Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-09-28
DAILY STORY
A SOLDIERS ViNDIcATION.
COriginal.1

devil may care sort OF Fellow, whom
u everybody loved. His hair was fax
his eye was robins egg blue, and h,
wore perpetual smile on his lips. ii,
, looked so good that butter wouldn'
melt in his mouth.
> When the Spanish-American wal
broke out. Bob, who was a member OF
the national guard of his state, went
with his regiment to Cuba and fought
/, through the battles that resulted in the
capture of Santiago. He seemed insen
sible to fear, and his companions said
of him that he was too lazy to worry
ABOUT getting shot.
Bob didn't get shot, but with that
luck which comes to reckless people
who rather deserve punishment he re-
ceived a wound just severe enough TO
enable him to show the scars of war
veteran. a Mauser bullet went
through the biceps of his right arm,
giving what might pass for two
wounds. one where il went in and one
where it went out.
| Hazard, not being able to handle n
musket during this time, had album
dant leisure for mischief Removing
two balls from cartridges. he sent one
to his best girl, with a letter in which
| he said that to her and her alone he
| gave the Spanish bullet with which he
/ had been shot. The other he sent to
| his other best girl. with IL similar mes
| sage. He enjoined each to keep the Sc
cret of his preference. since he didn't
wish to appear to attach any impor-
lance to his wound.
Now, the recipients. Miss Edith
Spencer and Miss Della Marsh. were
extremely feminine young ladies'
While neither were in love with the
young soldier. both were proud of the
preference. Each knew that the other
counted on Private Hazard as one of
her especial friends at the front in
those exciting days when not to have
an especial friend at the war made Il
girl feel and appear like Il wall
flower" at a ball. The next time Miss
Spencer met Miss Marsh after the re-
ceipt of her bullet she asked. with |
triumphant sparkle in the eye and toss |
OF the head: |
Heard from Bob Hazard lately?"
The response was doubtless intlu- |
enced by the questioner's manner |
Yes; the poor fellow has been severe |
ly wounded
II know" replied the other. with an
air of superiority. He wrote me all
about it,
80 he did me, and sent me a keep
sake
He sent me the bullet that struck
him.
Miss Marsh gasped for breath. 81
have that bullet" she said, "in my
eScritoire"
and 1 have It in my jewel box"
This was the preliminary part of a
conversation that led to the exhibition
of two bullets, each with a polished
surface. which is never found on one
that has been fred from a gun, to say
nothing of being sent through mans
arm. Had the girls been disinterested
they would have smiled. AS it was,
they vowed that when Private Robert
Hazard returned he should explain
this strange proceeding and pronounce
upon the genuineness of the ball that
had wounded him
When the war ended. it virtually be-
gan for Bob Hazard An enemy
awaited him which would have strick-
1
His regiment marched through the
city from which it had departed with {
flying colOrs and martial music The
first communication he received after
being mustered out was a note from |
Miss Spencer asking him to come and |
see how she had mounted the keep
sake he had sent her. He called that
evening and found Miss Spencer and
Miss Marsh together. On the table
was an open jewel box that had held
4 pair of solitaire earrings. and in
place of the earrings were two bullets.
The expression on the faces of the |
girls was ominous.
''Will you please" said Miss Spencer,
tell us which of these two bullets
your
Bob looked at the leaden missiles
Their polished surfaces should have
brought the blush of shame to his
ace, but they did not Indeed he
ook no note of anything. he was
linking how to wiggle out of the
Grape he had brought upon himself
finally. with an injured air he asked
permission to take off his coat, which
vas granted. Removing the coat and
pair of gold sleeve links. he rolled
Up his shirt sleeve.
This wound" he said, pointing to
he scar where the missile that had |
eally struck him on the inner surface
f the arm, "v7as made by the bullet
n the right. This pointing to the
car where the original missile had left
is arm, was made by the bullet on
be left
The girls looked at each other.
you two young ladies' he con-
nued. "as especial friends of mine.
thought might like to have a bullet
nat had struck a simple soldier of
lie Spanish war. Having a bullet for ,
ach wound l was enabled to send one
, each of you