Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1901-05-10


miles away.
"Mountains!" interrupted his neigh
Dor. Mountains! You ought to see
our mountains out in Montana High?
Tops of EN- in the clouds; snow on
'em the year round. See em fifty
miles. An valleys, Miles an miles
of green grass an thousands an thou
sands of sheep and Cattle.'
The Iowan across the aisle rose on
his elbow. mountains are all right"
he agreed, "but give me a long, level
road with brown corn-felds and vel
low stubble on one side, and he
paused and winked at the Montana
man, and an apple orchard on the
other. And then
The Tennesseean sat up in bed.
Air you all clean crazy?" he asked.
Apples, Apples? I'll give two months
pay for six big red apples-two for
each of us. DANCED eff | WON'T" He
sighed despairingly. 81 reckon I'd
eat mine all to oncet. an die. Wall.
I'd ruther die that way than starve
to death on beef-tea an matted milk
But say, Ioway. don't you ever men
tiOn apples agin in this assembly.
So it went on, day after day, week
after week.
Seems as eff VEAL had been heah
fo'eyah." Watson drawled one day.
Reckon this is all a big dream we've
been a-havin' bout a hospital-ship a
comm to take us home He held
up his arm. letting the sleeve of the
loose shirt fall to the elbow. He turn
ed the thin white hand and wrist this
way and that. closing and opening the
long, bony fingers. Husky fellow,
now, amt I?' he asked. Reckon
this is all a dream, too. Reckon
I'll wake up some mo'nin an find
myself the same big. red faced. long
legged, hard listed Hank Watson that
nobody in all Tennessee wants to
rassle with
DR.. Long came into the office one
afternoon and dropped YEARLY into
a chair. Gets hotter every day." he
! declared hopping his face and fore
head with his handkerchief
Miss Howard was standing at the
table, wrapping up the powders and
tablets for the afternoon doses. It's
terrible she said. The sun burns
right through these tents, and there
isn't a sign of breeze in the after
| noon"
The doctor took a paper from his
| pocket. Il have news he said.
The nurse turned quickly. About
the Reliet? she asked.
The doctor nodded, and handed her
the paper.
First Reserve Hospital, Manila, p. l.,
June is, 1899.
S. o. No. AZ.
The hospital-ship Relief will sail
from Manila for San Francisco on
| June 10, with one hundred and fifty
| CT
geons in charge of wards will select
those men entitled to discharge for
disability.
JAS d. LOCKETT,
Major Surgeon, L. S A.
Ward d three men.
Ward d, three mem she read
aloud. why. doctor. there are a
dozen who should go this very day"
Il know it," he answered folding
up the paper; but we can't send
them. The other wards are as bad
as this; We can send only our share. "
lnvoluntarily they both looked down
the long tent at the forty patients.
Its hard to choose the three" he
said.
The nurse nodded without looking
at him. Poor boys" she said :
some of them will be so discour-
aged
The first one" DR.. Long said
thoughtfully, lis that Tennessee man,
Watson. He's been here long time !;
pretty low once or twice, too"
He's better now; he's strong
enough to travel" Miss Howard said
eagerly He must go. over two
months. doctor. Not a word of com
plant in all that time. And who else,
doctor?"
He lowered his voice The first
two here"
Shall tell Them" Without waiting
for an answer, she walked across the
office, and, bending over, whispered
IN turn to the two men. Then she
hurried down the ward, the doctor
following
Say, Charley" said Number One
eXcitedly, did you hear that?"
Number Forty was a boy who had
been badly wounded He moved. and
the wound hurt him, perhaps, for his
voice was very shaky and weak when
he answered:
"Yes-we're going home-at last. -
Watson" said the nurse to the
Tennesseean, the Relief is going
home tomorrow. DR.. Long says
her voice failed; then she went on
that you are going home" The last
words came with a rush
Watson stared, first at the nurse
then at the doctor standing at the
foot of the bed, finally at the roof OF
the tent.
Coin home" he said slowly.
The Montana man laughed. We've
talked about it so long he won't be
lieve it," he said.
The tears came to Watson's eyes
Coin home" he repeated Then he
stretched out his hand. Thank you
nurse he whispered, AN thank you
doctor"
, Sometime during that night the
) rattle of an ambulance half Weakened
Watson. A few minutes later he wa.
: dimly aware that George, the night
: nurse, with a lantern, was putting
new patient into the empty co
( across the aisle. Then the light wen
: away, and the Tennesseean wai
: almost asleep again, when some ont
| said: "Oh, my bandage! I've lost it.
Watson rose on his elbow, and look
ed across the tent. What's the mat
| ter, pardner?" he asked.
, why my bandage slipped off.
must have been asleep"
Watson got out of bed After a mo
: mont he asked, rs this heah it-thi
wet rag?"
yes; it's for my eyes. The nurs,
a | left pan of water. Will Won Meas,