The Washington times., 1938-03-04

up and then down behind a t
that he had killed a German so
He got the same kick out of il
he got shooting rabbits. He
grinned and started to move for
ward. He swung his left leg ir
front of him. Then his right. He
pulled at his left to throw it for
ward again but he couldn't seem
to lift it. A little surprised, he
looked down to see what was hold
ing it. 1t wasn't there. 1t was just
settling into the ground about a
pace behind him. Surprised, he
sat down suddenly to think it over
While he was thinking, he tainted
He had no idea how long he lay
there. 1t may have been a second
It may have been an hour. But
when he came to again, he was
being lifted havenward.
STAN SAVES HIM
He looked up and saw that his
head was lying on the chest OF
Stanley Walzedsky, a crazy Pole
from New York who was his buddy.
Stanley was talking to himself
and to God. Hal didn't know
whether he was praying or cursing.
Above both of them was a queer
sound. 1t sounded as if some one
was striking piece Of iron and
then squealing. It sounded like
"Ping! Wheeee" Hal recognized
the sound. It was that of bullets
in flight. They were under heavy
fire. He tainted again.
When consciousness came back
this time, Stanley was just lower
ing him onto Stretcher. AS he
fell into it, Hal whispered:
Thanks, Stan. You saved my
life"
go to hell" Stanley snarled.
So Hal didn't see any more Of
Stanley for about a year because
he spent all that time in hospitals
in France and New York. He had
q bad time with his leg.
He caught up with his buddy on
a day in the following spring.
Stanley wasn't awfully glad to see
him. He was getting ready to be
married and he told Hal he didn't
want any one-legged man stamp
ing around. Then Stanley grinned
and shook hands with him and
said he wouldn't know how to act
at his own wedding if Hal, his one
legged buddy, wasn't there to see it.
LOVES. STAINS WIFE
Stanley married Polish girl
She was a blonde with hair like
spun gold. Her cheek-boneS were
high and her eyes were long. He1
mouth was a dark-red as a sodden
rose. She walked like queen.
Hal was a gambler. It was In
his cold gray eyes and in his tight
mouth. He was bitter and that
too, was in his face. And he was
in love with Anna, Stanley'S wife
Fondly, he imagined that no one
knew that. And no one did except
Stanley and Anna and, after a
while, little Helen, Anna's daugh
ter.
When Helen came, on a bitter
December night, Hal stayed al
the hospital with Stanley and SUI
fered as much. He went and stooc
with Stanley and looked through
the glass into the room where the
tiny baby lay with Is others. Anc
he watched with awe in his eye!
as the snooty nurse held her uI
and showed her to the two O.
them, And the momnt he saw her
all of Halls love for Anna dice
and was born and grew again ant
now Helen was the dream OF M
life, That night, he and Stanle!
got drunker together than eithe
had ever been before.
That was in 1921 and times wer'
pretty bad.
Hal took about $500 toward tn,
end of the year and sold short
that is, he bought at the marke
price for delivery three month
later. While he waited, the maj
ket zoomed up and his $500 be
came $4,000. Using this as
nut" he went on playing tn
market through the years. Il
1928 he was worth 100000 ant
anybody would have told you h
would be a multi-millionaire Il
1881.
SPENDS ON HELEN
Hal knew he would, too. Blu
It didn't make him foolish. H
was pretty careful of his money
He had only two things he ha
any desire to spend it on. One q
them was Helen. The other was a.
artificial leg which would be S
perfect that you couldn't tell
from a natural one.
It was easy to spend the none
on Helen. You got results fror
it. He bought her every stitch &
clothing she wore. He paid for he
schooling. He was in the habit g
bringing her jewelry, toys, fu
coats, puppies, kittens, handbag
He raised hell in Stanley's ow
house one night about sending he
away to private school.
Listen, you one-legged irol
head!" Stanley yelled at him. "Fc
two pins, I'd bite that other ie
off you. Whose kid do you thin
Helen is, anyway? Mine or yours
And there's an idea !"he said, seer
ing to think it over as he looked :
Anna with a light in his eye