thanks for s"so much attention during the afternoon,'' but who mere ly bowed in acknowledgement when she would have addressed them on the subject of Miss Rays being of so much help to her when help was so much needed, and who spirited the young lady away to the handsome carriage awaiting her.
 The vice president was distinctly of the opinion that folks didn't need to sink off in that way unless they were ashamed of where they were going or afraid of being found out, whereat Stuyvesant found himself gritting his teeth with wrath, and so whirled about and left her.
 It was after midnight when they reached the pier at Oakland. There, under the great train-shed, track aft- CT track was covered with troop cars and full regiment lay sleeping.
 An alert young officer of the guard raised his hand in salute as Stuyve- sent addressed him. No, there were no ambulances, no soldiers from the Presidio.. They might be waiting across the ferry.
 But how was he to get the injured men across the ferry, thought Stuy vesant. Two of them would have to be carried.
 The long train, except that recr' car, was now emptied. The thro. of passengers had gone on througA the waiting-rooms and up the stair way to the saloon deck of the huge ferry-boat. If he purposed going, no time was to be lost, and the porter bearing his hand-luggage ventured 9 word to that effect.
 Stuyvesant looked back. There were protruding heads at many of the windows of the recruit car, but, obedient to the instructions given by Connolly, no man, apparently, had left his place, and Connolly, though suffering, had evidently resumed con- trol, much benefited by the services of another physician who had board ed the train in the late afternoon and renewed the bandages and dressings of the injured men. Then Stuyvesant suddenly became aware of a messen- ger-boy with telegram. It was ad- dressed to Lieut.. Stuyvesant, A. D. C., Train No. 2, Oakland Tearing it open, he read as follows:
 Report by wire condition of Re- cruit Foster. If serious, have him conveyed to St. Paul's hospital. Com mission as lieutenant and signal of fcer awaits him here.'
 It was signed by the adjutant gem eral at department headquarters, San Francisco.
 But the boy had still another. This too he held forth to Stuyvesant, and the latter, not noticing that it was addressed Commanding Officer U. s. Troops, Train No.{ g." mechanically opened and read and made spring for the car.
 The message was from Port Costa, barely 30 miles away, and briefly said: "Any your men missing? Sol dier left car here believed jumped overheard return trip ferry-boat."
 One man was missing. Recruit Foster, for whom commission as lieutenant and signal officer was waiting at department headquarters, could not be found.
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