The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1901-07-25

ASulndluO anu MS CABINET at MdiOioS
to the north had all but declared war
upon the obstinate possessors of the
city and had utterly forbidden their
leaving the lines of Manila and seeking
to penetrate those broader fields and
roads and villages without. Still hug
ging to its breast the delusion that a
semi Malaysian race could be appeased
by show of philanthropy, the govern
ment at Washington decreed that, de-
spite their throwing up earthworks
against and training guns on the
American positions, the enemy should
be treated as though they never could
or would be hostile, and the privileges
denied by them to American troops
were by the American troops accorded
to them. Coming and going at will
through our lines, they studied our
force, our arms, equipment, numbers,
supplies, methods; and long before the
Christmas bells had changed their
greeting to that universal feast day,
and the boom of cannon ushered in the
new year, all doubt of the hostile senti-
ments of the insurgent leaders had van
clashes at the front; and with every day
the demeanor of the Philippine officers
and men became more and more in
solent and defiant. Ceaseless vigilance
and self-control were enjoined upon the
soldiers of the United States, nearly all
stalwart volunteers from the far west,
and while officers of the staff and of the
ho I'D &c o,-ta
in the city were privileged each day to
stroll or drive upon the Luneta, there
were others that never knew an hour
away from the line of the outposts and
their supports. Such was the case with
Stewards regiment far out toward the
waterworks at the east Such was the
case with the Primeval Dudes on the
other side of the Pasig, lining the banks
of the crooked estuary that formed the
Rubicon we were forbidden to cross.
Such was the case with Canker and the
-teenth in the dense bamboo thicket to
the south, and so it happened that at
first Armstrong and Billy Gray saw
nothing of each other, and but little
of the White Sisters, probably for
tunate thing for all.
Ever since that memorable night on
the Queen of the Fleet, Gray had stu
diously avoided his whilom friend and
counselor, while the latter's equally
studious avoidance of Mrs. Garrison
had become observed throughout the
ship. The dominion and power of that
little lady had been of brief duration,
as was to be expected in the case of
woman who had secured for her undi
vided use the best, the airiest and by
far the largest room on the steamer
u cabine de luxe indeed, that for a
weeks voyage on an Atlantic liner
would have cost n small fortune. while
here for a sea sojourn of more than
double the time under tropic skies, ard
while other and worthier women were
sweltering three in II stuffy box below,
it had cost but Il smile. The captain
had repented him of his magnanimity
before the lights of Honolulu faded
out astern. The general began to real
ize that he had been made a cat 's-paw
of and, his amour propre being wound
ed he had essayed' for day or two
comical when complicated with the
qualms of seasickness. There was even
noticeable aversion on part of some of
the officers of the Dudes who, having
made the journey from "the bay" to
Honolulu with the women passengers,
army wives and Red Cross nurses, nat
urally became the recipients of the
VI ax an 70. tott nod 1xr 1nHi
Quick to see if slow to seem to see, Mrs.
Frank has lost no time in begging one
of the young soldier wives to share her
big stateroom and broad and comfort
able bed, and the lady preferred the
heat and discomfort between decks to
separation from her friend Then Mrs.
Garrison rendered both the rura of her
cabin during the day and evening: sug-
gested, indeed, that on hot nights they
come and sleep there, one on the bed
and one on the couch; and. they thanked
her, but-never came. She coddled the
general with cool champagne cup when
he was in the throes of NAL de mer, and
held him prisoner with her vivacious
chatter when he was well enough to
NeNA~ W edAh. bht, dliCl Htl lllOSl
serious trouble seemed to consist in
keeping Billy Gray at respectful dis
lance. He sought her side day after
day, to Armstrong; mild amaze, as
has been said; and when he could not
be with her was moody, even fierce and
ugly tempered-he whose disposition
had been the sunniest in all that gray,
shivery, dripping sojourn at the San
Francisco camp.
But once fairly settled in Manila, the
White Sisters seemed to regain all the
old ascendency- Col. Frost had taken
big, cool, roomy house, surrounded
by spacious grounds, down in Malate
and close to the FLASHING waters of the
bay. Duties kept him early and late
at his office in the walled city; but
every evening, after the drive and din
ner, callers came thronging in. and all
Witches witcheries were called into
play 10 charm them into blindness and
to cover Nita's fitful and nervous
moous, now almost painfully apparent.
Frost's face was at times ii thunder
cloud, and army circles within the outer
circle of Manila saw plainly tina, all