The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1901-03-22

Sweetheart
OF THE
Alice Club


The younger officers of the Fourteenth
cavalry, stationed at Santa Rita. in the
Philippines. were sitting in front of the
nipa shack which they occupied as their
quarters.
Did you see the papers from the
States that came up today" asked Tom
hnson They've all got pictures of
poor Drury Lenning with the picture of
that girl whose photograph he had in a
golden locket around his neck when he
was killed"
johnson pulled at his pipe for awhile
and looked out at the moonlight lying
white in the street well" said John
son finally, with all due respect to poor
Drury and to that girl Of his ana to the
grief which she must feel even now, still,
honest, fellows, when ! get killed | hope
Ill have better looking face than that
in the locket around my neck"
Come, Johnny" said little Samuelson.
from the bottom step, that amt right.
you know"
NO" said Johnson, 81 suppose not. but
honest, | would hate to be caught dead
with a face like that tied around my
neck. 1t all goes into the papers, and III
be hanged if | could rest easy under my
little old pile of dirt if there was such a
trump looking picture as that printed in
all the papers under the caption, Lieu
tenant Johnson's Sweetheart, Whose Pic.
ture He Wore Over His Heart When He
Died."
Needn't worry" said Tomlinson.
when the niggcrs pot you, all the hos
pital corps will find on your mangled re-
mains will lie a greasy deck of cards,
two pipes and plug of tobacco. You
may have one picture in the pocket over
your heart, but it will be that of some
vaudeville actress with golden hair that
they give away with cigarettes"
"Oh, | don't know" said Johnson. He
looked cautiously across the street to.
ward Manning's quarters. Then he pull
ed from his pocket the photograph of
beautiful young woman. The face was
of almost pathetic sweetness, and the
great eyes looked straight out from the
picture, and the lips seemed as though
just drawing apart to speak.
'See that?" said johnson. II haven't
got any sweetheart myself any more than
L
from old Nanny"
Samuelson held the picture farther over
where the light from the window be
hind him could fall upon it better.
"Wow!" he said We'll, she is a stun
ner. What are you going to do with it,
johnny"
"I'll tell you" said johnson. N fell
low never knows out here when he's 60
ing to get his little chunk of cold hard
lead right back of the ears, When a
fellow is killed, everybody paws over the
things he has, and the newspaper crowd
charges in and looks for pictures and
things, and if he hasn't got picture
around his neck they're liable to put one
there. Now, I'm going to carry the pie
ture of this girl in my breast pocket right
over me heart. Then when | get nailed,
why, the papers will publish it along with
mine, and III be the most romantic thing
that ever happened"
But you won't be here to enjoy it,"
said Samuelson softly.
''Nope," said Johnson. but my fam
lily will be pleased. I've got three sisters
that are prouder than ten people. and if
! were to lay me down and die with
cross. forlorn looking girls picture above
my heart my family would never for
give me-"
That's a pretty good notion, John
n.y." said Tomlnson. LET me have that
picture"
mo" said Johnny promptly ",Tust
for me. Hunt up lady of your own or
cut one out of a newspaper"
Ia l. A
that picture" said Andrews from the
window. 81 know all about it. know
bow Nanny got it. Manny's brother-in
law is an editor back in the States. This
picture is that of girl in some country
town who was the queen Of street fair
or business mems carnival or something
like that The paper printed her picture
in connection with the story Of the do
ings. Nanny saw it lying on his broth
er's desk and stole it. He doesn't know
what the girls name is or anything AMI
doesn't care lie likes it just because its
the picture of a pretty girl. that's all,
and he's carried it everywhere Had it
down to Cuba with him and wore It
strictly over his heart up san Juan hill
Your notion is real nice, johnny, but it's
not new Old Nanny, you see, cherished
the same ideas long, long time ago"
"Whcw" said johnson, "Well, old
Manny's wiser than thought he was"
Say. johnny" put in Samualson. BE
a good fellow. Why not let the picture
travel around? That is, let the fellow
that goes out on a campaign take the
picture. and then when he comes back
let it 20 to the next man that goes hik-
ing"
Il can beat that" said Tomlnson.
Lets have that picture photographed
and a copy given to each one Of us. Then
Wen all be insured"
johnson thought earnestly for awhile.
"Well, all right" he said. ON just do
that"
So the next day. when Samuelson went
Gown to Manila, he took the picture ana
had a photographer make six copies of it,
and he also bought some cheap rolled gold
lockets and a couple of yards of blue rib
bons. When he came back to Santa
Rita that night, he passed out the pic
lures and the lockets to the other men,
and they each cut off enough blue ribbon
with which to fasten the lockets around
their necks.
"And now" said johnson as he fun
bled at his locket as it swung on his
breast, 81 am ready to be a real hero,
and .he papers can print the picture
found in the locket on the breast of the
gallant young officer killed in the Philip
pines as much as they please. Say, it
would be a positive pleasure to die with