Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1899-10-13
A FATAL NICKNAME.

Why should they say that women are
deficient in sense OF humor? Ought
1t not rather to 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 a few
men were gathered. Upon rustic
bench 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.
Let's 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 Keno
phon?"
What! Froggy Xenophon? You
don't mean to tell me he is engaged
and to Maude Wolcott! She has such
a fear OF ridcule!"
FIoBBy! why FTORSyI we LHlnk
him quite presentable; he isn't a bit
awkward. How did he get the nick
name?"
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
'Froggy! Froggy! Mrs. Froggy
Xenophon!"
"Hush-you mustn't talk that way"
Tell us the story, Mrs. Granger. II
must be something awful funny"
1T Is cruel for me to tell you. but
every body has heard 1t. 1t isn't any
thing to his disadvantage, either; only
when one does anything odd he Is al
most sure to get nickname"
But Froggy Is such a funny one!
And his eyes do stick out, and he leans
forward when he talks with you. Is
that why they call him Froggy?"
Il know | ought not to say u word
yeti was no amusing! 1t was this
way: Lieutenant X. had charge OF a
gang of men constructing military
road down-O down South. or West, or
somewhere-it doesn't matter where or
when
THE road was to run along the edge
OF a heavily timbered knoll that Dor
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 rocky spur from the
knoll jutted boldly into the water. II
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 grade
upward on both sides. and thus pass
the obstruction. lie thought this ex-
| pedient the cheapest, the easiest accom-
| plished and the most suitable under the
| circumstances. Lieutenant X, how
ever. thought 1t would be a much more
commendable piece of work to get rid
OF the obstacle entirely-ln fact, to
blast II 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 friabe material, and not
deeply imbedded, but to make II a sure
thing, 300 or 400 pounds OF dynamite,
or giant powder, or whatever was used
was put In position and touched on.
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 to live on.
Among them was Colonel X. The
young lieutenant was "A particularly
protege OF his, and he had so frequently
spoken of his belief In the future great
ness that this young man would achieve
or have thrust upon him that many OF
the other officers felt deprived OF their
proper pr0phetlcal glory. When he
arrived at the point OF operation he
found that not only had the whole OF
the rocky pr0montory been blasted In
to space but there had been scooped
out OF the soft earth, a hole thirty feet
deep and 200 feet across, into which the
waters OF the marsh had flowed, Great
Ing a chasm almost impossible.
Smart man, your Lieutenant X.!'
said the Chief Engineer ironically.
What are we to construct now, trans
ports. or BRIDGE
40, X. Is all right, replied the Col
onel, cheerfully anxious to defend his
favorlte. He may have overdone the
blasting a little; there may be some
thing for him to learn about road con-
structIon; but look there; when II
comes to killing frogs. isn't he sue
cess?
For II the Colonel had a fault, II was
his liking for frogs legs, and the marsh
pools were speckled with thousands OF
these amphibla which were floating on
the surface OF the water, killed by the
shock OF the explosion. And after that
they called him Froggy"
20! o! o." screamed the girls, In
parxysms OF laughter. "Froggy Ken
ophon-Mrs. Froggy Xenophonl Won't
she die OF shame when she hears IT."