Woman's enterprise., 1922-01-13

were two who wore buff colored kid
gloves at all times whether on guard
fatigue duty or dress parade and for
what know to the contrary while
asleep, practice that drew consid-
cradle unfavorable criticism from
other members who thought private
Soldiers should be somewhat less pre-
tentious or prone to showing their So
'cial status in civil life.
Sergeant, you should make those
blasted dudes discard kid gloves.
Wearing them is to make less favored
soldiers feel as if the wearers wished
to show their superiority. Doggone
them, some of US could buy the dudes
and all they possess in the way of
worldly goods and not spend more
than months income," said one.
"No,' said l, "the boys are vain,
III admit, but they are willing and
obedient soldiers and should be per-
mitted to wear anything not prohib-
tied by military orders or army regu-
lations."
A few days after this conversation
two of the boys approached my tent
and handed me small package which
upon opening l found to contain a
pair of buff colored gloves which had
been purchased in New Orleans.
what does this mean?" said I.
"Why, if kid gloves are to be worn
by men in this company our sergeant
is the one to wear them. We present
them for the reason that you have
been fair, impartial and just, treat
ing all alike. You don't play favor
ties and we admire you for it," said
they.
Of course l was highly grati6ed
and somewhat proud to think l was
held in such high esteem by my COM
rades but was to learn within very
short time that another motive and
not respect for me had moved the
donors in providing the gloves.
said in my first paper that the
Deltas were handsomely uniformed,
cur coats being copied from some
French corps and my coat was adorn-
ed with silver stripes from cuff to
elbow-two V shaped stripes each
one inch wide while my rank was
designated on my fatigue coat by
chevrons after the style Of American
soldiers so I could pass as commits
STONED officer when in uniform easily
enough in an army such as we had
at Comp Moore where no two COM
panies were uniformed alike. A day
or two after the presentation of the
gloves the donors appeared and said:
"Oh, put on your gloves and come
along and order US a drink Thus
importuned I reluctantly consented.
The Suffers store was in a shack
hastily thrown up, with a counter
breast high made of rough pine
planks and the goods were principally
wines, liquors and tobacco and believe
me, it was we'll patronized by the g..
900 or 10000 officers and men in
camp. Enlisted men could purchase
liquor only on an order of a commits.
stoned officer and it was for that rea.
son the boys insisted on my mas
querading as lieutenant Our cap
tain would occasionally write orders
but not often enough to suit the
boys. So my gloves and uniform were
often requisitioned.
Entering the Suffers shack ! lean.
ed close up to the counter placing my
arms thereon and with all the assur.
ance of colonel ordered the bar tend.
er to "Serve my men drink See.
ing the kid gloves and tinsled coal
sleeves the fellow complied without
hesitation and continued to recognize
me as an officer as long as l woult
respond to the appeal of the boys
Demands became so numerous anc
fear Of detection so likely that l Fl.
nally refused all appeals to "Let's e
down to the Suffers" and the boys
were forced to adopt other ways OF
deceiving the bar man. However
never noticed signs of intoxication on
any of the older men.
In one tent some five or six of ou,
youngest and widest lads, "birds Of 8
feather quartered together who in 6
spirit of mischief and total disregard
for army rules and regulations caus
ed more annoyance than the rest o1
the company combined. They were
always missing roll calls at reveile
tardy in falling in for drills and Other
duties and withal were fine fellow.
generally. There was nothing small