Oakland sunshine., 1915-05-29

a burden to me for years-in fact, ever
since that which first told you of.
For your mother, when ] dared think
of her tcould think of her. / should
say, / never knew anything but love.
| was not so grief stricken when /
heard of her death as / thought ]
should have been. | have loved her
better and been more at peace since
then.
Your father never let me know Of
her death; heard of it from casual
friend So instead of a possible recon-
Citation between your father and me,
thing which / would have almost
welcomed then over her grave, think
L hated him more. They say love can
only turn to hatred. never to friend
ship, and so that chance passed
| It is midnight now.
Well, the next thing | must tell you
is that the man in my regiment whom
I killed was-as they said at the court
martial today-an enemy Of mine.
His name was Williams, and he was
until recently employed In our firm in
comparatively subordinate position.
| He was troublesome, self opinionat-
ed man, of no great value to the busi-
, ness, and not long ago he was gotten
| rid Of, largely at my instigation and
| thoroughly as he deserved.
Il However, he belonged to the militia,
| and when the war broke out he was
| given commission in this regiment.
II / volunteered for service, and l, too,
Il was put into this regiment as private,
| and thus 1t came about that he so soon
| found himself In a position to take his
revenge upon me, and well did he DO
| it, the blackguard That's immaterial
now, but it is necessary that you
l should understand that the whole regi-
ment knew these facts. and knew, too
that although had supported his bul.
lying for long time without mur.
muir it was not unlikely that should
try to get even with him if had al
opportunity.
Our regiment was almost in the
center of the first line the day before
yesterday at the storming of the big
redoubt, and we had had the brunt OF
the fighting all day. The enemy had
thrown up some very strong earth
works in front of the main defenses
and our artillery, aided by the in
fantry, had had lot Of work to dt
in demolishing them and driving th'
enemy from them.
stA hn on rt N work,
twice already and had lost at least
third of our officers and men. / ha(
two minor wounds only.
n The captain of my company, Frank
II lin, was killed in the second assault
and Williams took his place In com
mand.
Then the big assault was ordered ol
weak point in their main defense
where our heavy artillery had made
breach, and we were hurled at 1t, regl
ment upon regiment.
II There was a surge and roar o
4 fighting. One was conscious of nothing
but explosions and shouts and screams
blood everywhere and men struggling
and men fallen. At last / was on tn
slope at the foot of the breach, STUN
il bling over bodies and fighting my wa,
blindly, half -ehoked by smoke am
dust.
H And then suddenly I saw your ia
ther.
II / cannot explain what happene'
/ within me at that moment | was hal
mad and dazed from a wound in tn
head and perhaps half child again
II l cannot explain, but | saw him a
though he were the only man befor
me. Despite all the years since l ha
II last seen him and the state he was In
with blood and CRIME on his face an
H in his grizzled hair, | saw him a
Il though we were at home together Il
the old days.
II 1t was as though vision flashed o.
me and made me unconscious or tn
ghastly holocaust around us. Perhap
n your mother was near.
4 But it was only to be an instant 81
saw me also. and whether the sam
II feelings were in him / do not know
4 but he stood as if turned to stone wit
his gaze full on me.
II The next instant some one in from
Of me and to my right, could not Sc
who it was, dashed forward and burie
sword half its length in his chest.
i can see Georges face now. Hi
jaw dropped, but his eyes RENAME
fixed on me till he fell.
Then l went quite mad, think.
felt choked, and things swan befor
me- / killed that man. do not actua
ly remember how. but men behind N
saw it.
He was Williams, of course, the ma
who killed your father and for whoI
4 am to be shot in an hour or two.
am tired and will stop. have sal
everything. l think.
But am not sorry. l believe abs'
lutely in the hereafter, and l thin
that I shall find Helen and George
] a very little time now.
Goodby, my boy, and God bless yor
Sphere.
III