Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1910-12-30
,AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.
Not a Military
Hero Worshiper
Observation-Disclosures

ceived a captaincy in the volunteers
and marched away With his regiment
amid the plaudits OF the throngs who
lined the streets. There was one face
at sn upper window which absorbed
al the young soldiers attention, the
face OF his ianeee. Mary Mills. The
loo; OF pride n him and love for him
that beamed IN her eyes might have
exhilarated another, but Forester was
q peculiarly sensitive mana man TO
dread a possible failure. He knew
there were certain men whose consti-
tional makeups united them 70 be
soldiers. and no man can tell whether
he is one OF these TIL he comes 10 face
shot and shell. He dreaded lest he
might prove unworthy Should he
falter under the terrible strain OF bat
tie he would never see Mary again.
Forester thought too much OF this
1t is-well for one to realize obligations
he has taken upon himself but be
should not permit himself TO brood
over the matter. Forester worried all
the way TO Florida, from Biorida 70
Cuba and during the campaign until
the final lighting, which was thesfrst
time he was under fire.
Itwas during this contest about San
tiago that his regiment was ordered
forward in the face Of Rsterrible IRE.
ones frst nght Is thesmost trying OF
all. tits then that thetsoldier for the
first time hears'the uglyssttng nseound
OF bullets, the rattle sofsmachlns. guns
and the screech of shells, II all OF
which, there is the background OF in
cessantroar ofcannon. Forest rdooked
little pale. but pressedsresolu elytDn.
All OF a sudden he became conscious
OF a dizzy. nauseating sensation, his
foot struck ssomething--or he though
It did-and he pitched forward. The
regiment pushed on. Another line OF
battlercsme up and was pressing for
ward when Forester was awakened,
as it were. by the sound OF q voice.
Nathan Burge, ian old,andttried friend.
had seen him, recognized him and
stopped TO succorthim.
Mate" said Forester, I've fallen
out of the ranks. hadn'tfthe physical
ability to go on. Writeyto Mary Mills
and tell her that I'll never seeTher
again. She has ioved .cowardw
''Hi, you. there! Move on" criedsan
officer who was marching in rear TO
drive on stragglers. Without a word
Burge hurried forward, leaving his
friend to his own regrets.
When the fight was over Burge
sought forester, but, not finding him,
supposed that he had hidden his
shame by desertion. he waited for a
time, thinking that the coward might
turn up. but he did not Burgess regi-
ment was ordered to the coast at the
close Of the war and vast one OF the
first TO embark for home When he
reached Montnuk Point the first per-
son he met was Mary Mills. She had
come as n nurse. She inquired eagerly
for her lover
Burge preyaricated. He could not
bear to deliver the MESA ge!with which
he had been charged. But Mary. with
q woman's quick eye where love is
concerned, saw that he was concealing
something and assumed that her
fance had been killed. Burse would
much rather have broken such news
70 her than that he had turned out a
coward. At last he told her the truth.
Mary Mills went home bowed down
with grief.
The next morning she heard one OF
her sisters reading from newspaper
dispatches from Santiago. She was
about TO leave the room. dreGding lest
she should hear that her lover had
been ordered before a court martial TO
be tried for cowardice, when his name
was mentioned. but in a different way
from what she had expected:
Milton Forester. wounded in the ston1-
ach. Operated upon ana expected TO re-
cover Promoted 70 be captain. vice John
Kellogg, killed.
Forester after being left by Burge
tried to rise. His object was to push
forward with viewrto getting himself
killed But he found shimself too weak
to rise. At that moment a surgeon
with an ambulance corps came hurry
Ing on, making hasty examina tons OF
the wounded 1lyinggon the field. Com
ing to Forester, hess blood on his
clothing, tore openghIs coat and said:
"a bad wound
"I? Woundedr
Yes; In the stomsch."
Thank GodF'
The surgeon looked at him with a
puzzled expression, but there was no
time for words, and after ordering q
rescue party to take him ITO a hospital
pushed on.
When the boys OF '61i were shot IN
the stomach there wasnoth!ng left for
them but TO pass the dark portal. Not
so IN the Cuban war. By that time
such progress had been smsde IN sur
gerry that Forester's stomach was laid
bare, the wound sewed up, the stom-
ach put back IN place, and IN time tho
patient was es well as ever. As 5000
as It was safe he was4Dut on a,trans-
port and sent north. When as con
valsscent he YalkedAglo down the
gangwaySto the dockthis friend Burge
and his Asncee, MarygAfllls, ere'thsre
to meet him.
what did you mean" said the for
mer, ''by putting up as3ob on me like
thatT'
well, IIi tel. yous Nate. once ask
edmy father, whoseommanded bat
terT IN the civil war, how hesfelt on
going into q fight Ee said Il made