The Bossier banner., 1894-06-21
THE STIRRUP-CUP.
A Tragi- Comedy of Garrison Life
on the Frontier

on the Frontier
They certainly were made for each
other. Every body saw that. The young
lady herself saw it better than any.
Tbey were beautifully matched in
every way. He was a dapper little cav
alryman who only exceeded the regula-
tion height by two inches. She was a
dowdy little person, about as big as a
twelye-year-old child. He was hand
some, in French miniature sort of
way, and she was pretty, with the
bread-and-milll beauty of extreme
youth. As to mental qualifications, no
two could have suited better, for his
love of domineering was that not only
Of the little man but of an army officer
to boot; and she was submissiveness
itself; it 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 a
wife should be. AS if to leave nothing
wanting to complete this match-so
evidently of celestial making g--fortune
had given to her only a spendthrift
father, and to him the vast wealth of
asecond lieutenant's pay. They could
have loved very comforta bly, on sach
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 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 reyeille and taps, with more or
less cursing of fate, for 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 prai.
rie dog to hunt in any case; he was the
only bachelor at the fort-which was a
hundred miles from the railroad, by
the by-and the married women could
not be induced to flirt-with him, at
any rate. So the soil was ripe.
Now, just in the nick of time, Capt.
kugges' pretty daughter came on from
Anew 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,
Is is customary in army posts. He
found her quite interesting. She sat
and smiled and drank in his poured
out wisdom as the soil of the plains
drinks rain, and the wisdom was lost
N the sandy depths of her unsophis-
ueated soul, as is also lost the little
ram which falls on the parched prai-
res However, she evidently admired
MN, and he went home convinced that
ths really was his first love, this time.
a Aew England boarding schools man
y never seen, SO he was Miss Ruggles'
nrSt experience of the sex, and she was
sure too that this was not only her
nfst but her only love. Now Patten
Ased the sensation of thinking of some
oae else; 1t was novel, and there was
olessed little novelty" in the post at
any time, as he said-only he did not
say blessed" exactly.
Inc trouble with novelties is that as
soon as they are experienced few
s'nies' they cease to be novelties, and
y lose their spice That was the way
Win THIS one. After a week or two of
ssa'hSlng OF Miss Ruggles-whom he
.Ouuiy called Bertha" in what an
ssered ~ Tor his mind-Patten got tired
y y, and concluded that ''old things
sie oest that he preferred his quon-
- n occupation of thinking only of
'1'iseli, and he went back TO tit was
:. iess trouble, and he objected to
-. avuole' attending reveille was enough
l.s = ,or MIN in one day Then a de-
N'iui element was added to his for
enployment; he discovered in a
.h;as o's 1lme that some one else was
linking of him. That was charming;
u. n sas pack and enjoyed it, absorbed it.
~, hetOIore the garrison had never
baa bi'sleo It's head about him, and he
inv ,aa a. naa only the sickly comfort of tell
tbs Anuseli that he represented pearls,
~ garrison swine. Here, however
,vSs Ss slri who knew priceless jewel
,aA. n she saw it He admired her
sha s.i, anu smiled on her approvingly.
.as s suited back, even more sweetly.
clevs. :" iittie ways entirely original and
inst. sue tried to lead him on. For
noroa see' she walked up and down her
eoaas a on nice starry nights, and
eonss eu now and then, a gentle little
for as - one would go to the suffers
wiz. levels and ribbons at the hours
: a''en was likely 10 be there for