Rosebud County news. [volume] (Forsyth, Mont.) 1901-1906, 1902-05-01
1899. by F. 1ennyson NeeIy.l

main deck OF the transport, group
of blithe young matrons and pretty
girls had been busily serving fruit, cof-
fee and bouillon and substantials to
the troopers, man after man, for over
two hours. There was lively chat and
merry war of words going on at the
moment between half dozen young
officers who had had their eyes on that
particular table ever since the coming of
the command, and were now making
the most of their opportunities be-
fore the trumpets should sound the
assembly and the word be passed to
move aboard. All the heavy baggage
and ammunition had at last, been swung
into the hold; the guns of the battery
had been lowered and securely
chocked; the forecastle head was
thronged with the red trimmed uni
forms of the artillerymen, who had al
ready been embarked and were now
jealousy clamoring that the troopers
should be "shut off, from the further
ministrations of the Red Cross, and
broadly intimating that it wasn't fair
deal that their rivals should be allowed
a whole additional hour of lingering
farewells.
Lingering farewel!s there certainly
were. Many young soldier and many
a lass 'paired OFF, in little hooks and
corners among the stacks of bales and
boxes, but at the table nearest the
staging all seemed gay good humor.
merry little woman with straw-col-
ored hair and pert, tip-tilted nose and
much vivacity, and complexion, had APP
parently taken the lead in the warfare
of chaff and fun. Evidently she was
no stranger to most of the officers. AL
most as evidently, to a very close OBJ
server who stood few PAGES away,
she was no intimate of the group of
women who with good right regarded
that table as their especial and per-
sonal charge. Her Red Cross badge was
very new; her garb and gloves were
just as fresh and spotless. She had
not been ladling out milk and cream,
or buttering sandwiches, or pinning
souvenirs on dusty blue blouses ever
since early morning. Other faces
there showed through all their smiles
and sweetness the traces of long days
of unaccustomed work and short lights
of troubled sleep. Marvellous were Mrs.
Frank Garrison's recuperative powers,
thought they who saw her brought
home in the Primes stylish carriage,
weak and helpless and shaken after her
adventure of the previous day. She
mad not been at the Preside week
and yet she pervaded it. She had never
thought of such Il thing as the Red
Cross until she found it the center OF
the social armament after her arrival
at San Francisco, and here she was,
the last conner. the foremost (''mOst for
ward" | think some one described iD
in their circle at one of the most prom
inent tables, absorbing much of the
attention, most of the glory, and none
of the fatigue that should have been
equally shared by all.
"Adios!" she gayly cried, as the "as-
sembly" rang out, loud and clear, and
waving their hands and raising their
caps, the officers FASTENED to Join their
commands. "Adios, till we meet in
Manila"
"Do you really think of going to the
Philippines, Mrs. Garrison? ~ Queried a
much older looking, yet younger wom-
an. why. we were told the general
said that none of his staff would be
allowed to take their wives"
yet there are others." laughed Mrs
Garrison, waving a dainty handkerchief
toward 10 III inf
column of twos and slowly climbing the
stage. WHO would want to go with
that blessed old undertaken? Good
bN-bon voyage, Geordie," she cried,
blowing a kiss to the lieutenant at the
head of the second troop, Il youth who
blushed and looked confused at the at
tention thereby centered upon him and
who would fain have shaken his fist,
rather than waved the one unoccupied
hand i'll perfunctory reply. when |
go I'll choose a ship with band and
broad decks, not any such cramped old
canal boat as the Portland"
"Oh. l thought perhaps your hus-
band" began the lady, obviously, but
with a significant glance at the silent
faces about her.
who? Frank Garrison? Heavens.
/ haven't known what it was to have a
husband-since that poor dear boy
went on staff duty" promptly answered
the diminutive center of attraction, u
merry peal of laughter ringing under
the dingy archway of the long, long
roof. why, the Portland has only one
stateroom in it big enough for band
box, and of course the general has to
have that, and there isn't deck where
one couple could turn slow waltz. No.
indeed. Mnit for he next fiOfilla when