Evening journal., 1909-10-07
THE FLOWER LADY.
az FLORA MlLLlaAN.

American Wal were called Tor j raised i
a company Of infantry and as it's cap
tain went to the war. Wounded at the
battle OF Las Guasimas. / was taken
to a hospital. There bullet was
taken out Of me, and / was left 70
spend what time was necessary for the
wound 70 heal.
The morning after the operation ! |
was lying on my cot reading a news
paper that was being handed around
among the patients when the door Of
the ward opened a woman entered
aud began talking cheerily with the
man she first reached. A bunch OF
flowers was Ia her hand, and before
leaving the patient she gave him a few
OF them. Thus she came on, giving en-
couraging words, smiles and flowers to
the sick anu wounded TIL she reached
my cot
Now, l was "born with n silver spoon
in my mouth" and accustomed to have
anything / wished for. Before the
! lady came up had made up my mind
that II she were unmarried she should
be my wife. She approached me with
one OF the sweet smiles she had been
scattering broadcast and said:
"It must he very hard for you to be
lying here In this hot country. Are
You IN or woundedT
wounded"
Don't think about your wound The
doctors say that n one thinks despond
emily about any part Of the body all
the impurities 60 in that direction.
Let me give you something to fix your
attention upon"
She handed me few Of the flowers
for which thanked her. and she
passed me. asked one OF the nurses
who she was and was told that she
had come TO Cuba from the United
states for the purpose not Of nursing
soldiers. but to so about among them
encouraging them as had seen her
doing. asked what part OF the Unit
ed States she had come from, but no
one seemed TO know. She visited the
sick every day. and they we're always
better for her coming. Indeed, the
nurses seemed 10 think that she cured
more men than the doctors.
Day after day I watched for her TN
she came again. AS before, she dis
tributed flowers and smiles. the smiles
being more highly appreciated than
the flowers. She came 20 our ward
: about once in four or Ave days. and
= the patients, who failed TO learn her
! name. spoke Of her as the flower lady.
, Ono OF the nurses asked her to give
!, her a name by which 70 address her.
, but she declined on the ground that
!. she did not wish it known at home
y and the newspaper correspondents
Il would surely publish it--that she was
4 engaged in the work She preferred e
I, give whatever OF comfort she coult
H. without having any heroics attached.
. II anything were needed 20 complet
my reverence for the flower lady thi
modesty would have been quite sun
cient I dared not by word or eve
manner reveal the secret OF my hea
A. 10 her. I simply showed my gratitud
on The slightest evidence OF what burnl
th within me would have caused her
th cease her visits. II not 20 the ward
'io least 10 me. And IN that case. confine
81 az I was. could not go 10 her.
Long before the surgeon was willin
-, to release me got up dressed mysel
~ and returned to duty. My colonel hes
IN tated whether or no 10 send me bacl
l. to the hospital. but concluded. beinl
Of short OF officers, 10 let me remail
II with the regiment. The day after m,
Il return to camp after visiting brigade
ID headquarters he told me that. the gen
eral having lost one OF his aid-de
camps by sickness and another by 1
4, bullet, I was TO be temporarily de
% tailed for the lighter duties Of tn
% stan.
he The general was but a few year
a older than myself and made a CON
3 panion OF me. We became conhder
lg tial, and told him Of the flower LADY
admitted the influence she had exerte
~ over me aud that when IL we're POI
- sible / would move heaven and cart
nd to win her for my wife. He aske
re-. me II the lady had encouraged m
dy and I exonorated her from giving n
he any more attention than the commo
est trooper in the ward.
There was so much on hand imm
~, diately after this that the subject WI
~ not again referred TO between us. Oh
a. morning during the fighting abo
An Santiago, just before mounting o.
'p- horses for what promised to be h
days work. the general handed me
sealed envelope.
"In case come out Of the fgl
ly. alive today" he said, give that ba'
lfe to me. II am killed open it."
he "But why. general" 1 asked, su
ne prised, do you take that precautio
today especially. We are hghtin
every dayT
Because" be replied. Il have
feeling that shall be killed today"
e His foot was in the stirrup, and b
- mounted aud rode away. During IN
.c- same afternoon under a hot FIRE q
Spanish artillery he sent me ava
with an order. AS I turned from hir
something prompted me to look bacl
by He had fallen from his horse and la
p on the ground. A tremor passed ove
y him, and be was dead.
ne When the generals body was ser
NJ north tho flower lady went in u
e. same ship. Meanwhile I had opene
n the envelope handed me by the &c
eral and read the contents with asto
- Ishment. 1t revealed that the flow