The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1917-10-03
CHAPTER I.
I Decide to Go to France.

IT'S a long way from Douglas, Ari...
to some port in France" but
made the trip rugged w as dough.
boy, and ! would 80 farther than that
to be near my husband However. the
odd man. as every commanding Off.
Ter is called in the army. sent me back
IN the same transport after had spent
five days In port within sight of my
husband. but out of reach. aud i've
nights walking the iloor and without
sleep
! am going back again and pay my
own way and yet behind tie lines and
take care of the boys ! know 50 well
when they are hit. The income from
these stories Is going TO help pay my
fare, aud then won't have to fool the
officers. as | did with the regulation
salute and heels on the same line and
us near to each other as the conforma.
ton Of "a man permits, knees straight
without stiffness, body erect, from the
hips inClining slightly forward: shout
lers 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 Is
the position of Il soldier !
fooled them all right.
think the authorities were mean
not to permit me to land In France
As Ion. as ! was there, it seems to me,
they might have stretched a point ana
allowed me to have had Il look at the
war Hut they were firm. They said
letting me by might set an example for
other -ir.S 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
he a soldicr-and good one too. My
grandfather fought in the civil war
My father was regular in the Seventh
cavalry. ! am the wife of soldier,
one 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
] am over here praying he won't stop
German whiz, bang while at it.
Exactly when the idea of posing as Il
rookie" came TO me ! do not remcm-
Der My husband. John J Carter. was
corporal in the Eighteenth infantry,
encamped at Douglas. AriZ. He belongs
to X company There was lot of talk
among the boys for a long time about
being ordered out. None of them knew
where the Eighteenth would be sent
They used to come to our house In
Pritlevile. right outside OF Douglas,
when they were of duty and do heap
of surmiSing and guessing. Some OF
them thought they would he kept on
the border to see that things remained
Others had bunch they would fol-
low pcrshng to France. The old tim.
rrs were pulling for the latter
As hook back now | must have had
the germ II the idea In the back of my
head even then. though never voiced
II even to m! self You see. was mar,
ricd only last December, and the
thought Of my husband guug away
and leaving me behind stirred my i'm
agination We went together for a
year and half before we dug up the
parSOn | wish | had that year and n
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
old timer M SOldicrn. He told me he
was lcnyin" the next day under secret
orders There was not much warning
The troops just packed mp aud left
| did net tell him ! was going. too.
because he knows always 20 through
with anything take a notion to do
and IT might have worried him. But
had determined ~ make n try M il any
how That evening and the next morn
Ing. while he was busy attending to the
details Of packing and getting or.
was pretty busy myself. knew whore
there was discarded khaki uniform,
regulation army. that would fit me. by
the uniform mean the trousers, coat,
shirt and campaign hat.
Ready to March
Getting the rest of my wardrobe was
easy | bought shoes, boys size, which
looked exactly like the army shoes
Canvas leggings and boys underwear
completed the outfit | was ready and
eager to be on the march | was TWEEN
ty-twO and full Of health aud boyish In
appearance
My husband said his farewell about
noon. lie was pretty blue. because he
thought II would he goodby for a long
tins. perhaps for always. But he Is
frs. icst and always soldier. and he
did II as a soldier should. suppose he