The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-08-18

who had eaten his pie mostly OF lunch
counters all his life.
For the most part. those were
dreary days for me, rs ] saw my hus-
band only for short time when he
did get up to my prison. Outside
could hear all the noises Of the troops
noises that had sounded so sweet In
my ears before. There were the calls
If tho crap players. the p!aintire music
Of the ukelcle. no longer soothing TO
me- now, and The harmonizing of. the
old, sad tunes Previously. the accom-
plishrd player OF the luke" had been
the most popular man on board. and
he was yet for all I knew-but not with
me. ! would have liked to kill him
when he tuned up.
Much time was on my hands for
thinking was proud Of the respect
these soldiers of Uncle Sam had shown
me-a girl-when they had every OPP
portunty To take advantage Of me with
me living among them. as one OF the
gang. / am speaking OF those who were
aware of my presence on board. They
ought to make n fine record in France
both in and out Of the trenches. I
WAS also proud l hadn't been seasick,
although had never been on the ocean
rockies in this respect. for they had
boon q ScHsick crowd.
Neither had ! had any fear OF sub
marines. even though / cannot swim
stroke. This was more than some
Of the recruits could say. Several Of
them had heen very open pored as they
broke into sweats Of pure fear with
each submarine alarm for drill pur-
poses. I felt, perhaps. I would TT bet
ter in the trenches than they would.
There seemed to he some doubt on
board as TO just who We were fight.
ing. Two Of the men sat under my
port hole one day.
Bill says we ain't at war with
Austria" said one.
"G'wan." answered the other. They're
all Fritzes when you come down to it,
That's what they say" commended
the first. Bill claims he even knows
an Austrian back In the States shipping
condensed milk to u.s."
II hope ! don't get any of 1t. I'd
just as soon be hit with a Big Bertha.
Why amt he fightin' for his country?
They're short enough Of men,
II don't know. but II see any Aus
TRANS when 7 get over here, Amt
going to stop to ask them If they're
are just AS bad as these Germans, and
they started the whole mess anyway"
About noon one day. ] heard q great
commotion on board. Men were running
, backward and forward. shouting and
! calling to one another. Things were
! being moved in a hurry. The whole
| ship throbbed with new life. l tried to
discover the cause Of the excitement by
! peeping through my single port hole but
could see nothing. 4 guard came to
my door and knocked.
Land Il Sighted:
Land to starboard.' he shouted He
! was q nice fellow ans couldn't hold out
such startling information from me.
/ There WAS Il lump In my throat the
!! size Of an apple. Would l ever Set foot
! in France? The officers had promised
they would do all they could to get the
| authorities TO let me- stay. The army
Officers were especially nice to me.
believe they sincerely wanted to see me
win out after the chances l had taken.
Some Of them. l know. openly urged
| | be pcrmittcd 10 land. 1t was the
ships CAPTAIN. technically in charge OF
me. who killed all my prospects as !
found out later
1t was on Saturday we came into port.
We were not sure OF the name or the
place. although we had pretty fair IDEA
what ii was.
Extra guards were stationed to watch
i me. The quartermaster captain was tah-