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Biltmore Oswald, the diary of a hapless recruit
Biltmore Oswald the diary of a hapless recruit Author:Thorne Smith Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: HOSPITAL APPRENTICE TREATED ME TO A SHOT OF PELHAM HOP textit{?Page 6 textit{'l FEEL LIKE A MASQUERADE"?textit{Page 6 all social engagements during... more » my first few weeks in camp. You can send the pumps when I write for them." A card came to-day ordering me to report on March ist. Consequently I am not quite myself. textit{Feb. 2?textit{'th. Mother hurried into my room this morning and started to pack my trunk. She had gotten five sweaters, three helmets and two dozen pairs of socks into it before I could stop her. When I explained to her that I wasn't going to take a trunk she almost broke down. "But at least," she said, brightening up, "I can go along with you and see that you are nice and comfortable in your room." "You seem to think that I am going to some swell boarding school, mother," I replied from the bed. "You see, we don't have rooms to ourselves. I understand that we sleep in bays." "Don't jest," cried mother. "It's too horrible!" Then I explained to her that a bay was a compartment of a barracks in which eight human beings and one petty officer, not quite so human, were supposed to dwell in intimacy and, as far as possible, concord. This distressed poor mother dreadfully. "But what are you going to take?" she cried. "I'm going to take a nap," said I, turning over on my pillow. "It will be the last one in a bed for a long, long time." At this mother stuffed a pair of socks in her mouth and left the room hastily. Polly came in to-night and I kissed her on and off throughout the evening on the strength of my departure. This infuriated father, but mother thought it was very pretty. However, before going to bed he gave me a handsome wrist watch, and grandfather, pointing to his game leg, said: "Remember the Mexican War, my boy. I ...« less