The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-06-01
THE STIRRUP CUP.

beautifully Ill every way. 11G
was dapper little cavalryman who only
exceeded the regulation height by two
inches. She was a dowdy little person
about as big as a 12-year-old child. He
was handsome in a French miniature sort
of way, and she was pretty, with the bread
and milk beauty of extreme youth AS to
mental qualifications, no two could have
suited better, for his love of domineering
was that not emily of the little man, but Of
an army officer to boot, and sha was sub
missiveness itself. 1t really was pleasure
to her to be walked over and stepped upon
by anything masculine, which just met
the young officers ideas as to what wife
should be. AS if to leave nothing wanting
to complete this match-se evidently of
celestial making-fortune had given to her
only spendthrift father and to him the
vast wealth of a second lieutenant's 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 as well be introduced-you may meet
them some time. She, then, was Miss
Ruggles, daughter of Captain Ruggles OF
the -th infantry; he was Second Lieu
tenant Patten of the ID cavalry
The thing started beautifully. Patten
had been twirling his thumbs between re-
veille and taps with more Or less cursing
of fate for a year. He was pretty badly in
debt to the sutler and was likely to become
more SO If 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
prairie dog to hunt in any case. He was
the only bachelor at the fort, which was
hundred miles from the railroad, by the
bye, and the married women could not be
induced to firt-with him, at any rate.
So the soil was ripe.
Now, just in the nick of time, Captain
Rugglas' pretty daughter came on from
New ENGLAND boarding school, as limo
cent, simple, pink and white as such girls
should be- OF course Patten called ON her
the night Of her arrival as is customary in
posts. He found her quite interesting. She
sat and smiled and drank in his poured
out wisdam as the soil of the plains drinks
a rain, and the wisdom was lost in the
sandy depths of her unsophisticated soul,
rs is also Lost the little rain which falls on
the parciled prafries. However, she evil
IDENTIFY admired him, and he went home
convinced thatthis really was his first love,
this time. In New England boarding
schools man is never seen, SO he was
Miss Ruggles' first experience of the sex,
and she was sure, too, that this was not
only her first but her only love. Now
Patten liked the sensation of thinking OF
some one else. 1t was novel, and there was
'sblessed little novelty" in the post at any
time, as he said--only he did not say
'sblessed" exactly
The trouble with novelties Is that as
soon as they are experienced a few times
they cease to b novelties, and SO lose their
spice. That was the way with this one.
After week or two of thinking of Miss
Ruggles-whom he fondly called Bertha
in what answered for his mind-Patten
got tired of it and concluded that 'sold
things are BEST that he preferred his
quondam occupation of thinking only Of
himself, and he went back to tit was far
less trouble, and he objected to trouble-at-
tending reveille was enough of it for him
in one day. Then delightful element
was added to his former employment. He
discovered IN short time that some one
else was thinking of him. That was
charming. He sat back and enjoyed 1t,
absorbed it. Heretofore the garrison had
never bothered it's head about him, and he
had had only the sickly comfort Of telling
himseR that he represented pearls, the gar
risen swine.
Here, however, was girl who knew
priceless jewel when she saw it. He ad-
mined her tasse and slni1ea On her approx
ingly. She sxniaed. back even more sweet
ly, and in fittle ways entirely original and
clever she tried TO head him on For in
stance, sheswaahed up and down her porch
on nice starry nights and conghed now
and then--a gentle cough. She would go
to the sutaer's for. erewels and ribbons at
the hours when sPatten was likely to be
there for his Maig Her horse never weuld
stand still at the mounting biock-the ex-
asperating aAimafi-if the young officer
were in ssaant. All these Httae tendrils
reaching eutsare such, we all know, as the
world has never known before.
But there was good deal Of the nature
of the government mule in Patten. The
instant he could sac that some one was at
tempting to lead him he would refuse to
advance step, and he did see despite Ber-
tha's wholly original methods of proce-
dure. So he stood still, and the poor girl
tugged and pulled, but Patten refused to
move ever 80 little. She really Hbecame
quite desperate and struck him in the face
metaphorioaIfy, with seme remarks that
were meant to be scornful and sarcastic
Of course il she had knewn anything
about mules she would have been aware
that such treatment only makes them
jump back, but she was Of the infantry
and can be excused for not knowing any
thing about live stock. Experience taught
her, though, and she came to learn to let
the mule think he was free and going
alone. The experiment worked like
charm. Patten began to fear that he was
losing the alteration and advanced a few
steps Bertha received his overtures with
delight and Patten was wise enough to
Keep her little delighted all the time.
He did not think, now, that he was really
In love. On the contrary, he was sure that
his first love was yet to come. But Bertha
was pastisne, at any rate
Things progressed nicely now. Patten
and Miss Ruggles took frequent horseback
rides and often did not get home until
after dark. The first time this happened
Bertha approached her mamma S presence
with fear and trembling She did not know
what her mother would say, but she was
sure of a good berating from a none too