The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1913-02-18
Her Patriotism
BY ELIZABETH WEED

Louise Archer was a very high
strung girl Excitement was to her
necessity, and often she mistook her
sxcitabls nature for noble impulses.
When the Spanish American war broke
cut she was nineteen years old and
bad been every day reading of the
tyranny Of General Weyler and the
sufferIngs of the Cubans.
Louise had lover, Gus Saunders,
piodding, methodical chap, entirely
different from her. Since she could
not 60 and fight the dons herself she
determined that Saunders should go.
Tmpelled by the rafting Of drums and
the gathering of the clans" she went
over to where he was saving wood
and said to him:
"Why, Gus. I'm surprised at you!
Everybody but you Is rallying round
the Dag, while you are STOPPING over
q log with bucksaw. Aren't you go
ing to enlistT
~Unlist? What for"
why. to right the Cubans' wrongs"
81 don't see why / should right their
wrongs"
Haven't you any patriotism7''
II don't see any occasion for patriot
Ism"
II do. Our young men are fiocking
TO the standard by thousands, while
you are content to bend your back
saving wood oh. that should have
accepted a.
The young man was deeply In love.
The expression on his face changed to
cns Of such pain that Louise was de-
tsrred from speaking the word that
was on her tongue. Throwing down
his saw, he said:
Louise, / love you so well that /
will try my best to i've up to your
standard. After all, It is no more the
Guty Of others than mine to respond to
the call Tor volunteers. ! shah enlist
atoncs."
spoken like q manF' was the en-
thusaatic response, and she impulsive-
u threw her arms about his neck. Il
am sure you viii return hero"
"A what?" asked Gus.
- hero. Some OF Napoleon's mar
shals rose from the ranks, and maybe
yeu win"
~Just so-that is, If have time"
ssTime7 What do you mean by that?"
~Why, how long do You think it
would take a big cat to kill very
little mouser
"Oh, you're always looking on the
wrong side of things. It's going to be
. great war. Goodby. When you re-
fnrn with generals shoulder straps
lust think how proud III be Of you"
you'll be true to me?"
'ATrue to my soldier loverl Why,
yssr'
A velley of kisses and he was gone.
A few months later a troopship I'M
Ieadsd q cargo of skin and bone on
Montauk Point. Most of them were
transferred to hospitals, the balance
put In camps. One who had suffered
from every disease known In Cuba was
retained in hospital as long as there
was q hospital at the point, then trans
ferred to more permanent home for
the sick. He fingered between life and
death till spring. when his doctors con-
cluded that he would have better
chance for recovery If he could get
change. He was eager to go, assuring
them that a sweetheart was waiting
for him and his separation from her
was keeping him back Being dis
charged. he sought the location of his
enlistment and, tottering along the
road. met one who had known him as a
hearty man, but who failed to recog-
nixe him
els Louise Archer alive ard wsll?'
asked the ex-soldier.
"Oh, yes, she's alive and well, only
her name isn't Archer any more; it's
Gugliamento.'
.Wh-a-a-tT faltered the stranger
aghast
"Gugliamento. a dago fruit man,
came along here just after you fellers
went away selling California grapes
for Malagas and such like. He had
big black eyes and long black mustache
and curly hair. He sold Louise some
fruit and got to talking with her. He
told her that the Cubans were all mig
gers, while the Spaniards were brave
men who had owned the island ever
stnce Columbus discovered 1t 400 years
ago. She asked him to come in and
tell her about It,
well, the Teller twisted her right
around. She had been one of the most
patriotic girls of these parts; sent a
lover down to fight these same dagos-
more fool he. And after the fruit man
went sway she began to howl about
the iniquity of the Spanish war. The
Teller kept comm round every few
weeks. and about a month ago she
walked OF with him."
The stranger stood looking at his in
formant out of his hollow eyes with
pain and horror.
s'Louise married a SpaniardT he
gasped "Why. She
@Oh. yes, she was full OF fight on the
other side when the thing commenced.
But, stranger. you seem awfully taken
back at hearing about her. If you
have amy interest in her you needn't
worry about the Spaniard She came
back a week ago without him. They
say be dug out and left her to shift for
herself"
The veteran turned and staggered
away in the direction from whence he
came.
But this Is not all of the story. A
DAY came when Signora Gugliamento
secured q divorce from the fruit seller
and. repentant. married the man she
had sent to the war. If she was tickle,
abe paid for her fault by a lifetime Of