Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1914-11-25
CHAPTER xI-continusd.

CHAPTER xI-continued.
She was at the door Of her mothers
room, which was like an antique shop.
Old plates lay on top of old tables.
with vases on the floor under the
tables. Surrounded by her treasures.
Mrs Galland awaited the attack: not
as a soldier awaits II. but as that ven
cradle Roman senator OF the story
faced the barbarous Gauls-neither
disputing the power Of their spears
nor yielding the self-respect of his own
mind and soul. She had lain down in
her wrapper for the night, and the
Hight from a single candle-she still
fayored candles-revealed her features
calm and philosophical among the pill
lows. Yet the magic Of war. reaching
deep into hidden emotions. had her
also under it's spell Her voice was at
once more tender and vital
Marta, | see that you are all on
wires!"
Yes; jangling wires, every one,
gang tftAg httDuu 0hA vi AuAtt
Marta acqulesced.
Marta, my father''-her father had
been a premier OF the Browns--"al-
ways said that you may enjoy the lux
ury of fussing over little things, for
they don't count much one way OF an
other. but about big things you must
never fuss or you will not be worthy
of big things. Marta, you cannot stop
q railroad train with your hands This
is not the FIRST war on earth and we
are not the first women who ever
thought that war was wrong. Each
o. US aias his work to do ard you viii
have yours. II does no good to tire
yourself out and fly to pieces. even II
you do know so much and have been
around the world"
Sh smiled as woman OF sixty,
who has secret heart break that she
had never given her husband a son,
may smile at daughter who is both
son and daughter TO her. and her
plump hand. all curves like her plump
face and her plump body, spread open
tD appeal.
Marta, who. in the breeding Of her
generation. felt sentiment as more or
less OF lure from logic. dropped be-
side the bed in sudden burst OF sen.
timent and gathered the plump hand
in hers and kissed It.
Mother. you are wonderful" she
said Mother. you are great"
After a time, her ear becoming &C
customed to the firing as a city dwell
ler's to the distant roar OF city traf.
fic. Mrs. Galland slept But Marta
could not follow her advice. II. tran
silently at least, she had found some.
thing OF the peace OF the confessional.
the vigor of youth was In her arteries;
and youth cannot help remaining
awake under some conditions. She
tiptoed across the hall into her own
room and seated herself by the win
dow. The symbol Of what the ear
had heard the eye saw~-war, working
I'm tones OF the landscape BY day with
smokeless powder; war, revealed by
fits tongues OF fame MT night. Ugly
bursts of fire from the higher hills
spread TO the heavens like an aurora
borealis and broke their messengers
N sheets of fame over the lower hills
the batteries Of the Browns sprin
King death about the heads OF the
Eunners Of the Grays emplacing their
batteries. Staocato flashes from a
single point counted SO many bullets
from an automatic which directed by
the beams Of the search-lights. found
their targets In sections Of ADVANCING
snfantry. nm crests, set of with
flashes running back and forth. de
Ynarked infantry lines OF the Browns
assisting the automaucs.
There were lulls between this
crashes Of the small arms and tn,
heavy. throaty speech OF the guns
iuns that seemed to say that bott
sides had paused for breathinl
spell: lulls that allowed the battle il
the distance 10 be heard in its perva
sive undertone. In one Of them, wheI
even she uudertoue had ceased for ,
few seconds, Marta caught family tn,
groans of wounded man---one Of thu
crew OF Gray dirigible burned b,
an explosion and brought In his agon.
softly to earth by q billowing piece O
envelope which acted as 8 parachute
Fighting proceeded in La Tir Il
stages Of ferocity and blank silence
The upper part OF the town. whic
the Browns still held. was in dari
ness; the lower part, where the Gray
were, was Illuminated
Another one of Lanny's plansl
thought Marta. He would have ther
work in the light. while we FIRE ou
OF obscurity!"
Soon all the town Was in darkness
fer the Grays Lad cut the wire in tn
man conduit shortly after she ha