The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1917-10-12
CHAPTER I.
I Decide to Go to France.

IT'S a long way from Douglas. Ariz.,
TO some port in France" but |
made the trip rugged up as a dough-
boy, and 1 would so farther than that
70 be near my husband. However, the
"old man." as every commanding off,
Ger Is called In the army, sent me back
on the same transport after lad spent
dive days In port within sight of my
husband, but out Of reach, and five
nights walking the floor and without
sleep. f.r.
i am going back hgain and pay my
own way and get behind the lines and
take 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 ! won't have to fool the
officers, as l did, with the regulation
salute and heels on the same line and
as neal to each other as the conforms-
ton Of a man permits, knees straight
without stiffness, body erect, from the
hips inclining slightly forward; shout
ders 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 PAGES forward. That Il
the position of a soldier" l
fooled them all right.
I think the authorities were mean
not to permit me to land In France.
As long as l was there, it seems to me,
they might have stretched a point and
allowed me to have had a look ut the
war. But they were firm. They said
letting me by might set an example for
other girls to follow and the first thing
they knew Uncle Sam would have .
troop Of lady soldiers on his hands.
At that, | cannot see why | shouldn't
be- q soldier-and a good one too. My
grandfather fought In the civil waT
My father was a regular In the Seventh
cavalry. l am the wife of a soldier,
one of the bravest, best Sammies under
tho flag. He is over there now on the
job, doing bis bit to make the world
safe for democracy, as they say. And
I am wei here praying ne won't stop
a German whiz-bang while at 1t.
Exactly when the idea Of posing as a
rookie" came to me l do not remem-
ber. My husband, John j. Carter, was
a corporal in the Eighteenth infantry.
encamped at Douglas, Ariz. he belongs
to z company. There was a lot Of talk
among the boys for q long time about
being ordered out. None Of them knew
where the Eighteenth would be sent
They used to come to our house In
P%ritleville, right outside Of Douglas.
when they were or duty and do a heap
Of surmising and guessing. Some or
them thought they would be kept on
the border to see that things remained
quiet there and kid with the Mexicans.
Others had a bunch they would FOL
low Pershing to France. The old TIM
els were pulling for the latter.
As / look back o 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.
ried 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. | wish l had that year and a
half with him now.
One day Corporal Carter came home
from the supply depot. where ne had
been on guard duty. The minute
saw his face l knew he had his orders.
lie was not excited, because he Is an
old timer at soldering. He told me ne
was leaving the next day under secret
orders. There was not much warning.
The troops just packed up and left.
did not tell him ! was going. too,
because be knows l always 80 through
with anything l take q notion to DO
and 1t might have worried him. But
had determined to make a try at 1t any
how. That evening and the next morn
ing, while he was busy attending to the
details of packing and getting OH, !
was pretty busy myself. l knew where
there was a discarded khaki uniform,
regulation army. that would tit me. BY
the uniform 1 mean the trousers, coat.
shirt and campaign hat.
Ready to March.
Getting the rest Of my wardrobe was
easy. 1 bought shoes. boys size, which
looked exactly like the army shoes.
Canvas leggings and boys underwear
completed the outfit. l was ready and
eager to be on the march. / was TWEEN.
ty.two and full Of health and boyish In
appearance.
My husband said his farewell about
noon. He was pretty blue, because he
thought 1t would be goodby for a long
time, perhaps for always. But he Is
first, last and always a soldier, and he
did It as a soldier should. suppose he