no confusion or embarrassment. Every house on
the officers' line was filled to overflowing and scarcely a corner left
vacant.

The new hospital was simply perfect for an elaborate entertainment.
The large ward made a grand ballroom, the corridors were charming for
promenading, and, yes, flirting, the dining room and kitchen perfect for
the supper, and the office and other small rooms were a nice size for
cloak rooms. Of course each one of these rooms, big and small, had to
be furnished. In each dressing room was a toilet table fitted out with
every little article that might possibly be needed during the evening,
both before and after the removal of masks. All this necessitated
much planning, an immense amount of work, and the stripping of our own
houses. But there were a good many of us, and the soldiers were cheerful
assistants. I was on the supper committee, which really dwindled down
to a committee of one at the very last, for I was left alone to put the
finishing touches to the tables and to attend to other things. The vain
creatures seemed more interested in their own toilets, and went home to
beautify themselves.

The commanding officer kept one eye, and the quartermaster about a dozen
eyes upon us while we were decorating, to see that no injury was done
to the new building. But that watchfulness was unnecessary, for the many
high windows made the fastening of flags an easy matter, as we draped
them from the casing of one window to the casing of the next, which
covered much of the cold, white walls and gave an air of warmth and
cheeriness to the rooms. Accoutrements were hung everywhere, every bit
of brass shining as only an enlisted man can make it shine, and the long
infantry rifles with fixed bayonets were "stacked" whereever they would
not interfere with the dancing.

Much of the supper came from Kansas City--that is, the celery, fowls,
and material for little cakes, ices, and so on--and the orchestra
consisted of six musicians from the regimental band at Fort Riley. The
floor of the ballroom was waxed perfectly, but it is hoped by some of
us that much of the lightning will be taken from it before the hospital
cots and attendants are moved in that ward.

Everybody was en masque and almost everyone wore fancy dress and some
of the costumes were beautiful. The most striking figure in the rooms,
perhaps, was Lieutenant Alden, who represented Death! He is very tall
and very slender, and he had on a skintight s