The spectator., 1919-03-28

1 her to see a football game at the col lege; he was playing on the team. so | she had to sit it out alone. During this | 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 fiercely, but Burton never went out of his way to show it. while Huston took every op- 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- datcly enlisted as private. He could have had a commission, but did not want to take chance of having to mix with Huston.
 "A few weeks after Cincer's enlist ment, Huston joined too-waS losing prestige in Bctty's eyes by staying in multi. He went into the Q. T. C.-(of- ficers' training corps). 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 coincidenceS that happen in this world Huston was sent to the battalion and company that Gin ger was in and was put in command of Gingers platoon. Then things hap pened.
 'Ginger could hardly believe his eyes when he first saw Huston and knew lie was to be his platoon commander. .He plenty.
 ''That night Huston sent for Ginger and had a talk with him. Tried to make him believe that he harbored no ani- mostly. detailed him as mail orderly, the first act of a campaign of petty NiuNitS- DS bVluS, ibaIt oIttitS NIIIlScT would have to handle Betty's letters to Huston and Illusions letters to her. Ginger saw through if immediately and his hate burned stronger. From that night on it was one indiSnity aft CT another, just a merciless persecu- tion, but Ginger never complained; just stored up each new act and swore vengeance.
 "It came to such pass that Gin ger could bear it no longer; he decided to kill Huston and only waited for a favorable opportunity to present itself. I 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.
 "One night, in the front-line trench, orders were received that after an hours intense bcmbardment 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 breeding, nursing his revenge. He prayed to Betty to forgive him for what he was going to do.
 After the bombardmcnt the next morning over went the first wave, line of bayonets and madly cheering men. Ginger only saw one in that crowd his eyes never left Huston His finger twitched and CareSscd the triG- ger of his ritic-his long -looked-for op- portunity had come.
 ''The first wave had gone about six ty yards whei. Ginger let out curse Huston had been hit and was down. and he saw his revenge slipping through his fingers. But no. Huston was not dead; he was trying to rise to his feet; he was up, hopping on one leg, with the blood pouring from the other. Then he fell again. but was soon sitting up bandagng his wounded leg. using a tourniquet from his first aid packet.
 "A surge of unholy joy ran through Ginger. Lifting the safety latch on his iiit, uhtctuiHS iuc Iilu tl buliclS which were ripping and tearing the sand-bagged parapet about him, he took deliberate aim at Huston. Then he saw vision of Betty, dressed in black, with tear-Staincd eyes With q muttercd curse Ginger threw the rifle from him. climbed over the parapet and raced across No Mans land. No act 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.
 "Reachlng Huston he missed at him :: Damn you, 1 was going to kill you. but I won't. I'll carry you back to Betty. But always remember it was the man you robbed who saved your worthless life, you despicable skunk ?
 Huston murmured: Forgive me. Burton but for Gods sake get me out