Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-06-21
ITO RE CONTINUED,
THE STIRRUP-CUP.
A Tragi- Comedy OF Garrison Lifo
on the Frontier

I'll VIC EAOhbAbEs
They certainly were made for each
other. Every body saw that The young
lady herself saw IL better than any.
They were beautifully matched In
every way. lie was dapper little cav
alryman who only exceeded the regula-
ton height by two inches. She was
dowdy little person, about as big as q
twelve-year-old child lie was hand
some, in French miniature sort Of
way. and she was pretty, with tho
bread-and-milk beauty OF extreme
youth. As to mental qualifications, no
two could have suited better, for his
love Of domincering was that not only
Of the little man but Of an army officer
to boot; and she was submissiveness
itself; II really was q pleasure to her
TO be walked over and stepped upon by
anything masculine, which Just met
the young officers ideas as 10 what u
vito should be. As II TO leave nothing
evidently of celestial making--fortune
had given 10 her only a spendthrift
father, and TO him the vast wealth of
u second lieutenants pay. They could
have loved very comfortably on such
means, and paid off their accumulated
debts of years when he came to be cap
tain, as others have done before. But
they may us well be introduced; you
may meet them some time. She, then,
was Miss Ruggles, daughter OF Capt
Ruggles, of the --th infantry; he was
Second Lieutenant Patten. OF the ID
cavalry
The thing started beautifully. Pat
ten had been twirling his thumbs be-
tween reveille and taps, with more or
less cursing of fate, for year. lie
was pretty badly In debt TO the sutler,
and was likely to become more so II he
was not given something TO do with
his evenings very soon. He did not like
reading; he was too lazy TO hunt, and
there was nothing but the elusive prai,
rie dog to hunt in any case, he was the
only bachelor ut the fort-which was o
hundred miles from the railroad, by
the by--and tho married women could
not be induced to flirt-with him, ut
any rate. So the soil was ripe
Now, Just In the nick OF time, Capt.
Ruggles' pretty daughter came Oh from
a New England boarding school, as In
nocent, simple, pink and white as such
girls should be OF course Patten
called on her the night of her arrival.
as is customary In army posts. lie
found her quite interesting. She sat
and smiled and drank In his poured.
out wisdom rs the soil of the plains
drinks u rain, and the wisdom was lost
in the sandy depths OF her unsophis-
ticated soul, az Is also lost the little
rain which falls on the parched prai-
ries, However, she evidently admired
him, and ho went home convinced that
this really was his first love, this time.
In New England boarding schools man
Is never seen, so no was Miss Ruggles'
first experience OF tho sex, and she was
sure, too, that this was not only her
FIRST but her only love. Now Patten
liked tho sensation of thinking Of some
one else; 1t was novel, and there was
blessed little novelty" in the post at
any time, as he said-only he did not
say blessed" exactly
The trouble with novelties Is that as
soon us they are experienced few
times, they cease to be novelties, and
80 lose their spice. That was the way
with this one. After week or two Of
of Miss Ruggles-whom he
fondly called Bertha" in what an
swered for his mind-Patten got tired
of 1t, and concluded that ''old things
are best" that he preferred his guon'
dam occupation OF thinking only Of
himself, and he went back 70 1t it was
far less trouble, and he objected to
trouble, attending reveille was enough
of 1t for him in one day. Then q de-
lightful element was added to his for
mer employment; he discovered in n
short time that some one else was
OF him. That was charming;
he sat back and enjoyed 1t, absorbed it
Heretofore the garrison had never
bothered its head about him, and he
had had only the HiclSly comfort of tell
ing himself that he represented pearls,
the garrison swine. Here, however,
was girl who knew priceless jewel
when she saw It lie admired her
TASTE and smiled on her Rpprovingly,
She smiled back, oven more sweetly,
and, In little ways entirely original and
clever, she tried to lead him on, For
instance, she walked up and down her
porch on nice starry nights, and
now and then. a gentle little
cough. She would go TO the suffers
for crewels and ribbons at the hours
when Patten was likely TO be there for
his mail Tier horse never would stand
still at the mounting block, the cxas-
perating animal! II the young officer
were In sight. All these little tendrils
reaching out IRE such, we all know, Us
tho world has never known before.
But there was good deal Of the ma
ture OF the government mule about
Patten. Tho instant he could see that
some one was attempting to lead him
he would refuse to advance step; and
he did see, despite Bertha's wholly or
iginal methods of procedure. So he
TODD still, and the poor girl tugged
and pulled, but Patten refused TO move
pvyr so little. She really became quite
desperate and struck him in the face,
with some remarks
that were meant TO DO scornful and
larcastic OF course, II she had known
about mules she would have
bccn aware that such treatment only
makes them jump back; but she wps OF
the infantry, and can be excused for
not knowing anything about live stock.
taught her. though, and she
- 1 a.