The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1894-06-08
THE STIRRUP-CUP.
A Tragi-Comedy of Garrison Life
on the Frontier.

They certainly were made for each
other. Every body saw that The young
lady herself saw it better than any.
They 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 a
twelve-year-old child. lie was hand
some. in 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 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
wife should be. As if to leave nothing
wanting to complete this match-so
evidently of celestial making-fortune
had given to her only a spendthrift
father, and to him the vast wealth of
a second lieutenanJs pay. They could
have loved very comfortably on such
means, and paid off their accumulated
debts of wears when he came to be cap
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 tarted beautifully. Pat
ten had been twirling his thumbs be-
tween rcvcille and taps. with more or
Of fat IL
was pretty badly in debt to the sutler.
and was likely To become more so if he
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, lust in the nick of time, Capt
Ru@gies pretty daughter came on from
a New England boarding school. as in
nncent, simple, pink and white as such
girls should be. OF course Patten
,.alled 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 as the soil of the plains
.:rinls n rain, and the wisdom was lost
in the sandy depths of her unsOphis-
ticated soul, AS is also lost the little
rain which falls on the parchcd pral-
rics. However, she evidently admired
him, and lac went home convinced that
this really 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
hled the sensation of thinking of some
one else: it was novel, and there was
blessed little novelty" in the post at
any time, as he said-only he dio not
say blessed exactly.
The trouble with novelties is that as
soon as they are experienced few
times they cease to be novelties, and
so lose their spice. That was the way
with this one. After "A week or two of
thinking of Miss Ruggles-whOm he
fondlv called Bertha" in what an
swered for his mind-Pa:ten got tired
Of it. and concluded that ''old things
are best" that he preferred his quon-
dam occupation of thinking only OF
himself. and he went back 10 tit was
far less trouble. and he objected to
trouble, attending reveilIe was enough
of il for him in one day. Then de-
lightful element was added to his for
mer employment; he discovered IN
short time that some one else was
thinking of him. That was charming;
hg, sat back and enjoyed it, absorbed it
Heretofore the garrison had never
bothered its head about him, ami he
had had only the sickly com ort of tell
ing himself that he represented pearls,
the garrison swine Here, however,
was Il girl who knew priceless jewel
when she saw it lie admired her
taste, and smiled on her approvingly-
She smiled back, even more sweetly,
ard, in little ways entirely original and
clever, she tried to lead him on. For
instance. she walked mp and down her
porch on nice starry nights, and
coughed now and then. gentle little
cough She would go to- the suffers
for creweIs and ribbons at the hours
when Patten was likely To be there for
his mail Iler horse never would stand
still at the mounting block, the exas-
peratiug animal! if the young officer
were in sight. All these little tendrils
reaching out are such, we all know, as
tine world has never known before.
But there was good deal of the ma
ture of the government mule about
Patten The instant he could see that
some one was attempting To lead him
he would refuse to advance a step; anc
he. did see. despite Berthas wholly or
iginal methods of procedure. 30 he
stood still, and the poor girl tugged
and nIIltcI but Pattcn refused to move
ever 50 little. She really became quite
desperate and struck him in the face,
meta aphorically, with some remarks
that were meant to be scornful and
sarcastic OF course, if she had known
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 expert
ment worked like charm Patten
began To fear that he was losing the
alteration, and advanced a few steps
Bertha received his overtures with de-
light. and Patten was wise enough to
keep her a little delighted all the time
lie 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 a pastime, at any rate
Things progressed nicely now Pat
ter. and Miss Rnggles took frequent
horse back rides, and often did not get
home until after dark. The first time
this happened, Bertha approached her
mammals presence with fear and