Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-08-05

~. osn ride on the front sea
Az .irsr" Burgess had replied
~ IN though Gormley felt TIL
~ pa 81 malice in his voice, 'ul
tf .ea These gallant cavalry
'in NJ about horses, you. know
n ,.w had left the clay road
,0i eaoel' hsrd freeze Following haC
Y. " by 10 smooth iron, and Tho
" ,%ne % reaon on the hard surface
81. e ~, ,btoueh the breathless, gilt.
IA of the moonlight
" ~ night Of the Changers party
~ ~ ssid Town Hail. five miles from
i'F'i.S ~ week before Burgess had
~ hstf dozen young people OF Slo.
.nsnd. riding over In his sleigh.
" M had necessitated the change
a sieh to wagon
"a hadn't come, wish l hadn't
r r' ~ incessantly in Gormiey's
= ~ steady ciop-clop Of the
Z II had no business to do
y s I. boor. He never forgets
y SUE Ar remembers his manners.
{. aonsl ~ me. wonder7" and much
\ g. p same sort Of self-deception,
!. o. knew perfectly why he was
eol"6 6 nipping cold and Burgess
4 #avne eshing but sudden death could
Y iIm away. Sylvia Gerrish was
J. Se s4 he joy Of being near her was
/ ne thought that Burgess was
!. Il-beside her, In fact. To se-
I a,i coveted place their host had
: srssfed his rival to the front seat.
,A, man with red blood in his veins
[ s srreIy blame Burgess for his
,,lnr The girl was n bewltch-
,s.is denre, muffled in furs, a coquet-
"a iom-o' '-shanter setting off her
nce and mischievous eyes.
,,.srhlle the sweet-tempered Gorm-
KY seliire almost too submissive, was
4 being reused. He was lashing
.9 n bltterness of spirit. 1t had
-,,s been 30. Fate had made him the
al of Rex Burgess, even in school
burgess was big and brave and
ss..ma while he was slight and pale
nv boys had nicknamed Gormley
fsiss because once he had tainted at
SAbf of blood. Burgess father was
ssslthlest man in Slocum, and every
a, # ihe money would one day belong
~ for he was the only child.
e.mfdless OF the merry chatter and the
slihes u song from the others, CORN
aspked deeper into his melancholy
Hafsions. He, puny clerk in a dry
"a store, to aspire to Sylvia Gerrish's
\ afainst one so favored of gods and
n q Burgessl
In 1heets burned, too, when he thought
"a lk oihef's contemptuous reference to
.snlumen.p Frankly, he admitted, it
n lldiculous that he, Molly" Gormley,
#snH have martial aspirations. Yet when
slata military board had offered Slo-
4. he squlpment for troop of cavalry
ths National Guard, Gormley had been
,nmously chosen captain. And he was
ran for the place. He could ride: il
always been the sport in which he
tsl,6 he knew the monkey" drill of
United States cavalry as he knew the
bhahsk
ihey uik Of Cossacks and Bedouin
abs and Indians, and the way these
wages handle horse. but the man who
lows the yellow guidon is a little the
Il honeman OF them all. And Captain
folly Gormley, Troop A, First Cavalry,
BE Troops, RODE like a regular, whether
tie saddle, barebacked over the hurdles
sanding. each foot planted firmly on
back Of a galloping horse. Besides |
first qualification OF a cavalryman, he |
the other requisite for an officer. the |
Of command, and even West Point |
ht teach that
Ten the possibility that Burgess en-
him was balm to Gormley's sore
Iift And II he could only plan It so |
+ % ait by Sylvia on the homeward jour-
now. his cup of Joy would be full. |
s& q mighty bound from the depths |
taspaif almost to the pinnacle OF bliss
ns short half hour, but Gormley was
ang and youth has hope for a heritage.
lhi'nse'y the young man was attracted
'he esaaty of the night. The bur-
NED moon glistened on millions of tiny
Ai1g most crystals until they sparkled
diamond dust. To the westward the
fk TosdWay unroiled before them like
velvet ribbon. Beaver Creek crossed
'nfath / 100 yards away. From the
iand BORDERING the creek the road had
2 graded to height OF so feet, and
snpankment was narrow, steep and
1tsioaA railing on each side hedged
ne roadway.
|eAsal nothing was visible below that
'l& A mist, white and soft as cotton
~ rese from the swampy low ground
lohea IN noiseless pillows to the
'shI Of the road. The advance of the
''snng wagon and its occupants into
AeaFlng white silence seemed almost
.Ains. II was as a sea which might
and engulf them.
M Others were similarly impressed,
1oaid seem, for the talk was some
n seeler The team, after three miles
-''s movement. was getting warmed
danced spiritedly. The driver
!. fresh grip of the relns, for care
"olA was needed, especially at night,
'.es4'ng Beaver Creek flats. He pulled
.ssp 70 bring the horses to a walk,
atqnsed backward suddenly. The right
nlc broken near his hand,
~. tohowed for the first paralyzed
., vas IKE a scene from q horrld
y Sormley There was a con-
W q shouts and shrieks from the :
w ooA behind. The horses were
~ g the left OF the road by the :
= one sound rein, to which the
n rn eiung stupidity. They plunged
w " railing; IL cracked, then gave :
,sneaeh their weight. The nigh"
80 partially on the road, scramb-
l'rs-h sh,esaleV with its hind feet on A
I'm : Gus side OF the embankment,
,,-.. ne relentless rein, dragging al =
f6s-sa M animals bits, Lmpelied them
Ne edge Of the road A
eofmley saw the cnly course
M y. save them. the girl he loved :
49,. e.e- There was no time TO .
1A and reach the bits; he might
IA T. oy jumping. but Sylvia, p
~ nc oox. would be rolling over
!, 80 plteous DISAGREEMENT or =
a,.. 70 ltF he shouted fierceiy at
e+ and the latter instinctively
- e grasp on the line. n
es,a scrambled over the footboard
y h tongue OF the wagon. He 2
dirs-sz astride the on horse. A y
a - iunge with his right hand =
nsos = broken rein. ana the same
n = "fenehed the animals head g
.4ss ne right Leaning far cut,
{ ~ ~ ether struggling animal q
81 ~ith his left hand, ana pulled
!, ~ strength. The hoofs of ne q.
as.sa struck nre from the em-
-. sese. Fer an instant the whole p