Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-05-07
Private O'Day's
Humiliation
Ey JAMES FEENIMORE
Copwtdt. r-,r. ~ 7. q. MctIme

Private oIlay. of the Tenth. had
shown pluck in several fights with the
Indians and. therefore. stood well
always had song in his heart or 4
joke on his lips. and he was. there
fore. favori;e with his fellow pr
Yates. Now and then he got tight. but
unless the officer of the day was
obliged To take official notice nothing
was heard from il. Now and then he
was guilty of other breaches of disci-
pine. hut he argued his case 80 we'll
before the colonel that lac was let of
with a rcprimand where another would
have been sent To the Guardhouse. In
every soldier company there is always
one such man Il good fighter when
fighting is To bc done. but irrcsponsi-
bic. good natured and totally careless
when in barracks.
funny thing happened one day. II
was funny even TO Private o'Day. as
he tried his best 10 look AT IL in
serious light He fell in love with
Kitty Cline. the majors daughter. lie
fell in love with her nj Il distance
clear across the parade ground at Fort
Sherman. She had been nj the fort
for three or four weeks. but that was
his first sight of her She was eight
cen and O'Day was thirty: she was a
majors daughter. used TO life of
luxury. while he was a high private
on Sl3 per month. The social gulf
between them was as wide as the At
lantic ocean. and O'Day knew ii. and
whispered in his own ear:
Patrick O'Day. We are a bigger don
key than ever We left behind We in old
Ireland. and We ought TO he taken out
and kicked across the parade ground.
The idea of losing yer heart 10 such
CURL rs that. Are yeZ gittin' soft in
the top of yer head. or is IL the foolish
ness just comm out that yer dear
mother always contended was more
than yer common sense? Out upon We
for a ninny. Patrick o'Day. and do We
drive the majors darln' out of yer
head and heart and make mp TO the
laundress of barracks No g.
But il was one thing to talk and an
other to do. Private O'Day was hard
hit So hard that he could not keep his
secret and when IL became known 10
n dozen Of his comrades he was guyed
and jcercd and bcrated by turns. Two
or three days of IL ought 10 have work
cd cure and sent Patrick along TO bar
racks No. 3. where the widow laun-
dress of Company II. vino was known
TO have $3.50 in the bank. would have
welcomed him with smiles. II failed.
however. and in his desperation the
soldier lover did foolish thing BEING
on sentry duty ut the gate one day.
he removed his cap and bowed TO the
majors daughter as she rode forth
on her pony. lie did more. He had
twenty-five cent box of candy in the
bosom of his jacket. purchased for the
occasion. and lie hauled II forth and
begged her 10 accept ii as a slight to
ken of his feelings toward her. or
course she looked down upon him with
feelings of amaZement and refused
his gift. and. OF course. some one wit
messed the performance and told Of IL.
guardhouse for making a monkey of
himself.
The next morning the soldier. whose
loving heart had been deeply grieved
10y the rejection of his confectionery.
was detailed 10 police duty along
with other derclicts. and that WAS n
further humiliation. The finishing
hlAxt- nj hand Altar
eral work about the parade grounds
he was set Ia cleaning up the ma ior's
back yard. Just where the majors
daughter could have full view Of
him as he rolled the ash barrels about.
and though he had no cause To believe
that she was pCeping from rear win
dow and chuckling over his discom-
future. the iron entered his soul in
stead of the shovel entering the ash
heap. lie was sharply reprimanded
two or three times 10y the corporal. and
I'm his despair and desperation he out
ragged military discipline 10y ''sassing
back" He WAS ordered 10 report him.
self at the gIIardhOusc as under new
arrest. and IL was while making his
way to that popular and we'll known
resort that he suddenly decided 10
make bolt for il. \ citizen had rid
den into the fort on n fine piece of
horseflesh AMI thrown the reins over
post near the gate. and Private
O'Day reached and mounted the ami
NAL and WAS galloping away before
the sentinel AT the gate had opened
and shut his month
There was delay in following the
fugitive. and when pursuit was made
he had long start. and his trail was
lost as he rode through the scrub 10
ward Devils canyon. II was 10
o'clock in the forenoon when he gal
Hoped out Of the fort. and IL was nm
hour later. and he had covered eight
miles of ground. when he rode into
the western mouth Of the canyon lie
wanted TO dodge pursuit for 81 time.
and he wanted a quiet place in which
10 do some thinking. There WAS II
second reason. and that was that
thunderstorm was comm. NJ from
the southwest. and Private opay
never got his Jacket wet when there