The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1906-06-15
BY THE
MONKEY"
DRILL ~
Michael James
Copyright. 1905. by Ruby Douglas


when Rex Burgess had invited the par
" to pile in"
oh. Gormley can ride on the front
seat with the driver" Burgess had re-
Piled lightly enough. though Gormley
felt the undercurrent of malice in his
voice, up near the horses. These gall
liant cavalrymen Ike TO be about
horses. you know"
a January thaw had left the clay
roads liquid. but hard freeze follow
ing had reduced them to smooth iron.
and the rumble of the wagon on the
hard surface echoed far through the
GREATNESS. glittering cold of the moon
light
1t was the night of the Changers
party at Merrtield town hall, five miles
from Slocum. and Il week before Bur-
CESS had invited half dozen young
people of Slocum to attend, riding over
in his sleigh. The thaw had necessi-
tated the change from sleigh to wagon.
Il wish hadn't come, wish 1
hadn't come" beat necessarily in
Gormley's brain to the steady clop-clop
of the horses feet. Il had no business
to do it, Burgess is a boor. He never
forgets his money nor remembers his
manners What got into me, | Won
DER and much more of the same sort
of self deception, for Gormley knew
perfectly why he was Drawing the nip
ping cold and Burgess thruSts. Moth
ing but sudden death could have kept
him away Sylvia Gerrish was there.
But the joy of being near her was
dashed by the thought that Burgess
was nearer still-beside her in fact.
70 secure that coveted place their host
had boldly ordered his rival to the
front seat
Any man with red blood in his veins
could scarcely blame Burgess for his
maneuvering. The girl was Il bewitch-
ing little figure muiied in furs. CO.
quettish red tam-o'- Shanter setting off
her piquant face and miscellaneous eyes.
Burgess had never seen her look pref
tier and he glowed with satisfaction at
his neat disposal, for the drive at least,
of his rival.
Meanwhile the sweet tempered CORN
ley. by nature almost too submissive,
was near 10 being reused lie was
lashing himself in bitterness of spirit
1t had always been so. Fate had made
him the football of Rex Burgess, even
in schooldays. Burgess was big and
brave and handsome while he was
slight and pale faced The boys had
nicknamed Gormley Molly" because
he had once tainted at the sight of
blood. Burgess father was the wealth
lest man in Slocum. and every cent of
the money would one day belong TO
Rex. for he was the only child.
Regardless of the merry chatter and
the snatches of song from the others,
Gormley plunged deeper into his mel
ancholy reflections He, puny clerk in
a dry goods store. TO aspire to Sylvia
Gerrish's love against one so favored
of gods and men as Burgess!
His cheeks burned, too, when he
thought of the others contemptuous
reference to "cavalrymen." Frankly.
lie admitted it was ridiculous that he,
Molly" Gormley, should have martial
aspirations Yet when the state mill
tary board had offered Slocum the
equipment for a troop of cavalry for
the national guard Gormley had been
unanimously chosen captain. And he
was the man for the place. He could
ride. 1t had always been the sport in
which he eXcelled He knew the mon
key drill of the United States cavalry
as he knew the alphabet.
They talk of CoSsackS and Bedoun
Arabs and Indians and the way these
sayages handle a horse, but the man
who follows the yellow guidon is a lit
tie the best horseman of them all. And
Captain Molly" Gormley, Troop A,
First cavalry, state troops, rode like a
regular whether in the saddle, bare
backed over the hurdles or standing,
each foot planted firmly on the back of
galloping horse Besides the first
qualification of cavalryman he had
the other requisite for an officer, the
gift of command, and even West Point
can't touch that. So despite the fact
that his body quailed at the sight of
blood GOrmley's spirit sang with the
notes of the bugle when Troop A, two
long straight lines of men and horses
moving beautifully in unison, passed
in review at camp.
The thought of his creation-he had
made Troop \ the pride of the national
guard in the two years it had been or,
ganized-gradually lightened the gloom
which had overspread Gormley's spir-
its He reflected with considerable COM
fort that Burgess could not ride we'll
The big fellow did not understand
horses and feared them. The bully in
him crept out, too, on horseback. He
thought it merely discipline to jerk the
head of his mount cruelty and without
reason. Burgess was not a member of
Troop A. Maybe this fling at cavalry
men" had been due to envy.
Even the possibility That Burgess en-
We'd him was balm to Gormley's sore
heart And it he could only plan it so
as to sit by Sylvia on the homeward
journey now mis- cup of joy would be
full. 1t was a mighty bound from the
depths of despair almost to the pima
Gle of bliss in one short half hour. but
Gormley was young, and youth has
hope for a heritage
Insensibly the young man was at
tracted by the beauty of the night
The FURNISHED moon glistened on mil
lions of tinN floatinC frost CRYSTALS I'M