The Monticellonian., 1918-07-26

tall, lean. hungry fellows from Sanu- ago. managed to hack their way through q wire fence aed get behind q detachment of the enemy who had made stand under hill They charged. and for q wonder they got close enough to use their n4chetes. It vas looGy work the kHud yaH read about mo quarter. Somehow Jacket managed 10 be right in The middle of the butchory Hes a bravo Eid. all right Muy malot -
 At that moment Branch approached his lone face sct if5 tines =of tff7roartnt, even deeper than usual He had been wandering about the camp in one of his restless fits, and neW he began:
 "Say what dc you think I've been doing2 Two hocu looking ID some grub for Miss Evans. and I can't find any
 afan't find anyea
 Nothing if for her to eat You don't expect her to live on this infer nal, eternal beef stew"
 "pWu't Major Ramos bring anything aleng%" O'ReilIy asked
 He says there's famine at Cubi- tas.
 Wed hotter look into this" Judson exclaimed and finding that his clothes were dry, he hurriedly began to drtss himself
 Together, the three men made an in- yesfieation of the camps resources, only to discover that Branch was right. There was. indeed. hut little food of any kind and that little WIS of the ] coarsest. Ordinarily, such T condition of affairs would have oecasioned them ne surprise, for the men were becoming accustomed to a more or less chronic scarcity of provisions; hut the pres enee of Norine Evans put quite q diff ferent complexion upon the matter. They were still discussing The situation when Miss Evans having finished her afternoon nap, threw open the flaps of her tent and stepped out.
 When she had listened to the ac- count apologetieally submitted by her three friends she drew her hraws to- eether, saving. plaintively: "Oh dear! We've been going short for week.
 
 better when We got here. had my mouth all set for a banquet Couldn't you even find the poor dog bone?"
 I'm afraid the cupboard is bare" ] 0'Relly acknowledged.
 Do you know what I want for din ner3' Norine inquired. Lamb chops with green peas some nice white bread q salad, and coffee"
 The three men looked at her anxious ly. Judson stirred uneasily.
 That's what I want. 1 don't expect 10 get it."
 With sigh of relief the captain ex- claimed, q thought you were giving your order
 Goodness no." With laugh the girl seated herself upon her one camp chair. inviting her callers to dispose themselves on the ground about her. If you can stand the food dare say I can. Now then. tell me what you've been doing since you left Cuhitas. I've been frightened to death that some of you would be hurt. That's one reason why I've been working night and day helping to get the hospitals in shape. l can't bear to think of our boys being wounded. Everything is so different to what l thought it would he, and I'm so weak and ineffective. The medical supplies l brought are nearly all gone, and Eve learned what hard work ii is fitting up hospitals when there's noth- ing to fit them up with" She sighed T imagined l was gong to work won ders-I thought was going to be a Florence Nightingale. and the men were going 10 idolize me.
 Don't they?" Judson demanded.
 No That is-not in exactly the way expected.
 "They all want to marry her." O'Reilly explained.
 "1nsolent bunch !" growled the cap i tain. Then he swallowed hard and l said But for that matter, so do l."
 How silly you boys can bei' Norine ] laughed. "I dare say the others are joking too. but"
 "Joking?' O'Reilly grinned. Not at all. I'm the only single man in camp who isn't in love with you. When you arrived this morning there was a gen. eral stampede for the river. I'll bet ] the fish in this stream will taste of soap ] for years to come"
 As if to point O'Reilly's words at the moment appeared Colonel Lopez, shaved blood-raw and clad in recent ] ly laundered uniform which was still damp. The three Americans rose to salute him. but discipline was lax and lIe waved them back to their seats.