Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1906-05-19
BY THE
"MCr. KEY"
Dk<AHA BY
Michael JaneI

when Rex Burgess had invited the par
ty to pile in"
"Oh, GOrmley can ride on the front
seat with the driver" Burgess had re
piled lightly enough. though Gormley
felt the undCrCurrcnt of malice in his
voice, up near the horses. These gal
liant cavalrymcn like to he about
horses, YOU know"
y January thaw had left the clay
roads liquid, but Il hard freeze follow
ing had reduced them to smooth iron.
and the rumble of the wagon on the
hard surface echoed far through the
brcathlcSS, Elittcring cold of the moon
light
1t was the night of the Grangers'
party ut Mcrrilicld town hall. five miles
from SloCum, and week before Bur
CESS had invited half dozen young
pcopl" of SlOCum to attend. riding over
i'll his sleigh. The thaw had ncccssi-
tatcd the change from sleigh to wagon.
Il wish | hadn't come. wish
hadn't come" beat necessarily in
Gormlcy's brain to the steady clop-clop
of the horses feet Il had no business
to do it, Burgess is boor He never
fOrgctS his money nor remembers his
manners. What got into me, Won
der and much more of the same sort
of self deception, for Gormlcy knew
perfectly why he was Drawing the nip
ping cold and Burgess thruStS. Moth
ing but sudden death could have kept
him away. Sylvia Gerrsh was there
But the joy of being near her was
dashed by the thought that Burgess
was nearer still-bcside 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
mancuvcring. The girl was Il bewitch-
ing little figure, mullied in furS, Co
QucttiSh red tam-o -Shanter setting off
her piquant face and miscellaneous eyes
Burgess had never seen her look pret-
tier, and he glowcd 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 to being reused. He was
laShng himself in bitterness of spirit.
1t had always been so. Fate had made
him the football of Rex Burgess, even
i'll SchooldayS. Burgess was big and
brave and handsome, while he was
slight and pale faced. The boys had
nicknamcd GormIcy 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.
Gormlcy plunged deeper into his mel
ancholy reflections. He. puny clerk in
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 contcmptuous
reference to "cavalrymcn." Frankly,
he admitted it was ridiculous that he,
''Molly" Gormlcy, 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 Gormlcy 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 / ed States cavalry
as he knew the alphabet
They talk of CosSackS and Bedouin
Arabs and Indians and the way these
savageS handle a horse. but the man
who follows the yellow guidOn Is lit
tie the best horScman of them all And
Captain Molly" GOrmlcy. Troop \.
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
gal!opmg horse. Besides the first
qualification of Il 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 ut the sight of
notes of the buglc when Troop 4. 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 y the pride of the national
guard in the two years it had been or
raniZed-gradually lightened the gloom
its. He reflected with considerable COM
fort that Burgess could not ride well.
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 n member of
Troop a. Maybe this fling ut cavalry
men had been due to envy.
Even the possibility that Burgess en-
We'd him was balm to Gormley'S sore
heart And If he could only plan 1t so
as to sit by Sylvia on the homeward
journey now his cup of joy would be
full. 1t was 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 Il heritage.
Insensibly the young man was at
tracted by the beauty of the night
The FURNISHED moon glistened on mil
lions OF tiny floating frost crystals un
til they sparkled like diamond dust
To the westward the black roadway