The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1900-09-27
On the Triggers Pull
Bs Gwcndelen Overton.

sort or another when a woman
meddlcs with those things which do
not concern her sex.
Obviously. carbines wcre none Of
Miss Miyarts concern. n she felt that
she had to play with firearms she
should have kept to Fiobcrt rifles.
Nothing would do, however, but that
she must learn TO shoot n carbiue,
and the result was that the whole
post rose up and cut Burton, TO y
msn; so that there was no peace for
him any longer in that regiment. and
he had to seek transfer to another.
There were other results. also. but
they come later on.
Some thought that what Miss Mivart
did was done on purpose, and some
thought that u was "a piece Of idiotic
Stiffness. The latter based their ar.
gument upon the general frivolous
ness OF her ways, and upon the inno-
cency Of her round, blue eyes. The
former held to the belief that Miss
Miyart was one Of those women favor
ties OF Fortune who look greater fools
than they are. They said, with n GER
tain show of reason, that Georgia
Mivnrt was u child of the service and
not AN importation from civil life.
She had been born In II garrison. and
had played with rows of empty. green
trimmed cartridge shells at an age
when most little girls play with paper
dolls. She had hummed snatchcs of
the bugle calls before she could talk,
and the person she had admired the
most and obeycd the best for the first
dozen years OF her life had been
kreutzcr, Capt. Mivart's tow headed
striker. A few years OF boarding.
school back east could not have oh.
liberated all that.
Besides, the veriest civilian. who has
never come nearer to n carbinc than
10 watch Fourth Of July militia pa.
rade. might reasonably be expected
to know by intuition that in n target
practice competition every trigger has
got Ia pull just SO hard, whatever the
regulation number or fraction OF
pounds may be. Otherwise, II Is plain
that the nearer you come To "a hair
trigger the better your aim will be.
However, whether Miss Mivart was
fully aware OF what she was doing. no
body ever knew. unless perhaps II was
Grevillc-nnd he. like Iulcika, never
told. But Burton had bad time OF H.
and all his beautiful score went for
worse than nothing at all.
There was n target practice compc-
tition going on ut the post; not one
which was of any interest TO the
service. or even tn the department at
large: just n little local affair. devised
to keep up the esprit de corps of the
troops and TO tighten the monotony
of life. There were three contests,
pne for troops and companies, as
such: one for individual privates and
,ne for the officers. This last was
- finish OFT. and then there was to be
big hop.
Everyone knew from the first. when
burton and Grcvillc shot with their
.roops. that the officers competition
Souid lie between them. This made
interesting In more ways than one.
because the rivalry was not confined
~ the tnrgct range. but extended to
he winning Of Miss Mivart's hand and
icnrt. aud everyone believed that this
would settle n matter she did not
appear to be nble to settle for herself
Not that she was to blame for that
Anyone. even a person much more
certain of her own mind than Miss
Mivart was, would have been put to IL
To choose.
They were both first lieutenant
and both cavalry men. and both good
10 look upon. Burton was fair and
i;reyille was dark. but she had no
fixed prcjudices regarding that. She
had often said 10. Also. both were
M muci, in love with her M even
she could have wished. and were more
than willing that all the world should
see h-than which nothing is more
pleasant and soothing 10 a right mind
I'd woman.
The rifle contest lnstcd ten days,
during " hich time the air bumnied with
the ping and sing OF bullets over on the
range. and with the call of the mark
FRS In the rihe-pits. Only scores and
reeords and bets were thought and
dnlked about.
Miss Mivart herself had bet. with all
The daring wickednrss Of n kitten teas.
ng "A beetle. She even went 80 far
~ to bet on both Burton and Greyille
II once. The adjutant undertook to
explain TO her that that WAS called
hedging" and was not looked upon as
altogether sporty. Miss Mivart was
,urt. Was II really dishonest. she
wanted to know. The adjutant felt
.hat he had been unkind. He hnstencd
% assure her that Il was not-not
dishonest In the least; only that il took
away from the excitement of the thing
90 certain extent. Miss Mivart smiled
aud shook her head. No, she didn't
think that II did, because, of course.
she knew herself which one she wanted
to have win. The adjutant admitted
that that might possibly be Just as
interesting for herself and the fortu-
nate man. And which was he. 10 he
might ask. Miss Miyart shook her
head and smiled again. No, she didn't
think he might ask. As the man him
self didn't know, she could hardly tell
anyone else just yet, could she? She
had her own ideas about fair play.
II can shoot carbine myself" she
told the adjutant. with her left chin
proudly raised; land my shoulder is
all black and blue. Mr., Burton Is teach
ing me-"
"Oh!" said the adjutant, "and what
does Greville think about that?" The
ndjutant was married, SO he was out OF
the running.
"Mr. Greville is teaching me. too"