The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1917-10-16
we once got started.

1 could feel the ship getting under
way. and | was a little sad, with no
one t.. talk to and longing to get oft Of
my clothes and stretch out my weary
body on Of those hunks. i was so
tired Of inhabiting that uniform I knew
| would give anything to feel a little
soft lingerie next me and perhaps have
on a petticoat again, although they
tell me the girls down east don't wear
any Of them nowadays-only the old
fashioned girls.
Under Way.
The men were all around me, many
I had known in Douglas, but they
didn't bother with me, because I guess
they were a little blue at leaving them
selves, as anybody was bound to be at
a time like that, and I suppose it was
the sober atmosphere got me to longing
for that lingerie there. You could have
cut it with a knife. The old timers
probably put me down for a sobby
Sammy who had just Joined Finally
I Strengthened myself up and thought:
"Buck upl You're a deuce Of a SOL
dier."
looked around. The old timers who
had campaigned in tho Philippines and
some even In Cuba back in 1898, while
most Of them had been In Mexico, did
not look sad, but l will say there were
darned few Of them grinning as we felt
the ship slip out Of that dock. The
youngsters-the boys who had just
come In the regiment on the border
and had never been east before-show-
e. 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 I don't
want to pull any sob stuff.
'9This is a fine way to send Us off,"
complained one boy who was not more
than nineteen, q very pronounced rock
lie. 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, al
though an old timer In the army. Hi
name Is not Smithers, either. If I told
his real name It might get him in bad
But hold your head up, son The
worst you can get is to be killed, and
you won't know about that" he con-
Guided
The a 8 Of Private Smithers reminds
me of an army story.
"You object to your men drinkingT"
asked a friend of the colonel OF q regt-
ment on the border n day. why.
Private Bill Jones has always been a
drinker when on leave. and you say he
Is a fine soldier"
Eyes, ard he's always been a pr.
vate," answered the colonel
This fitted Smithers' case exactly.
He was 6 good soldier and a fine fight.
er, but cut from the pattern OF a pri-
vate and always intended for one.
Pretty soon I noticed him staring at
me closely, and l moved away, al.
though l knew Jim smithers wouldn't
tip me of. However, l didn't want
him to get on If I could help 1t.
It seemed risky to go ON deck yet, so
I sauntered toward my old stamping
ground, which had been 80 friendly to
me en- route from Douglas-the ships
kitchen.
What l really wanted to do was page
my husband, for I hadn't caught a
glimpse Of him on the transport-in
fact, had not seen him since the troops
left the trains. No sign Of him. l
wondered a little how he would take
It when he found me still along.
"Thar she blowsp' hollered a voice.
We could feel the ship moving under
her own power, and by the ghmpses
I caught through the portfolios 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
Hey, there, Joe, heave to an. lend
a fellow a hand, will you? What do
you think this is-a tango teaT'
The speaker was one Of the kitchen
crew. When the transport started its
perilous journey to "some port In
France" be was hustling crates of food
into the storehouse down below. 9th
ers of the men were busy with similar
tasks, getting things shipshape. There
seemed to be- no romance about this
farewell. 1t was a case of getting
down to brass tacks. After awhile l
stole above. There was no excitement,
no depression now. Everything was as
usual, just as If the boat were bound