The De Soto County news. [volume] (Arcadia, Fla.) 1898-1924, 1905-11-17
Major Angelo

It before the beginning and returned
after the close OF hot weather I was
not there IN vacations. During this pc.
rod 1 understood that my sister had a
love AFFAIR, but since she was older
than l and I was at an age when mel
Their my sympathy nor my judgment
was IN demand very little was said to
me about the affair.
A few years later the spanlsh-Amerl-
can war broke out. and /, being lieu
tenant In the national guard. went out
70 fight the dons. In the very first en-
counter IN which l took part 1 was
wounded and taken prisoner. l had the
good fortune to be located near one OF
the best Spanish hospitals. to which
was taken and treated with every at
tention. One morning the officer of the
day went through the ward where
was lying In company with the sur.
Reon When the officer passed my bed
] noticed that my face caught his at
tention. Indeed he stared at me as II
he had known me before. The next
day 1 received n basket OF fruit to
which was attached the card OF Major
Adelberto Angelo.
Major Angelo came 20 see me every
day after that and loaded me with at
tentions. Naturally / became very
fond OF him. endeavored to gain from
him the cause Of his having noticed
me and OF his attentions, but failed
signally. He declared that Il was the
result OF fancy. The intimacy lasted
Ave weeks, at the end OF which time l
was discharged from the hospital and
very soon after exchanged.
The next time l saw Angelo he was
lying mortally wounded on the battle
+ field. We were pressing the spaniards
before Santiago, and having cleared
n way directly In front Of our regi-
ment with a Calling gun we pushed
forward over a field. Stepping over
what l supposed was a corpse,
glanced down TO be sure that / should
not touch II, and looked into the llvid
face of Major Angelo. II was not per-
missIble for me to leave my company,
but did. STOPPING, l raised his head.
Angelo opened his eyes, and n loving
smile told me that he recognized me.
saw him try to move his lips to speak,
but the effort was a failure. Then he
fell back--dead
l went home like most Of my com
rades. sick. but It was not long be-
fore I was ON my feet again and
Joined the family i'm October in Wash
ingtOn My sister had for some time
been going into decline, and my
mother forbade me TO excite her with
accounts OF my war experiences, espe-
cially my stay IN hospital, When
went into Adele's room TO greet her
after my long and eyentful absence,
was puzzled at the look she gave me.
II was u hungry look, look as IL
might have news to tell her that she
longcd to hear. l was shocked at her
appearance. and saw that she was
doomed. She wished me TO talk about
the war, but l agreed with my mother
that it would not be well to do so, and,
though Adele kept turning to It,
held TO other topics. Indeed, on ac-
count Of my sisters condition, was
not asked TO recount wars horrors, as
most OF my comrades were, and l was
glad OF IT, Such experiences are more
agreeable to the narrator when mel
lowed by distance, and in my case,
with the shadow OF death over us,
did not wish to dwell upon them.
One day l was sitting by Adele's
bed chatting with her on ordinary top
les when she said suddenly:
You were wounded and taken to q
hospital when you were in Cuba.
weren't your
Eyes"
And a Spanlard was very kind to
your
'Yes. But you have heard nothing
about it from me or from father or
mother, because have not told them
a word about It. How did you
"Hush. Don't tell them that l men
;tloned it,"
"But tell me-
At the moment mother came into the
I room and broke In upon my question.
{ The next time was alone with Adele
IL endeavored 10 reopen the subject. but
q an expression passed over her face
v that warned me to desist, and / never
a referred TO II again.
G, one evening between day and dark
~ was passing through the lower hall
! when I saw a figure of a man come
Gin at the front door. Since his back
lfwas TO the light, / could not see his
tface. but 1t was familiar. He appear
ICED 70 be a gentleman and walked
Through the hail as IL perfectly famil-
lar with the premises. For this reason
I did not regard him as a thief, but per-
} United him to 20 where he liked fol-
lowing him from a distance. He mount
ped the staircase and 1 noticed that |
though there was but the bare wood to |
walk on his step was 80 light that I |
did not hear IT, He was considerably |
lin advance of me and had turned and |
disappeared down the upper hall be-
fore reached the top OF the staircase.
When did reach II he was nowhere
10 be seen. He must have entered
some room on that floor, and since
/. !. - - - = ~ Il - 4.