Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-05-01
The Daily
Short Storv
THE CHARMED LIYg
BY AlTah Jordan Cartb

big limbed, clumsy in an his moe
ments. One eye had been blinds
youth yet he had q soul cla.. 4
crystal and the gentle uatufe :,
child. VI
The little village OF Grasdan -
his world and he never cared :. "as
beyond its mountain-gusrde5 " .
line. His home was his heaven =.
him Olga, his wife, was an anvs,
beauty despite her work barSo.'l
hands and misshapen form ana ~
two little children, boy ana 80,
freckled faced, healthy rather -
handsome, were cheruDsl A -.
pence earnings a day, meat oncs
week, patched clothing. rude palI...
of straw-these ever present ~.
irradiated with the glory Of full a.
probation and thereafter they wa.
happy
And then, War leaped forth fro.
hell, bent upon a long tran -
death and devastation. Rude clan
ors shook the commonwealth -.
loyal legions of menaced Belgir,-
arose to smite the invading ~
Hugo BAIL kissed his wife, motbs.
and children adieu and Joined n.
ranks to battle for his native LAM
Then back to the village anoths.
and another came. A thousar5
deaths were in their faces and an
poor victory. Then the invasion =
the heatrless foe. and Hugo In n
broken ranks Of his comrades va
sent to France on duty beyond tbs
frontier.
He was agitated and anxlops
when he heard that his native tow
had been invaded by the enemv
Then came dreadful news-a Letter
from a friend at Grasden. Tbs
enemy had sacked the village: they
had burned up his little home. HIs
aged mother had collapsed from The
shock, and brutal soldiers had cm
off the hands Of each of the chill
dren His wife had gone insane and
had died.
Like one demented Hugo BAH
ragged madly for a day and a night
There succeeded a dull lethargy. II
was later when he learned thai his
two little ones with hundreds Of
others had been deported to Amer
lea. His company was abruptly or
dered into action. With fierce say
agery he sought the foe, as il thirst.
ing for blood. He courted situations
of extreme peril but escaped un-
scathed, seeming to lead a charm.
ed life. One day the sergeant came
to the captain of the company:
Il fear for BAIL" he said. Il be-
lieve in one of his wild mental pa
roXysms he Will leave us"
why, he is our best fighter"
Yes, thinking of Butcher Ho-
Tern, who led the attack at Grasden
and who personally ordered the
manning of his children. Day and
night BAIL mutters and raves Of
that fiendish apostle Of 'Kultur,' He
will reach the man yet"
But if Hugo meditated abandon
ing duty TO hunt down the fiend who
had robbed him of home and fam.
lily, circumstances prevented. In a
fierce dash against the enemy an
exploding bomb shattered one limb
and Hugo was a cripple for life.
Limping upon wooden stump, he
was invalided from service. Be
cause he was helpless he was al
lowed TO return to Grasden. That
was Just what he wished, for Col
onel Hollern was there in charge OF
a camp.
Hugo had now but one thought
vengeance against the despoiler Of
his household. 1t would have been
easy for him to have visited the
camp and have ended Hollern with
a pistol shot, but he did not wish
TO kill that fiend until he had him
in a position where he could first
torture hi mand detail his wrongs.
He managed to get enough from
friends to start a little barber shop.
All along he nurtured his dreams
Of vengea nee. Then early one
morning his eyes famed, his breath
came in a hiss, his soul seemed on
fire as Colonel Hollern entered his
little shop. To the arch murderer
BAIL was unknown. He threw him
self into the chair.
"A shave, and let me doze,
growled the great bloated plutocral
drowsy and dull from a night OF
rockies dissipatino.
"Ah-hi" breathed the quiverlng
BAIL. Surely Heaven has deiiY-
cred mine enemy into my hands!
The colonel threw himself BACK
in a comfortable position, his eyes
closed. Swapping like a whiplash'
the keen blade swept the strop
Then bending over his Ylctlm'
pressing back his head and holding
it firmly with one hand Hugo
pressed the razor blade difee-8
across the throat of the bury
brute. Hollern opened his eyes.
Move or speak and l sweep lhs
blade into your throat, hlssvo
BAIL. his burning eyes deyourlns
the being at his mercy. Il am Huso
BAIL 1t was you who Klleu IL
mother and my wife IL was you
who ordered the muulation oil ~
little ones Now your hour nas
come. You fiend incarnate. YOU
ruthless, soulless assassin.
His victim had gulped. paled' a ~,
face convulsed. Then he lay stiis
and white. and then Hugo BAN
knew that he was dead. This wal,
rior. this bold valiant soldier ah9
died craven that he was at soa'
of fright 81
And then Hugo BAIL LETT NE
shop and went to the little gra's
yard where two rude crosses mara
ed the graves OF mother ana WI W.
and then somehow glad that ~
had not been the hand 70 wreaH ~
vengeance. he turned ~
face 10 the west. beginning w
long journey that should bring ~
to the new home. the free nome y