The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1914-09-11
CHAPTER III.
The Second Prophecy.

no SWCOnu TTopHSCys
Marta, when she had received the
note from Westerling. had been in
doubt as to her answer. Her curiosity
to see him again was not Of itself COM
pelling. The actual making of the
prophecy vas rather dim to her mind
until he recalled it. She had heard of
his rise and she had heard, too, things
about him which girl Of twenty-seven
can better understand than girl Of
seventeen. His reason for wanting to
tsee her he had said was to renew an
old acquaintance" He could have lit
tie interest In her, and her interest In
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 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 l 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
mani" she hazarded. "Is that too
lstrong?" This referred to the tea.
mo, 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 a 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 ac- !
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 averse 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 seneibili-
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!"
sbe said. That little prophecy of
mine did come true. You are chief of
staff"
After smile Of satisfaction he cor
rected her.
Not quite; vice-chief-the right
hand man Of His Excellency. am
buffer between him and the heads Of
divisions. This has led to the errone-
Jus assumption which / cannot too
'orcibly deny"
He was proceeding with the phrase
,logy habitual whenever men or wom-
N, to flatter him, had intimated that
hey realized that he was the actual
read of the army. His Excellency,
With the prestige Of a career, must be
Lept soporifcally enjoying the forms
4 authority. To arouse his Jealousy
night curtail Westerling's actual
,ower.
"Yes, yes!" braathed Marta softly,
4rching her eyebrows . trife as she
vould when lOoking all around and
through q thing or when she found
nv one beating about the bush. The
title frown disappeared and she
miled understandingly. "You know
m not perfect goosel" she added.
Had you been made chief Of staff in
Iame, too, all the. old generals would
ave been in the sulks and the young
enerals jealous" she continued. "The
me way that you might have the
over to exercise was by proxy"
This downright frankness was an
ther reflection Of the old daya before
10 was at the apex Of the pyramid.
Tow Il was 80 unusual in his expert
nee as TO be almost shock. On the
oint Of arguing, he caught mis-
delightful "Isn't that soi'' In
er eyes, and replied:
~Yes, ! shouldn't wonder II 1t werel"
why shouldn't be admit the truth to
he ono who had rung the bell of his
ecrps ambition long agO by recogniz- !
q y him the ahllltx Il rsAch his II