The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-10-13
A Fatal Nickname.

men, and suffer more?
II was al one OF those garden parties
where number of women and a few
men were gathered II was delightful
growth of skrubbery. Upon a rustic
bench al one side of such a retreat a
| young lady was seated, alone. On the op-
posite side we're four or five girls. with
the wife Of an army officer. The two par
| ties were quite out of sight OF each other.
though so near that every word spoken
by the giddy th.ong was distinctly heard
| by the solitary inside.
! Let's sit down. Come. Mrs Granger.
this is your place. We have news for you.
Maude WoIco;t is engaged. Isn't she
| lrcky?"
THAT depends. OF course. Who is the
other victin?"
Victim? o, no-not quite that. Who
Should it be but Lieutenant Xenophon?"
What Froggy Xenophon? You don't
mean to tell me he IS engaged-and TO
| Maude Wolcott! She has such fear OF
ridicue"
! "Froggyl Why Froggy? We think him
! quite presentable; he isn't bit awkward.
| How did he get that nickname?"
That is what they call him at the post,
and the name seems 70 stick
The lady began to laugh. and the girls
Joined in. crying out:
"FroggyI Froggy! Mrs. Froggy Keno
phonr'
| "Hush-you mustn't talk that way"
| Tell US the story, Mrs. Granger. IT
must be something awfuIiy funny. What
joke It is that Maude is going TO marry
| a man with such a nickname!
cit is cruel for me TO tell you. but every
| body has heard 1t. 1t isn't anything TO his
| disadvantage. either: only when one does
anything odd he is almost sure 10 get
| nicknamed."
But F'roggy is such funny one, And
his eyes dc stick out. and he leans for
ward when he talks with you. Is that
why they call him Froggy?'
20. no-you are running quite away
from the story"
] Then tell it. tell IT. We will never say
| you told US. will we g1rls?'
A chorus of Never and wild horses
! shall not drag your name from u.s." was
| heard.
81 know ought not to say a word-yet
it was so amusingi 1t was this way:
Lieutenant X. had charge of a gang OF
men constructing a military road down
| o. down south. or west. or somewhere-it
| doesn't matter where OF when"
"Of course not! Go on; call II Tehau1te-
pee
THE road was TO run along the edge
| of heavily timbred knoll that bordered n
swamp. There was plent OF wood for con-
struction purposes. but not much soil
that could be easily got at. on account
OF the interlocked roots Of the trees. At
one place was an open space Of water of
several acres. and at this point rocky
spur from the knoll jutted boldly into the
water II was about eight feet high and
hundred feet high where the road would
cross.
The engineer who had surveyed the
route proposed to cut down some trees,
and with the trunks make a grade up
ward on both sides. and thus pass the OBJ
struction. He thought this expedient the
cheapest, the easiest accomplished. and
the most suitable under the circum-
stances. Lieutenant X. however, thought
it would be a much more commendable
piece OF work 10 get rid of the obstacle
entirely in fact, 10 blast IL out of the
way Explosive materials in any quaint
ty were at his command and mine was
in due time excavated under the rock.
This rock appeared to be of friable ma
terial, and not deeply imbedded. but to
make It a sure thing three or four hun
dred pounds of dynamite. or giant pow
der. or glycero-car bonite nitrate, or what
ever was used, was put in position and
touched off. There was an explosion that
made the earth rock, and the officers
from the camps adjacent went over to see
how much of the terrestrial sphere was
left for them 10 live on.
Among them was Colonel K. The
young lieutenant was a particular pro-
tege Of his and he mad 50 frequently spok-
en- of his belief in the future greatness
that this young man would achieve or
have thrust upon him that many Of the
other officers felt deprived OF their prop
er prophetical glory. Military men are
sensitive in regard TO honor and glory.
even If II does not, as Pope professed 10
believe from no condition rise When
he arrived al the point OF operation he
found that not only had the whole OF the
rocky promontory been blasted in space.
but there had been scooped out of the soft
earth a hole thirty feet deep and two
hundred feet across, into which the wa
tiers OF the marsh had flowed, creating
a chasm almost impossible
Smart man, your Lieutenant * said
the chief engineer ironically. What are
we to construct now. transports or a
bridge2'
20. X. is all right replied the colonel,
cheerfully anxious to defend his favor
lite He may have overdone the blasting
a little: there may be something for him
to learn about road construction; but look
there; when il comes to killing frogs isn't
he a success?'
For if the colonel had a fault II was
his liking for frogs legs. and the marsh
pools were speckled with thousands OF
these amphibia. which were floating on
the surface OF the water. killed by the
shock OF the explosion. And after that
nicknamed Froggy"
20! o. or" screamed the girls. In par
oxyisms Of laughter. "Froggy Xenophon
Mrs. Froggy Xenophon! Won't she die
Of shame when she hears it?"
Vpne1fP1
story. I know" rnurmured Mrs. Granger,
vet struggling 10 repress her mirth.
I'VE should have heard II somewhere.
Don't blame yourself Ha, Ha, HsH'
They went away still laughing, while.
fearful. bent by shame. the girl who had
heard ii al crouGhed in the shadow Of the
shrubbery. When she arose and crept to
ward the house IL was by paths the most
secluded. and secure from a possible meet
ing with any members Of the party She
sought her hostess. made her excuses for
her ABRUPT departure. and sped away
homewaTd
Was she not a coward 70 feel this 50
keenly? she asked herself. But she could
only reply. - would rather de than be-
come the wife OF man laughed al and
nisknamed Froggy-
The next day Lieutenant Xe1oYhon re-
ceived this note:
II must break our engagement; GO not
ask me the reason; DO not attempt 20 see
me again Any hope or expectation OF
reconciliat ton IL i-1poSsiole-though y s
not your fault. IL ~
Books in the British Museum.