The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1919-01-10

9 sitting 1t out she met Huston and tn
trouble started. He was dead gone O
!. her and she liked him, so he made ha
] while the sun was shining.
"She didn't exactly turn Ginge
? down, but he was no boob and sa,
how things were, so he eased out Q
: the running, although it almost brok
} his heart; he certainly loved that cir
"This state of affairs widened tn
gap between Huston and Burton. The
hated each other pretty fiercely, bu
Burton never went out Of his way t
show 1t, while Huston took every OF
portunity to vent his spleen. Ginge
saw Betty very seldom, and when h.
did, she was generally accompanied b,
Huston.
"Then the war came; Ginger imme
diately enlisted as private. He coul(
have had a commission, but did no
want to take q chance Of having Il
mix with Huston.
"A few weeks after Ginger's enlist
ment. Huston Joined too-was losing
prestige In Betty's eyes by staying In
multi. He went into the o. T. C.-(of.
ficers' training corps). In seven months
he received his commission and was
drafted to France. Ginger had been
out three months.
"Befole leaving, Huston proposed to
Betty and was accepted. BY one of
| the many strange condolences that
happen In this world Huston was sent
to the battalion and company that Gin
ger was in and was put In command
of Ginger's platoon. Then things hap
pened.
"Ginger could hardly believe his eyes
when he first saw Huston and knew he
was to be his platoon commander. He
knew he was In for 1t good and
plenty.
'@That night Huston sent for Ginger
and had talk with him. Tried to make
him believe that he harbored no ami
mostly. detailed him as mail orderly,
the first act of campaign Of petty
cruelty. By being mail orderly Ginger
would have to handle Betty's letters to
Huston and Huston's letters to her.
Ginger saw through 1t Immediately
and his hate burned stronger. From
that night on it was one indignity aft
er another, just a merciless persecu-
ton, but Ginger never complained;
just stored up each new act and swore
vengeance.
ut came to such a pass that Gin
ger could bear 1t no longer; he decided
to kill Huston and only waited for a
favorable opportunity to present itself.
I think 1t was only his love for Betty
which had held him back so long; he |
couldn't bear the thought of her griev- |
ing for her dead lover.
Zone night, in the fropt-Iine trench,
orders were received that after an
hours intense bombardment of the en-
emy's lines the company would go over
the top at four-thirty the next morning.
was to go over with the first
wave, while Ginger was in the second.
Here was his chance.
"All that night he crouched on the
fire step, musing and brooding, nursing
his revenge. He prayed to Betty to
forgive him for what he was going to
do.
"After the bombardment the next
morning over went the first wave, q
line Of bayonets and madly cheering
men. Ginger only saw one in that
,rowd; his eyes never left Huston. His
niger twitched and caressed the trig-
ger of his rife-his long-looked-for op-
had come.
'The first wave had gone about six
y yards when Ginger let out a curse.
huston had been hit and was down,
nd he saw his revenge slipping /,
through his fingers. But no, Huston
vas not dead; he was trying to rise to
is feet; he was up. hopping on one .
eg, with the blood pouring from the ,
Their. Then he fell again, but was .
DON sitting up bandaging his wounded
sg, using a tourniquet from his first
Id packet.
"A surge Of unholy joy ran through
niger. Lifting the safety latch ON his
file. unheeding the rain of bullets !.
'hich were ripping and tearing the ;
parapet about him, he :
,ok deliberate aim at Huston. Then
e saw a vision of Betty, dressed In
ack, with tear-stained eyes. With
curse Ginger threw the rifle i
ON him, climbed over the parapet
nd raced across No Mans land. No Y
It Of his should bring tears to Betty's u
own eyes. He would save her worth {
SIS lover and then get killed himself
didn't matter.
Reaching Huston he Missed at him L
,amn you, 1 was going to kill you,
1t I won't. I'll carry you back to
city. But always remember it was
e man you robbed who saved your Il
orthless life, you despicable skunk is
illusion murmured: Forgive me, Il
urton, but for Gods sake get me out "
this. I'll be killed-for Gods sake, II
an, hurry, hurryr Il
That's 1t, is it7 Whine, damn you, II
hine! It's music to my ears, Lieu a
nant Huston begging "bally bound n
T" for his life, and the bounder giving n
to him. / would TO God that Betty 81
uld see and hear you now Ct
with that Ginger stopped and, by