Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1914-11-13

the while that isn't guesswork. /
think that's what want to say. You
won't order me to be a soldier. will
you?"
The father, loath to do this, called In
the assistance of an able pleader then,
Eugene Partow, lately become chief of
stan of the Browns, who was an old,
friend Of the Lanstron family. Partow
turned the balance on the side of filial
affection. He kept watch of the boy,
but without favoring him with influ-
ence. Young Lanstron, who wanted to
see results, had to earn them. He real
lied in practice the truth of PartOw's
saying that there was nothing he had
ever learned but what could be of serv-
ice to him as an officer.
Finding enough work to do" Par
tow would ask with chuckle when
they met in these days; for he had
made Lanstron both chief OF intelli-
gence and chief aerostatic officer.
Young Colonel Lanstron's was the duty
of gaining the secrets of the Gray
staff and keeping those Of the Brown
and organizing up-to-the-moment eff
cheney in the new forces of the air.
He had remarked truly enough that
the injury to his left hand served as
a better reminder against the folly of
wool-gathering than string, even a
large red string, tied around his fin
ger. Thanks to skillful surgery, the
fingers, incapable of spreading much,
were yet serviceable and had firm
grip of the wheel as he rose from the
aeroplane station on the Sunday morn
ing after Marta's return home for a
flight to La Tir.
He knew the pattern weaving under
his feet as one knows that of his own
garden from an overlooking window.
Every detail Of the staff map ravines.
roads, buildings, battery positions. was
stitched together In the flowing reality
Of actual vision. No white posts were
necessary to tell him where the
boundary between the two nations lay.
The line was drawn in his brain.
Now that Lanstron was the organ
| izer of the aviation corps his own
| flights were rare. Mostly they we're
made to La Tir. His visits to Marta
were his holidays. All the time that
| she was absent on her journey around
! the world they had correspondent. Her
letters, so revealing Of herself and her
peculiar angles Of observation, formed
a bundle sacredly preserved. Her
| mothers joking reference about her
girlish resolution not to marry a sol
| der often required to him. There, he
sometimes thought, was the real OBJ
stacle to his great desire.
When he alighted from the plane he
| thrust his eft hand into his blouse
pocket. He always carried it there,
as If 1t were literally sewn in place
In moments of emotion the SCARED
nerves would twitch as the telltale OF
his constituencies; and this was some
thing he would conceal from others nc
matter how conscious he was of it him
self. He found the Galland veranda
deserted. In response to his ring a
maid came to the open door. HeI
face was sad, with beauty that had
prematurely faded. But it lighted
pleasurably in recognition. Her hair
was thick and tawny, lying low over
the brow; her eyes were a softly
luminous brown and her full lips sensi
| tive and yielding. Lanstron, an init
mate of the Galland household, knew
her story we'll and the part that Marta
had played in it..
Some four years previously, when a
baby was in prospect for Minna, who
wore no wedding ring. Mrs. Galland
had been inclined to send the maid tc
an institution, where they will take
good care of her, my dear That's
what such institutions are for. 1t is
quite ecandalous for her and for US
never happened in our family before!'
Marta arched her eyebrows.
We don't knowl" she exclaimed
softly.
How can you think such a thing
| ASS SASS S"Jhh6 ~ yOuJ q otbhdhoA
her mother gasped in indignation.
THAT is, If we go far back" sale
Marta AT all events, we have nc
precedent, so let's establish one by
keeping her."
But for her own sakei She will
have to live with her shameI" Mrs
Galland objected. Let her begin
afresh in the city. We shall give hel
a good recommendation, for she il
really an excellent servant Yes, she
will readily find place among
strangers"
"Still, she doesn't want to go, and II
would be cruel to send her away"
I Cruel! Why, Marta, do you think
l would be cruel? oh. very we'll, the1
we will let her stay!"
Both are away at church. Mrs. Gal
land ought to be here any minute, but
Miss Galland will be later because Of
her children's class" said Minna. "Wil
you wait on the veranda?"
He was saying that he would stroll
in the garden when childish footsteps
were heard In the hall. and after 6
| aurIu head had pnatIad aoafnof fh.