Connecticut western news., 1917-11-08
CHAPTER I.
l Decide to Go to France.

A DNSA0N " No UO A oANSs
 ITS long way from Douglas, Ariz.,
 to "some port in France" but 1
 made the trip rigged up as dough Soy, and I would go farther than that eO be near my husband. However, the -old man." as every commanding off, ger is called i'll the army, sent me back en the same transport after had spent live days in port within sight of my Husband, but out of reach, and five nights walking the floor and without s1eep.
 am going back again and pay my Swn way and get behind the lines and kake care of the boys l know so well when they are hit. The income from these stories is going to help pay my fare, and then I won't have to fool the officers, as I did, with the regulation salute and heels on the same line and as near to each other as the conforma- .tion of a man permits, knees straight without stiffness, body erect, from the Aips inclining slightly forward; shoul- aers squared and falling equally, arms and hands hanging naturally, back of hands outward, little finger opposite seam of trousers, head erect, chin slightly drawn in without constraint, eyes looking straight in front, catching about fifteen paces forward. That is the position of a soldier" fooled them all right
 think the authorities were mean not to permit me to land in France As long as I was there, it seems to me, they might have stretched a point and allowed me to have had look at the war But they were firm. They said Htting me by might set an example for etHer girls to follow and the first thing they knew Uncle Sam would have troop of lady soldiers on his hands.
 At that, I cannot see why shouldn't De a soldier-and a good one too. My grandfather fought in the civil war My father was a regular in the Seventh cavalry. I am the wife of a soldier, enc of the bravest, best Sammies under the flag. He is over there now on the job, doing his bit to make the world safe for democracy, as they say. And I am over here praying he won't stop aGerman whiz-bang while at it.
 Exactly when the idea of posing as d rookie" came to me I do not remem- Der. My husband, John J. Carter, was a corporal in the Eighteenth infantry. encamped at Douglas, Ariz. He belongs 10 K company. There was lot of talk among the boys for long time about being ordered out. None of them knew where the Eighteenth would be sent. They used to come to our house in Pritleyille, right outside of Douglas, when they were off duty and do heap of -surmising and guessing. Some of them thought they would be kept on the border to see that things remained quiet there and kid with the Mexicans. others had a hunch they would fol low Pershing to France. The old tim CTS were pulling for the latter.
 As look back now I must have had the germ of the idea in the back of my head even then, though I never voiced it even to myself. You see, was mar, rfed only last December, and the thought of my husband going away and leaving me behind stirred my i'm agination. We went together for a year and a half before we dug up the parson. I wish I had that year and a half with him now.
 One day Corporal Carter came home from the supply depot, where he had been on guard duty The minute saw his face knew he had his orders He was not excited, because he is an eh timer at soldering. He told me be was leaving the next day under secret ,l1 The troops just packed up and left. I did not tell him I was going, too, because he knows l always go through with anything I take a notion to do and 1t might have worried him. But lad determined to make try at it any how. That evening and the next morn Ing, while he was busy attending to the details of packing and getting off, was pretty busy myself. knew where there was a discarded khaki uniform, regulation army, that would fit me. By the uniform I mean the trousers, coat shirt and campaign hat.
 Ready to March.
 Getting the rest of nay wardrobe was easy. bought shoes, boys size, which MOncu eAdcLly iIhe tue dIuy SuoeS' Canvas leggings and boys underwear completed the outfit. was ready and sager to be on the march. I was twen- fy-two and full of health and boyish in appearance.
 My husband said his farewell about noon. He was pretty blue, because he Thought it would be goodby for long tfme, perhaps for always. But he is first, last and always soldier, and he did 1t as soldier should I suppose be