Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1914-09-13
CHAPTER /.
A Sneck in the Sky.

A Speck in the Sky.
It was Marta who first saw the speck
in the sky. Her cutlery and her bound
from her seat at the teatable brought
her mother and Colonel Westerling
after her onto the lawn, where they
hecpme naotionless figures, screening
their eyes with their hands. The new
est and most wonderful thing in the
world at the time was this speck ap-
nearing above the irregular horizon of
the Brown range, in view Of land
scape that centuries of civilization had
fortified and cultivated and formed.
At the base of the range ran line
Of white stone posts, placed by inter-
national commissions of surveyors to
tho nicely of an inch's variation. In
The very direction of the speck's fight
3 spur of foothills extended iAto the
plain that stretched away to the Gray
thirty miles in the bright afternoon
light. Faithful to their part in refus-
ing to climb, the white posts circled
around TIE spur, hugging the levels.
In the lap of the spur was La Tir,
the cid town, ana on the other side
of the boundary lay South La Tir, the
new town. Through both ran the dusty
ribbon of read, drawn straight across
the plain ard over the glistening
thread Of a river. On its way to the
pass of the Brown range it skirted the
garden Of the Gallands, which rose in
terraces to mountaineering
house overlooking the old town from its
outskirts. They were such town, such
road, such landscape as you may
see on many European frontiers. The
Christian people who lived in the re-
gion were like the Christian people
you know if you look for the realities
of human nature under the surface diff
ferences Of language and habits.
Beyond the house rose the ruins Of a
castle, it's tower still intact Marta al
ways referred to the castle as the
baron; for in her girlhood she had a
way of personifying all inanimate
things. If the castle walls were COW
cred with hoar frost, she said that the
baron was shivering; if the wind tore
around the tower, she said that the
baron was groaning over the demo-
cratic tendencies of the time. On such
summer afternoon as this, the baron
was growing old gracefully, at peace
with his enemies.
Centuries older than the speck in
the sky was the baron; but the pass
road was many more, countless more,
centuries older than he. 1t had been
trail for tribes long before Roman
legions won victory in the pass,
which was acclaimed an imperial tri-
umph. To hold the pass was to hold
the range. All the blood shed there
would make red river, inundating the
plain.
Beside the old baron, we are par.
venus" Marta would say. And what
a parvenu the baron would have been
to the Roman aristocrat!"
"Our family is old enough-none
older in the province!" Mrs. Galland
would reply. Marta, how your mind
does wander! I'd get headache just
contemplating the things you are able
to think of in five minutes"
The first Galland had built a house
on the land that his king had given
him for one of the most brilliant feats
of arms in the history of the pass.
Even the tower, raised to the glory
Of an older family whose descendants
If any survived, We're unaware of their
lineage, had become known as the
Galland tower. The Gallands were
rooted in the soil Of the frontier; they
were used to having wars hot breath
blow past their door; they were a
home in the language and customs O
two peoples; theirs was a peculiar ira
dition, which Marta had absorbed Will
her first breath. Town and plain ant
range were the first vista of landscap,
that she had seen; doubtless the,
would be the last.
One or two afternoons a week Col
onel Hedworth Westerling, commando
of the regimental post of the Grays OF
the other side of the white posts
stretched his privilege of crossing tn
frontier and appeared for tea at tn
Gallands. 1t meant a pleasant halt
hour breaking a long walk, relic
fpom garrison surroundings, and il
view of the order, received that morn
ing, fhis was to be a farewell call
He had found Mrs. Galland an agree
abie refection Of an aristocratic past
The. daughter had what he define
vaguely as girlish piquancy. He foun
it amusing to try to answer her III
usual questions; he liked the variet
Of, her inventive mind, with its aashe
Of downright matter-of-factness.
Not until tea was served did he mel