Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1903-04-25
POLLY ATKINS.

Mr.. Drake was an Old-fashioned
man, and his daughter Polly was a
new-fashioned girl.
Il do wish you'd dress more in
keeping with your sex, Polly. AS a
girl-with your face and figure-you
might be the belle of the county. Why,
then, must you needs turn yourself
into bad imitation of a boy?"
"You are too out-of-date for any
thing, father" cried Polly in resent
full tones. "The woman of the future
will take her place beside man in the
reserve forces of the empire. See
If she won't. And how proud l shall
feel to know that this, my humble eff
fort, has done something toward
bringing about the fulfilment of that
grand IDEAL" she added, with ardent
enthusiasm
The Ladies' Rifle Corps was Miss
Polly brakes very latest pet hobby,
which she had conceived and taken
up with even more than usual ardor.
Some thirty girls in the neighborhood
had already been induced by her to
enroll themselves as members, and
they used to meet every week on the
rife range which the squire had al
lowed them to lay out On his estate,
for drill and target practice.
On the whole they comported them
selves in such manner as made Polly
distinctly proud of her corps; and she
was Row anxious to show them OFF
before some military expert, whose
commentator (she was sure) would
serve as useful eye-opener to her
incredulous father. Hence the idea
Of the sham fight.
A day or two afterWard the squire
said to his daughter:
by the way, Polly, I've got g man
to come and oficiate as umpire OF
your sham fight
That's good, Dad. Who is hep
"Our old friend, Major Meriless. ;"
Polly's face suddenly clouded.
ooh, well, you needn't be uncom-
Portable about meeting him again,
Polly. He's forgotten that little af-
fair long ago, bless you. Indeed, l
hear rumors of his being engaged to
another girl"
rs he? I'm glad of that" answer
ed Polly, with ostentatious unconcern.
81 was afraid | might have wrecked
his life. He said had"
Next evening Major Merilees duly
arrived. He was a tall handsome
man. of about thirty-eight, of soldier
ly bearing and frank, pleasant man
ners. Finding himself alone with
Polly in the drawing room before din
ner, he at once took the opportunity
| to set her at her ease.
Let lis both entirely forget the
occasion of our last meeting" he
| said. "That is dead and buried We
now meet as comrades-as fellow
workers in a great national project.
l can't tell you how pleased l am,
Miss Drake, with the scheme you
have taken up. If properly worked,
! your Ladies Rifle Corps may be the
germ of the greatest revolution In
matters military that the present age
has SEEN"
| "I'm so glad to hear you say that
! Major Merilees. You, as an expert
| in such things, speak with the great
est weight. My father has done his
best to pooh-pooh us all along. He
But why, Miss Drake?'
! "Oh, because he is still welded to
the old fossilized ideas about women.
| He says that We should be altogether
out of place on the field of battle.
81 can't for the life of me, see that.
| Battle are won nowadays by straight
shooting, and women can shoot quite
as straight as men,
| Next day Major Merilees and Polly
rode over the ground where the sham
| fight was to take place. The Tor
mer's practiced eye quickly noted the
| favorable positions for defending
| force. and he proceeded to examine
| them in detail. At length he maze
| his selection. It was long ridge,
| flanked on one side by wooded nil,
and approached from the front by
level expanse of grass fields.
"Of course" said the major, as we
ara dealing with such small numbers,
| both the attack and the defence must
| he of a skeleton character. My IDEA
is that this ridge should be occupied
in imagination, by defending 1orce'
and that you with say third OF your
comnany should be postsA N that
wood there, to cover the right naEh'