Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-01-20

old Bill! sald the boy, witt
quivering lips. ooh, amt this war g
horrible business! 1 don't want any
more Of their Did fghting!"
He had stood the pain of his owr
wound without a whimper, but the sight
of his friends bloody face was toe
much for overweight nerves. He broke
down and sobbed like a child.
"Brace up, Kid. Perhaps it amt as
bad as it looks said the stranger.
"Oh, that's all right for you to say, ,
answered the boy. "What is it to youi
But he was my pardner, and I care
something about it"
The arms Of the stranger gripped his
burden convulsively. He turned a say.
age face upon the boy.
"Shut up, you fooll' he said, then
added in a different voice: "Give me a
lift with your good arm, will you?
feel kinder SICK"
The Kid took his friends feet under
his arm, while the stranger supported
the shoulders.
So they staggered on until they came
to the field hospital.
There they laid the wounded man
down with all possible tenderness. The
Kid went to hasten a surgeon.
As Bill touched the earth his ayes
opened, ~vacantly at first, but with grad
allyincreasing intelligence, fury gath
ering in them the while, until they
bsnt upon the stranger with absolute
ferocity.
The other gazed steadily at him.
"You here, you black hearted dog!"
at last said Bill between his teeth. "If
I could raise a hand, I'd kill you'll"
"Will you listen to me a minute?"
answered the other. II only ask you
for a little time, and every word shall
be the Gods truth"
A weakness swept across the wounded
man. Life lost its intensity. He nodded
YEARLY.
"Well, Bill, " said the stranger in o
halting, abrupt fashion, II was a bad
lot-there amt any doubt of it-and
that my feelings toward Sally were
wrong I amt going to deny, but don't
be too hard on the girl. 1t was all my
fault. I led her along so quiet and easy
that she didn't suspect ME. That she
didn't understand right away is true,
too; but, Bill, we're all human, and
you know / had the trick of pleasing
women. As God is my witness, Bill, it
didn't 60 as far as you think. Then,
and when she understood fully, she
wouldn't let me SO much as touch her
hand. Still she felt, poor little soul,
that she was to blame in the matter,
and she worked and talked to me to
show me what an awful thing we'd
done. She brought up bow good you'd
been to both of us until / saw-I saw.
"Then I enlisted right away-that's
the reason I came down hereto see if
I couldn't get out of it all in a decent
sort Of way, for I am sick Of myself
dead sick. And, Bill, I'll never go back
Il feel 1t in my bones, but even if /
should I couldn't trouble you any more,
for the girl gave it UP Of her own free
will, which amt a little thing on this
earth, where none Of us is angels. /
might change again-I know it new
er was either good or bad long at a time
but Sally is a different kind. You'll
never have cause to doubt her again.
that's sure"
The wounded man looked at him with
sad eyes.
"You always were a liar" he said
simply.
"That's SO; that's 80, assented the
other eagerly. "But not this time, Bill.
I wish I could tell with my dying
breath, then you couldn't help but be-
lieve me-"
The words had hardly left his mouth
when there was a ripping sound in the
bush, instantly followed by a sharp
A piece of cloth leaped from
the strangers breast. A fountain Of
blood spurted after it.
His eyes were filed with wonder. He
stood erect-so-for a fraction of time;
the muscles gave way, and he
came crashing to earth. A second later
be raised himself upon his elbow, strug-
with the hurry and confusion Of
his mind. He fixed his dimming eyes
upon his enemy, ~gasping:
"I'm gone Bill-all true-so help
,ne-Godl Forgive
And be was dead.
Bill covered his eyes with his hands.
The vengeance which we gloat OVER
looks horrible when worked by other
hands. The bitterness left his soul, and
a great pity took it's place.
"Oh, Lord" he prayed, "send mo
back to my little girlr'-Criterion.