Evening journal., 1899-10-24
A FATAL NICKNAME.

Why should they say that women are
deficient in a sense OF humor2 Ought
it not rather 10 be affirmed that they
are too sensitive to ridicule, perceive
the possibilities of being laughed at
more keenly than men, and suffer
more?
II was at one OF those garden parties
where number OF women and few
men we're gathered. Upon a rustic
bench a young woman was seated,
alone. On the opposite side were four
or five girls, with the wife OF an army
officer. The two parties were quite out
of sight OF each other, though so near
that every word spoken by the giddy
throng was distinctly heard by the sol
itary inside.
Lets sit down. Come, Mrs. Gran
ger, this Is your place. We have news
for you. Maude Wolcott is engaged .
Isn't she lucky?"
"That depends, Of course. Who is
the other victim?"
"Victim? o, no-not quite that
Who should 1t be but Lieutenant Xenos
phon?
What Froggy Xenophong You
don't mean to tell me he Is engaged
and to Maude Wolcottl She has such
fear of ridiculei"
''Froggyl why Froggy? We think
him quite presentable: he isn't bit
awkward. How did he get the nick
manner"
THAT is what they called him at the
post, and the name seems to stick"
The woman began to laugh, and the
girls joined in, crying out:
''Froggyi Froggyi Mrs. Froggy
Xenophoni"
"Hush-you mustn't talk that wayi"
TELL us the story, Mrs. Granger. II
must be something awful funny"
1T is cruel for me to tell you, but
everybody has heard IT, II isn't any
thing to his disadvantage, either; only
when one does anything odd he Is al
most sure to get nickname"
But F'roggy Is such a funny onel
And his eyes do stick out, and he leans
forward when he talks with you. Is
that why they call him Froggyq"
Il know / ought not to say a word
yet-it was so amusingl Il was this
way: Lieutenant X. had charge OF a
gang OF men constructing a military
road down-O, down South, or West, OF
! somewhere-it doesn't matter where or
when
'The road was to run along the edge
OF a heavily timbered knoll that bor-
dered a swamp. There was plenty OF
wood for construction 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 a rocky spur from the
knoll jutted boldly into the water It
was about eight feet high and 100 feet
wide where the road would cross.
The engineer who surveyed the
route proposed to cut down some trees
and with the trunks to make a grade
upward on both sides, and thus pass
Z the obstruction. He thought this ex.
] pedient the cheapest, the easiest accom-.
/ plished and the most suitable under the
circumstances. Lieutenant X, how.
ever, thought it would be a much more
commendable piece of work to get riG
/ OF the obstacle entirely-in fact, I,
blast it out Of the way. Explosive ma
terials In any quantity were at his com
mand and a mine was in due time ex
cavated under the rock. This rock ap
peared to be of friable material, and no
deeply imbedded. but to make It q. sur
thing 300 or 400 pounds OF dynamite
or giant powder, OF whatever was used
was put in position and touched on
/ There was an explosion that ma de thi
/ earth rock and the officers frCm thi
camps adjacent went over to s,le how
much of the terrestrial sphere was lef
for them to live on.
Among them was Colonel X Thl
young lieutenant was a pari cularll
protege Of his, and he had so freqiientll
/ spoken Of his belief in the future great
ness that this young man would achievI
or have thrust upon him that many o
the other officers felt deprived od thei
proper prophetical glory. When n
arrived at the point OF operation HI
! found that not only had the " hole o
/ the rocky promOntOry been bias ted in
to space, but there had been scoopel
/ out of the soft earth, hole Thirty fee
deep and 200 feet across, into VIII ich tn
waters OF the marsh had flowed Great
/ ing a chasm almost impossible.
Smart man, your Lieutenant X.i
said the Chief Engineer ironically
What are we to construct now. trans
ports. or a bridgeg
80, X. is all right, replied tiae Col
onel, cheerfully, anxious to def, md hi
favOrite. He may have overdo me thl
I Dldrlub q ALllCf lutlt may ut hDlHt
thing for him to learn about roald con
| struction; but look there: when
comes to killing frogs, isn't he a sue
cess?'
"FOr If the Colonel had a fault, 1t wa
his liking for frogs legs, and the marsl
pools were speckled with thousands o
these amphibia, which were floating OF
the surface OF the water, killed by th'
shock Of the explosion. And after tina
they called him Froggy."
"Ol o. o." screamed the girls, IL
I parxysms of laughter. "F'roggy Ken
ophon-Mrs. Froggy Xenophonl Won
she die Of shame when she hears it?'
Il ought not to have repeated thu
story, l know" murmured Mrs. Gran
ger, yet struggling to repress her inirth
I'VE should have heard Il somewhere
Don't blame yourself. Hal Hal Hai"
They went away, still laughing, whill
fearful, bent by shame. the girl whs
had heard It all crouched in the shadow
Of the shrubbery. When she arose and
crept towards the house It was by
paths the most secluded, and secure
/ from possible meeting with any mem
bers Of the party. She sought hei
hostess, made her excuses for her alb
Il runt denarturp and enad aWav home