Connecticut western news., 1917-11-15

some ,.vtn -l CuDa DacK m IoJo. wn1Ie most of them had been in Mexico, did not look sad, but will say there were Qarned few of them grinning as we felt the ship slip out of that dock. The oungsters-the boys who had just come ill the regiment on the border and had never been east before-show- ed it. They didn't know whether they would ever be back again, and they were thinking about it and about the little red house with the white fence back home and the girl and wondering why they joined the army and wishing they were in Arizona. But l don't want to pull any sob stuff.
 '"This is d fine way to send us off, complained one boy who was not more than nineteen, very pronounced rock ie. "There are no flags, no bands, no cheers, no beer, nothin'. It's a great way to fight a war"
 "Wait till you get over there, kid, and you'll wish you were back here" remarked Private Smithers, a grand fighting man, but always a private, all though an old timer in the army. His name is not Smithers, either. If told his real name it might get him in bad. But hold yonr head up, son. The worst you can get is to be killed, and you won't knuw about that" he con- cluded.
 The case of Private Smithers reminds me of an army story.
 You object to your men drinking?" asked a friend of the colonel of a regi- ment on the border one day. Why, Private Bill Jones has always been thinker when on leave. and you say he is a fine soldier"
 'FYes, and he's always been a pri- vate," answered the colonel.
 This fitted Smithers' case exactly. He was a good soldier and a fine fight CT, but cut from the pattern of a pri vate and always intended for one. Pretty soon noticed him staring at me closely, and I moved away, al- though I knew Jim Smithers wouldn't tip me off. However, l didn't want him to get on if could help it.
 It seemed risky to go on deck yet, so I sauntered toward my old stamping ground, which had been so friendly to me en route from Douglas-the ships kitchen.
 What really wanted to do was page my husband, for I hadn't caught glimpse of him on the transport-in fact, had not seen him since the troops left the trains. No sign of him. wondered a little how he would take ; it when he found me still along.
 ''Thar she blowsr' hollered a voice. We could feel the ship moving under her own power, and by the glimpses I caught through the portholes l saw we had strengthened out in the stream.
 Then a panic seized me. What if my husband was not aboard that ship? Suppose he had been transferred to some other regiment at the last min ute. They do such things in the army without asking the permission of wives, which makes the husbands harder to follow. l had no way of knowing whether he was aboard. What if
 f. Hey, there, Joe, heave to and lend a fellow a hand, will you? What do you think this is-a tango teal"
 The speaker was one of the kitchen crew. When the transport started its perilous journey to ''some port in France he was hustling crates of food into the storehouse down below. 9th CTS of the men were busy with similar tasks, getting things shipshape. There seemed to be no romance about this farewell. It was a case of getting down to brass tacks. After awhile I stole above. There was no excitement, no depression now. Everything was as usual, just as if the boat were bound for a little sightseeing trip around Manhattan isle. The sentimental Sammy recovers quickly. Besides, the men did not know how many German eyes might be watching their depar- ture, and they wanted to show the en- emy they meant business. Only when they passed the statue of Liberty did they stop whatever they were doing and stand at salute. As one of them, i a wiry westerner who went into Mex leo with Pershing, put it:
 we got to give the old girl the glad hand as we go."
 | Of For "Some Port In France" It was right after midday mess we left the pier in Hoboken. Two days later we were still anchored out in the i bay. The other transports were all around, some of them so close the men could call back and forth. No one knew when we would depart. I was i on deck when I saw a couple of the ! other transports moving out. It would be our turn next. I went below. My heart was turning all kinds of fipfops. We were leaving for ''the port in France". and | was stiU safe. \ had