Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1919-01-17

wasn't.
Burton was engaged-or thought
he was-to a pretty fine girl by the
name of Betty. She thought Burton,
! or Ginger as she called him, was the
finest thing out. One day Ginger took
her to see football game at the col
lege; he was playing on the team, so
she had to sit it out alone. During this
Sitting it OUT she met Huston and the
trouble started. He was dead gone on
her and she liked him, so he made hay
while the sun was shining.
'She didn't exactly turn Ginger
down, but he was no boob and saw
how things were, so he eased out of
the running, although it almost broke
his heart; he certainly loved that girl.
''This state of affairs widened the
gap between Huston and Burton. They
hated each other pretty fercely, but
Burton never went out of his way to
show it, while Huston took every OPP
pOrtunity to vent his spleen. Ginger
saw Betty very seldom, and when he
did, she was generally accompanied by
Huston.
'"Then the war came; Ginger imme
diately enlisted as a private He could
have had commission, but did not
want to take chance of having to
mix with Huston.
"a few weeks after Ginger's enlist
ment, Huston joined too-was losing
prestige in Betty's eyes by staying in
mufti. He went into the 0. II. C.-(of-
ficers' training CORPSE. In seven months
he received his commission and was
drafted to France. Ginger had been
out three months.
Before 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 it good and
plenty.
s'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 it 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 pass that Gin
ger could bear it no longer; he decided
to kill Huston and only waited for
favorable opportunity to present itself.
think it 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 front-line trench,
orders We're received that after an
hOnr's intense bombardment of the en-
emy's lines the company would go over
the top at fOur-thirty the next morning.
Huston 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
line of bayonets and madly cheering
mep. Ginger only saw one in that
crowd; his eyes never left Huston. His
finger twitched and caressed the trig-
ger Of his rifle-his long-looked-for op-
portunity had come.
"The first wave had gone about six
ty yards when Ginger let out a curse.
Huston had been hit and was down,
and he saw his revenge slipping
through his fingers. But no, Huston
WAS rot dead he was trying to rise to
his feet he was Up, hopping on one
Leg, with the piO0d pouring from the
other. Then he fell again, but was
soon sitting Up bandagipg bis wounded
leg. using q toHFaiquet from his first
aid packet.
"A surge of Hnholy joy ran Through
Ginger. Lifting the safety latch on his
rifle, unheeding the rain OF bullets
which were ripping and tearing The
sand-bagged parapet about him, he
took deliberate aim al Huston linen
he saw vision Of Betty, dressed in
black, with tear-stained eyes. With
muttered curse Ginger threw the rifle
from him, climbed over the parapet
and raced across No Mans land. No
aet OF his should bring tears to Betty's
brown eyes. he would save her worth
less lover and then get killed himself
it didn't matter.
Reaching Huston he Kissed at him:
Damn you, was going to kill you,
but Won't. I'll carry you back to
Betty. By always remember it was
the man yoa robbed Wh9 saved your
worthless life, yeu desspR iitcaabblle skunk ?
Huston murmured; tFafgiye me,