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


after the close of hot weather l was
not there In vacations. During this pc
Rod understood that my sister had
love AFFAIR, but since she was older
than l and 1 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 SPANISH merl-
can war broke out, and I, being lieu
tenant In the national guard, went out
to fight the dons. In the very first Gu
counter I'm which l took part 1 was
wounded and taken prisoner. 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 l received a basket Of fruit to
which was attached the card OF Major
Adelberto Angelo.
Major Angelo came to 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 1t was the
result of fancy. The intimacy lasted
Ave weeks, at the end Of which time l
was discharged from the hospital aud
very soon after exchanged.
The next time l saw Angelo he was
lying MORALLY wounded on the battle
field. We were pressing the Spaniards
before Santiago, md having cleared
a way directly in front Of our regi-
ment with a Calling gun we pushed
forward over a field. Stepping over
what l supposed was corpse,
glanced down to be sure that l should
not touch Il, and looked into the livid
face OF Major Angelo. 1t was not per
missible for me to leave my company,
but | did STOPPING l raised his head.
Angelo opened his eyes, and loving
smile told me that he recognized me.
/ saw him try TO move his lips to speak,
but the effort was failure. Then he
fell back-dead.
| went home, like most Of my com
radcs, sick, but It was not long be-
fore ! was on my feet again and
Joined the family in October in Wash
ingtUn. My sister had for some time
been going into a decline and my
mother forbade me to excite her with
accounts of my war experiences, cspe-
ciaiiy my stay IN hospital When
4 60. hnr
after my long and cycntful absence, /
was puzzled at the look she gave me-
Ii was u hungry look, a look az II
might have news to tell her that she
longcd to hear. | was shocked at her
appearance, and saw that she was
doomed. She wished me TO talk about
the war, but | agreed with my mother
that 1t would not be well to do so, and,
though Adele kept turning to 1t,
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 1t. Such experiences are more
agreeable to the narrator when mel
lowed by distance, and in my case,
with the shadow Of death over us, l
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
hospital when you were in Cuba,
weren't your
yes"
and Spanlard was very kind to
your?
Eyes. But you have heard nothing
about 1t from me or from father or
mother, because have not told them
a word about II. How did you
FLUSH. Don't tell them that l men
toned It,"
"Tut tell me-
At the moment mother came into the
room and broke In upon my question.
The next time | was alone with Adele
/ endeavored TO reopen the subject. but
an expression passed over her face
that warned me to desist, and / never
referred to 1t again.
One evening between day and dark
IL was passing through the lower hall
when / saw a figure of man come
tin at the front door. Since his back
twns TO the light, / could not see his
: face, but 1t was familiar. lie appear
rcd TO be gentleman and walked
through the hall rs II perfectly famil-
far with the premises. For this reason
did not regard him as n thief, but per-
/, imltted him TO 20 where he liked, fol-
Glowing him from a distance. He mount
! cd the staircase, and l noticed that
though there was but the bare wood to
walk on his step was so light that
Ydid not hear it. He was considerably
3jn advance OF me and had turned and
disappeared down the upper hall be-
fore / reached the top OF the staircase.