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Show . m Soldier Boy mJL m HOW ' WENT "OVER THERE" WITH I fWp PERSHING'S DIVISION lw By HAZEL CARTER j ftd Her Mm. 1hr-l fnr'r of Douglaa. ArU., Is a ymina; woman, LM .L twenty-two. wrmsa young hulmnl. Corporal John J Carta i.H Vm1! of th- t'ntteri States army, waa ordarad to Franca with tha B'.vE5''F t,'-f;JfiSl Pershing- expedition. jfiji W fV' Determined to accompany him, aha obtained a soldier's unl- W(lKMK$ii8r form and fell In m a prlvata on his departure. She nai me ETZ1" Xt " ' days at sea on the trannport before discovered through a IPMBMCAi.WtTWl chance. Art.T Hip arrival of the famoui division In Frunce she waa returned home against her wishes It la a atory of romance, drnmntlc In Its qunlltles, full of tha soldier color and till la of real news value, since Mrs. Carter la the first to relate the details of that voyage and aafe arrival first hand one that made history. COPYRIGHT. 1917. BY THE BELL SYNDICATE gMSjajaeMSaaasasalaMl afraAMiMaaaasisaaasasjsESaaBalseajeMBaalaasaaaaaai ,. umijh ! Flirts With Qirl. li was fm. topplnj: nt the town". Thp people enniu (town to see the troop trains pass through, iiml they certainly treated us royally. They brought ns fruit and rawly and i Icaretles and nil ortfl of delicacies The plrls were especially enthusiastic. They struck up conversations with tue soldier'- ex rhnnj-'cd addressee and promised U write often I talked with a utiuilici ot glrtl on h- u ii east and mannBed to fool them all. There la a packet of mall waltlnR In France now for Private Leo O. Curler. Cur-ler. That Is the name I chose. I remember re-member particularly one little girl In a amall town In Ohio. She was about twenty years old, dark, very pretty and very sentimental on the aubject of aoldlers. "Where do you come from?" ahe called to me, as I was sitting tn tut car window. "Arizona." I replied. "Where are you going?" "Somewhere In FrnnceP' I answered proudly and hopefully too. Bhe looked so shocked that 1 got out and talked with her. We chatted for quite awhile. She took my address and said she would keep me posted on things back home when I was iu t intrenches. in-trenches. 1 enrrh-d the thing through to the end. I even kissed her ut part-big. part-big. 8he was awfully surprised, but thrilled at the romnnce of the situation. Being a Romeo Is easier than being a soldier. Just before we reached Chicago my husband enme to me and begged ma not to go on. "It will be better for you to go homa with the folks," he said. "You can study nursing and enter the Red Croat aa aoou aa you qualify." "Yea," I replied, "I can spend montht In preparation, and when I finish they will send me to the eastern front oi put me on some hospital ship or keep me on duty here In tho U. S. A. Not for me! 1 will be uo nearer you thnu I waa before. If I go along there will be a chance of my being Bent for duty back of your lines At least I will request re-quest that position." "I command you to return." he said In his severest military manner. "I'll think It over. Corporal Carter," I promised and walked away. When the train pulled out of Chicago I wat tn the cook car peeling potatoes. When we arrived In Hotmken the men went straight from the truln to the transport. Here again my husband remonstrated with me. Husband Again Urges Her to Returi "You've got away with It thla far," he said. "Don't you think It la time to go buck?" "I'll aay goodby, and I'll go If I ean," was my answer. When the time came I fell In Una again with the cooks and went aboard the barge. The barge was tied alongside the transport where the Eighteenth was embarking. It waa piled high with ampplles which were being loaded on to the ship. These kept arriving all day and far into the night Great truck loads of them were emptied out on the deck. This continued during the entire three days wo were anchored there. I worked like a Trojuti, and my huudi were well blistered, but my heart was nappy. There were no sleeping quarters on the burge, but there were plenty of mattresses. The cooks were quarter ed together. We slept on mnttresset thrown on the floor Inside the hurgt cabin. It waa not uncomfortable. I sed to wake up In the night, look out at the dusky form of the trim. -port waylng gently on the tide and pray I would not be discovered until I wat aboard and well out on to the ocean. The boya around me snored peacefully They bad nothing to worry them but the work of unloading the supplies Every evening there wns a crap game tn the cabin. It was what you would call a fading game-noisy, with calls for "Little Joe" and the rest Tb players got most of their fun out of Joshing one another. One man usually took all the money. The next night some fellow a winner In another gums would take It away from him. and ao It went. Finally, the lucky aurvlvor had It all. There were few. If any. shore leaves after the men boarded the transport The furthest they went waa out on the pier. Across the river, they could see the gay lights of New York beckoning;. They had read often of the Great White Way. Few of ttu-ni had ever seen It Here thev were, within a few minutes of It. yet It might us well have been a thousand miles away "I'd like to take Just one slant." said rookie to me one evening as we were atandlng on deck, gazing across the river at the mass of lights we knew was New York ne was a l-lg raw-boned raw-boned fellow, typical ot the west "I'd like to give tho old town the once over as long as I'm going over tc tight for her Oee. look ot them lights Must In- a billion of them And the buildings build-ings Klnda tall, eh' If the Germans ecr started shooting at thi-tn good night." Over on the transport an accordion was whining "Sweet Adeline." It swung Into "I've Recti Working on the Itnllrood"-old trooper songs. Then enme " Way Down Yonder In the Cornfield Corn-field " The boys were harmonizing again Always singing, singing, singing sing-ing Music Is the safety valve of tha soldier. All the next morning thero was an unusual hurrying to get the supplies aboard We knew tho hour of snlling was close nt hand, although m orders hnd been given. You could feci It In the air, the same ns you can a strong current of electricity I hnd not seen my husband for three days He was busy aboard Hip transport and I kept close to the barge 8hortly before noon I felt the time hnd come I crept up a Indder to the top ot the bnrge. For awhile I stayed then wnitlng for the way to be clear. Soldiers wert hurrying back and forth on deck No one uotlced me. If they did they aupposed. of course, I was one of them I waited until the deck at that part of the transport was free of officers, because I did not wont to be questioned Just then There was a period pe-riod of confusion Incident to getting mulct way I came up and stepped ovei on to the deck oi the transport. We were on our way to France. CHAPTER II. Right Among the Army "Dough boys." IT may not seem far to most folks from a barge moored alongside a transport, over the side and aboard, but It looked like a long, tough Journey to me. Three days and nighta I toiled and sweutcd and worked on that barge until un-til I thought I would drop, but all the time 1 wus figuring ami watching wntching for the chance to get aboard the big dun colored ship on which my husband and another piece of tho Persuing expedition were to go to 1'iunce. This watchful waiting wore on my tired nerves and weury body. From tha time we left the train I hadn't seen my husband, and 1 began to think one look ut him would be a great tonie for aore eyea. Continually I strained In vain for a single glimpse. On the bnrge I bad no trouble concealing conceal-ing the fact 1 waa a woman, because everybody waa too busy loudlng su-piles su-piles to pay atteutlon to me, aud I found a place to Bleep off by myself, which was a comfort. At least I sneaked sneak-ed my uniform off for a short time. Finally there was even more activity than on the prevloua duya, and tuga begun to bustle aud cluster und fuss busily about us, ao I knew If I ever were going to make a break It would huve to be then. It gave me a good Idea of bow a soldier feels before be goes "over the top" for the Drat time. Aboard at Last. They were getting ready to caat off the bnrge, and most of the officers were lining the rails of the transport asteni when 1 made my try. Dnco I had my feet on that deck I decided to go below and stuy us quiet as possible, so 1 lost no time in ducking Into tha first compunlouway I saw Uufortu-nutely Uufortu-nutely for me, a second lieutenant happened hap-pened to be du king out at the same time, aud we bumped bard He reeled bock aud autd: "What the devil are you doing?" I hud come to atteutlon at once and saluted. "I was going below, sir." I mumbled In my deepest voice. "Who are yon?" "Carter, sir, K company." "Carter, be more careful about turning turn-ing corners and going In and out of doors after this," be said touchlly and moved off. "Yea, air," I answered and saluted. When be bad gone I wna trembling all over, aud I proceeded more carefully, care-fully, you may be sure. It waa the first time I had ever been aboard a big ship - -the first time I had erer seen salt water, In fact bo I didn't know my way around very well. However, when I got downstairs I found that one of the transport'a decka had been made Into a big bunk room with the partitions parti-tions knocked out aud bunks in Mere of thrt-o each nil urotiud the sides. Luckily I spotted a couple of the boys from Company K and followed them to the section In wblr-h they were quurteicd They looked like old home week to one lot iMOma girl, and I got to thinking of tho nights down In Douglas wlien lliey used fo come over and"" all on our porch and spill close harmony all over the place But they didn't recognize me, so I threw my outfit Into a middle bunk that was empty. I was lucky to find one to spare, because they were using all the avallahle space on thnt ship The bunks were mnde out of cauvas. atretched very tight, and they rxxle comfortably enough when we once g-; started. I could feel the ship getting under way, and I waa a little aad. with no on to talk to and longing to get out of mv clothes and atretcb out my weary body on one of those hunks. I was ao tired of Inhabiting that uniform I knew I would give anvthlng to feel a little aoft lingerie nest me and perhaps hove on a pttlcoat again, although they fell me the girls down east don't wear any of (hem nowadays only the old fashioned girls Under Way. The men were all around me. rnsnv I had known In Douglas, but they didn't bother with me. because I guess they were a little blue at leaving them selves, ns nnyttody wns bound to be at a time like thnt, 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 sobliy Sammy who had Just Joined Finally I straightened myself op nnd thought: "Muck up: You're n deiKe of a sol dler.' I looked around The old timers who had cnmpnlgiieil in the Philippine nnd some even In Cuba back In ls'.iS, while most of them had been In Mexico, dhl not look sail, but I will say there were darned few of them grinning as we felt the shin slip out of that dock Tho youngsters the hovs who had Juat come In the leglment on the border ami had never been east before -showed It They didn't know whether they would evet be back again, and they were thinking nbout It and about the little red house with the white fence back home and tho elrl and wondering why they Joined the army und wishing they were in Arizona. But I don't w tut to pull any aob stuff. "This Is a tine wny to send ua off," romplalred one boy who wns not more Mian nineteen a very pronounced rookie rook-ie "There arc no tinge, no bunds, no cheers, no beet nothin' It's a great way to tight a war ' "Walt till vou gei rer there, kid. nuil you'll wish you were back here." remarked Private Smltlicr-; a grand fighting man. but ulwus u prlvute. although al-though an old timer In the army Ills name is not Smlthers either If I told his real nume It might get htm In bad "But bold your bead up, son. The worst you cau get Is to be killed, and you won't know about that," be concluded con-cluded The case of Private Smlthers reminds me of an urmy atory. "You object to your men drinking?" asked a friend of the colonel of a regiment regi-ment ou the border one day. "Why. Prlvute Mill Jones baa alwuya been a drinker when ou leuve. aud you aay be la a tine soldier." "Yea. und he's always been a private." pri-vate." answered the colonel. Thla fitted Smllhera' case exactly, lie waa a good soldier and a tine fighter, fight-er, but cut from the pattern of a private pri-vate and always Intended for one, Pretty Boon I noticed him staring nt me closely, and I moved awuy, although al-though I knew .Mm Smlthers wouldn't tip me off However, I didn't want blm to get on If I could help It. It seemed risky to go on deck yet. ao I sauntered toward my old stamping ground, which had been ao friendly to me en route from Douglas-the alilp's kitchen. What I really wanted to do waa page my buaband. for I hadn't caught a glimpse of him on the transport In fact, had not Been blm since the troops left the truln m No algn of blm. I wondered a little bow be would take tt when he found me still along. "Thar ahe blowal" hollered a rolce. We could feel the Bhlp moving under her own power, and by the gllmpaea I caught through the portbolea I auw we had straightened out in the at renin. Then a panic eelzed me. What If my husband was not aboard that ahlp? Suppose be hod been transferred to some other regiment at the last minute. min-ute. They do such things in the army without asking the permission of wives, which makes the busbauds harder to follow. 1 had no way of knowing whether be waa uhoartl What If- "Iley, there, Joe. heove to and lend fellow a hand, will you? What do you thluk this Is a tango tea?" The speukcr wus one of the kltcben crew When the truusport stnrij-d Its perilous journey tu "aome i -n In France" he waa hustling crates of food Into the storehouse down below Others Oth-ers of the men were busy with similar taaka, getting tilings shipshape There seemed to be no romance about this farewell. It was a case of getting down to brass tacka. After awhile I atole above. There waa no excitement, no depression now. Everything was as usual, Just aa If the boat were bound for a little sightseeing trip around Manhattan Isle The sentimental Kuniim re- o-its quickly. Besides the men did not know how many German eyes might be watching their departure, depar-ture, and they wanted to ahow the enemy en-emy they meant business. Only when they passed the statue of Liberty did they atop whatever they were doing and atand at salute. As ono of them, a wiry westerner who went Into Mexico Mex-ico with Pershing, put It: "We got to give the old girl the glad hand aa we go." Off For "Some Port In France." It waa right after midday mesa we left the pier In llobokcn. Two days later we were still anchored out lu the bay The other transports were all around, some of them ao close the men could call back and forth. No one knew when we would depart 1 was on deck when 1 saw a couple of the other transports moving out. It would be our turn next. I went below. My heart win turning all kinds of fllptlops. We wore leaving for "the port In Frame." and I was still safe I bad stayed out of the wny of my husband, although I hnd seen blm nnd knew be wus aboard lie w as quartered farther forward than 1 was with tho test of K company If luck stayed with me a few boura more my goal would be gained. I woujd go to France with my husband. Five minutes Inter we were on our way I was too far now for them to put me off, and I waa very happy, sun i longed for amnt lingerie and r. bath. After leaving port whether we steam-ed steam-ed directly for France or what we did I am not permitted to say. Besides, what I could tell wouldn't amount to much. bSjeaOM I will admit the ocean looked the same to me all over, aud I don't see bow the captain kept from getting lost. That night we settled for the sea, and over me waa a rookie and under me au old timer. It wan quite a sandwich, sand-wich, all hough of course neither knew there was n girl In the bunk between them. I'ei haps they would have been more Careful of their language at first i If they had The men did not undress altogether at night, but pulled olT their shoes and loosened their shirts If It had been otherwise I would hno been gone sure. We never knew when we would be called for submarine drill, and about hnlf the time on the way over w-e had to get up at half past 3 In the morning what for I inn not allowed to tell. The Timid Rookie. We hud hardly cleared tho harbor when the rookie quartered above mo began to fret about submarines "What's the matter?" I hollered np. "Are you afraid of 0 boat a?" "Well. I ain't exactly cheerful about them.'' ho replied. The conversation seemed to relieve the si ruin, for he talked along continuously, continu-ously, for company I guess, until the old timer down below me broke loose with some conversation that would have to be printed ou asbestos paper and concluded: "Say, Alf. If you're goln' to get killed I wUh you would go outside and do It and let somo of us guys around here what needs It get a little good out of this hay " The outbreak resulted In a lot more grumbles from other parts of tho bunk room, and the poor boy had to toss about silently and listen to the rest snore There were some snorers In that Mtflt It wu.sn't long afterwnrd that this rookie above me got seasick about as seasick as anybody can become, I reckon Then he wns afraid we wouldn't meet a submarine or that the torpedo might miss ua. "I don't care whut It Is." he complained, com-plained, "so long us it stops this ship. Kven a rock might do." I felt Off for the boy and wonld nave liked to mother him, but didn't dare Ilo hud only been In the army about three weeks. He wus homesick and semit k and everything else a aud looking Sninmy. Most of the aoldlers were seasick, and there was a lot of kidding from those who wero not. However, n few got boastful at first only to keel over Dually, und they caught it the hatdest. It was ab. mi Mils time Prlvute Smith ers played Cupid for me. I hadn't talked to my husband jet when I miw Suiithers, t lie professional prlvute, ap-proiichlug ap-proiichlug me. It wus the first day out I started to duck, but without si I no ting utteutlon he stopped uic. Sees Her Husband Again. "Say," he said. "I'm ou, but I'm not going to lip yon off Don't worry. I Just saw your old man, and he Knows you're aboard now A few of us old fellows In the leglment are In the know, and we'll cover you up. But look out for these klda. I'll awap blinks with you tonight, and you can sneak up tu mine after lights are out. Your old iiiuu is blinking right above me." So far I had kept out of my husband's hus-band's way because I was afraid he might order me to reairt myself. Slnco I knew bla duties pretty well and where, tie would Inn e to he ut certain times I could easily do Mils. Of course at home I gave tho mdets, but the ills clplltio In the unity Is diffeient, and I realized his soldier ttuinlng might force him to do what he didn't want to However, when Private Smlthers brought me MiIh message I could hardly wait for "lights out" so 1 could aueuk forward to see and talk to blm. (To be continued.) |