Evening journal., 1899-11-21
FATAL NICKNAME.


deficient in o sense of humorg Ought
it not rather TO be affirmed that they
lare too sensitive 10 ridfcule, perceive
1.-THE possibilities OF being laughed at
lmore keenly than men. and suffer
more?
1t was at one OF those garden parties
where a number OF women and few
men were gathered. Upon a rustic
bench a young woman was seated
lalone. On the opposite side were four
or five girls, with the wife OF an army
loflcer The two parties were quite out
lOf 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
lger this is your place. We have news
for you. Maude Wolcott is engaged.
Isn't she luclzy?"
THAT depends. Of course. Who Is
the other yictim2'
Victim? o. no--not quite thatl
Who should 1t be but Lieutenant Keno
phon?"
WHAT Froggy Xenophon? You
don't mean TO tell me he Is engaged
and to Maude WOlcottl She has such
a fear Of ridicule!"
]
him quite presentable; he isn't a bit
awkward. How did he get the nick
lname2"
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 Froggy! Mrs. Froggy
, AenOphonl"
: "Hush-you mustn't talk that wayi'
7 "rell us the story, Mrs. Granger lt
must be something awful funny"
1T is cruel for me to tell you, but
everybody has heard It, Il isn't any
thing to his disadvantage, either; only
/ when one does anything odd he Is all
/ most sure to get nickname"
} But FrOggy Is such q funny onei
5 And his eyes do stick out, and he leans
1 forward when he talks with you Is
5 hat why they call him Froggy?'
81 know l ought not to say a word
! yet-it was SO amusingl IT was this
r way: Lieutenant X. had charge of a
gang OF men constructing a military
I road down-O, down South. OF West, or
= somewhere-it doesn't matter where or
y when.
S The road was to run along the edge
4 )f a heavily timbered knoll that bor-
Tered 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
Y u the trees. At one place was an open
: space Of water OF several acres. and
2 At this point a rocky spur from the
: knoll jutted boldly into the water II
/. was about eight feet high and 100 feet
4 wide where the road would cross.
8 'The engineer who surveyed the
2 route proposed 70 cut down some trees
and with the trunks to make a grade
y upward on both sides. and thus pass
r Tie obstruction. He thought this ex-
r oedient the cheapest. the easiest accom-
. plished and the most suitable under the
y circumstances. Lieutenant X. how.
4 ever, thought Il would be a much more
! ,ommendable piece OF work to get rio
n u the obstacle entirely--in fact, g
"A blast il out of the way. Explosive ma
: .erials in any quantity were at his com
% mand and a mine was in due time ex
a awaited under the rock. This rock ap
oeared to be OF friable material. and no
~ deeply imbedded. but to make It a sur
4, thing. 300 or 400 pounds OF dynamite
- )r giant powder, or whatever was used
~ was put In position and touched on
: There was an explosion that made th'
:. earth rock and the officers from thl
- amps adjacent went over to see how
= much OF the terrestrial sphere was lef
4 for them to live on.
u !. Among them was Colonel X. Thl
Young lieutenant was a particularly
y 1rotege Of his, and he had so frequently
y, spoken Of his belief In the future great
less that this young man would achiev
. lr have thrust upon him that many o
=. the other officers felt deprived Of thel
a proper prophetical glory. When h
- arrived at the point OF operation h
found that not only had the whole o
he rocky prOmOutory been blasted in
ss 10 space, but there had been scOope
u lut Of the soft earth, hole thirty fee
= deep and 200 feet across, into which tn
waters of the marsh had flowed, Great
le ing a chasm almost impossible.
n Smart man, your Lieutenant. X.
said the Chief Engineer ironically
What are we to construct now, trans
4 ports, or a bridgeg
q 90, X. is all right replied the Col
sr 1nel. cheerfully, anxious to defend hi
ig iavorite. He may have Overdone tn
blasting a little; there may be some
thing for him to learn about road con
sr struction; but look there: when
!" zones to killing frogs, isn't he sue
10 sess?'
p For If the Colonel had fault, it wa
v MS liking for frogs legs. and the mars
I'd 1ools were speckled with thousands 4
lg .hese amphibia. which were floating o
he surface Of the water, killed by ia
Id shock Of the explosion. And after tina
e. hey called him Froggy."
n. 20! o. o." screamed the girls,
s. larxysms OF laughter "Froggy XeT
O. )phon-Mrs. Froggy Xenophonl Won
ihe die Of shame when she hears it?'
h. Il ought not to have repeated tn
al story, | know" murmured Mrs. GraT
sd ger. yet struggling to repress her mirtl
M I'VE should have heard 1t somewherl
I'M Don't blame yourself Hal hal Hal
M They went away. still laughing, Will
= FEARFUL, bent by shame. the girl VIII
M nad heard it all crouched in the shade
81 of the shrubbery. When she arose an
srept towards the house it was
as paths the most secluded. and secuI
rom a possible meeting with any men
If oers OF the party. She sought he
~ hostess. made her excuses for her al
~ rupt departure, and sped away hom'
or ward.