The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1914-11-27


his rise and she had heard, toe. Things
about him which girl OF tWenty-seVeh
can better understand than glrl Oh
seventeen. His reason for wanting 10
see her he had said was to renew an
old acquaintance" He could have 1T
tie interest in her, and her interest III
him was that he was head of the Gray
army. His work had intimate relation
to that which the Marta of twenty
seven a Marta with mission, had set
for herself.
A page came to tell Westerling that
Miss Galland would be down directly.
When she appeared she crossed the
room with a flowing, spontaneous vital
ity that appealed to him as something
familiar.
Ten years, isn't it, she exclaimed
as she seated herself on the other side
OF the tea-table. And. let me see, you
took two Jumps, if remember"
None now" he said.
DO you find it fattening?" she
asked.
He recognized the mischievous
sparkle Of the eyes, the quizzical turn
of the lips, which was her asset in
keeping any question from being per-
sonal. Nevertheless, he flushed slightly.
"A change of taste" he averred.
Since you've become such great
man. she hazarded. as that too
strong?" This referred to the tea.
No, just right" he nodded
He was studying her with the polite,
yelled scrutiny of man of the world.
A materialist, he would look woman
over as he would soldier when he
had been major-general making an
inspection. She was slim, supple; he
liked slim, supple women. Yes, she
was twenty-seven, with the vivacity Of
seventeen retained, though she were
on the edge of being an old maid &C.
cording to the conventional notions.
Necks and shoulders that happened to
be at his side at dinner, he had found,
when they were really beautiful, were
not ayerse to his glance of appreci-
ative and discriminating admiration of
physical charm. But he saw her
shrug slightly and caught spark from
her eyes that made him vaguely con.
scious of an offense to her sensibili.
ties, and he was wholly conscious that
the suggestion, bringing his faculties|
up sharply, had the pleasure Of novel
sensation.
How fast you have gone ahead"
she said. That little prophecy of
mine did come true. You are chief of
staff"
After a smile of satisfaction he cor
rected her
Not quite; vice-chief-the right
hand man Of His EEcellency. | am a
buffer between him and the heads of
divisions. This has led to the errone-
Gus assumption which l cannot too
.orcibly deny"
He was proceeding with the phrase
olOgy habitual whenever men or wom-
en-, to flatter him, had intimated that
they realized that he was the actual
head of the army. His Excellency,
with the prestige Of a career, must be
kept specifically enjoying the forms
of authority. To arouse his jealousy
might curtail Westerling's actual
power
Yes, yes!" breathed Marta softly,
arching her eyebrows a trihe as she
would when looking all around and
through a thing or when she found
any one beating about the bush. The
little frown disappeared and she
smiled understa 7dingly. "You know
I'm not perfect goose!" she added.
Had you been made chief of staff in
name, too, all the old generals would
have been In the sulks and the young
generals jealous" she continued. "The
one way that you might have the
power to exercise was by proxy"
This downright frankness was an.
other reflection of the old days before
he was at the apex of the pyramid.
NOW 1t was so unusual in his expert.
ence as to be almost a shock. On the
point of arguing, he caught mis-.
chievous, delightful Isn't that so?" in
her eyes, and replied:
Yes. shouldn't wonder if it were!"
Why shouldn't he admit the truth to
the one who had rung the bell of his
secret ambition long ago by .recogniz-
Ing IN him the ability to reach his
goal? He marvelled at her grasp of
the situation.
1T wasn't so very hard to say, was
it," she asked happily, in response to
his smile. Then, her gift of putting
herself in another's place, while she
Strove to look at things with his Dur.
pose and vision, In full play, she went
On IN a different tone. as much to her.
self as to him: you have labored to
make yourself master of mighty or.
You Gid not care for the
You wanted the reality
Of shaping results"
Yes, the results, the power!" he
Fifteen hundred regiments!" she
thoughtfully, looking at a
given pOint rather than at him "Eua