Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1901-06-18


ing young regulars and volunteers by
the hundred were tumbling out into
the street. all eagerness and rejoicing
at the prospect OF having lark with
the Bomberos. the funny little Manila
firemen with their funnier little
squirts on wheels.
1t was fully half an hour before the
officers could "locate" the origin Of
the alarm and order their companies
back to bed, an order most reluctant
~ obeyed, for by that time the near
est native fire company was aroused
and on the way to the scene. 9th
ers could be expected in the course
of the night. and the Manila fire de-
partment was something that afford
ed the Yankee soldier unspeaKable
Joy. He hatsd to lose such an oppor.
tunity.
But for all his professional calm.
DR.. Frank was by no means pleased
with the excitement attending this
episode For an hour or more off,
GERS from all over the neighborhood
gathered In front OF Brent's and had
to be told the particulars, BILLY
Rays daughter" being pronounced
the heroine everybody expected her
to be, while that young lady herself,
now that the affair could be called
closed, was ina condition bordering
on the electric. .'Overwrought and
nervous" said Miss Porter, "but
laughing at the whole business"
What Frank thought he didn't say,
but he cut short Sandy's visit to his
sister and suggested that he go down
and tell the assemblage under the
front gallery that they would better
return to whist-or whatever game
was in progress when the alarm was
given. The colonel could not invite
them in as matters stood, and they
slowly dispersed, leaving only
senior or two and Lieut.. Stuyvesant
to question further, for Stuyvesant,
coming from afar and arriving late,
was full Of anxiety and concern.
Despite his temporary escape. cir
cumstances and the civil authorities
(now become decidedly military had
thrown him into still further assoc
citation with the woman whom he
would have so gladly shunned-the
importunate Miss Perkins. He had
taken turn around the block-and
refuge in the English club-until he
thought her disposed of at home and
his carriage returned. He had come
across the little equipage, trundling
slowly up and down the street in
search of him, had dined without ap-
petite and smoked without relish,
striving to forget that odious wom-
ans hints and aspersions, aimed ev-
identity at the Rays, and had gone
to his own room to write when a
corporal appeared with request
from the captain in charge Of the
police guard Of Ermita to step down
to tho Office.
It was much after nine then and
the excitement caused by the alarm
was about over, the troops going
back to barracks and presumably to
bed. The captain apologized for call
ing on him that late in the evening,
but told him man recognized az
Murray, deserter from the cavalry,
was secreted somewhere in the neigh
borhood. and it was reported that he
(stuyvesant) could give valuable in
formation concerning him. Stuyve-'
SAINT could and did, and in the midst
of it in came Miss Perkins, flushed,
eager and demanding to know if that
villain was yet caught-''and if not,
why not?"
Then she caught sight Of stuyve-
SAINT and preeipitated herself upon
him. That man Murray had hate
fully deceived her and imposed upon
her goodness, she declared. She had
done everything to help him at the
Preside, and he had promised her a
paper signed by all the boys asking
that the p. D. AS be recognized as
the organization the soldiers favored,
and showed her petition he had
drawn up and was getting signatures
to- by the hundreds. That paper
would have insured their being rec
ognfzed by the government instead
Of those purse-proud Red Cross peo-
pie, and then he had wickedly de-
serted, after-after-and Stuyvesant
could scarcely keep straight face
getting $50 from her and ring that
he was going to wear always until he
came back from Manila-an officer.
Oh, he was smart one, a smooth
one! All that inside of three DAYS
after he got to the Preside, and then
was arrested, and then, next thing
she knew, he had fed-petition.
money, ring and all.
Another soldier told her the sip-
natures were bogus. And that very
night she had recognised him, spite
Of his beard, and at sight Of her he
had cut and run ("Well he might"
thought stnyvesan). And then Miss
Perkins yielded to the strain of over
taxed nerves and had to be conducted
home.
She lived but a block or two away.
and it was Stuyvesant who had to
play escort, The air, unluckily, re-
yiged her. and at the gateway she
turned and had this to add to her
previous statements:
"You think the Ray people your
friends, lieutenant, and I'm not the
kind OF woman to see worthy young
man trifled with. You've been go
ing there every day and everybody
knows it, and knows that you were
sent away to Iloilo in hopes of break
ing you of 1t. That girls promised
in marriage to that young man who's.
got himself into such scrape all on
her account. He's here-followed
her here to marry her, and if he's
found he's liable to be shot. Oh, you
can believe OF not, just as you please,