Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1914-09-10
CHAPTER ].
a Speck 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
became mOtionless figures, screening
their eyes with their hands. The new
est and most wonderful thing in the
world at the time was this speck ap-
pearing above the irregular horizon Of
the Brown range, in view of a 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
the nicely of an inch's variation. In
the very direction of the speck's flight
a spur of foothills extended into the
plain that stretched away to the Gray
range, distinct at the distance of
thirty miles in the bright afternoon
light. Faithful to their part in refus-
ing to climb, the white posts circled
around the spur, hugging the levels.
In the lap of the spur was La Tir,
the old town, and on the other side
of the boundary lay South La Tir, the
new town. Through both ran the dusty
ribbon Of road, drawn straight across
the plain and 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 a mountaineering
house overlooking the old town from its
outskirts. They were such a town, such
a road, such landscape as you may
see on many European frontiers The
Christian. people who lived in the re-
gion we're 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, its 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 we're COW
cred with boar frost, she said that the
baron was shiyering; if the wind tore
around the tower, she said that the
baron was groaning over the demo
cratic tendencies of the time On such
a 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
a 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. Gauand
would reply Marta, how your mind
does wander! I'd get a 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
MIN 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, were unaware of their
lineage, had become known as the
Galland tower. The GalIands were
rooted In the soil of The frontier; they
were used to having wars hot breath
blow past their door; they were at
home in the language and customs of
two peoples: theirs was peculiar ira
dition. which Marta had absorbed with
her first breath. Town aud plain and
range were the fist vista of landscape
that she had seen; doubtless they
would be the last
One or two afternoons a week Col
onel Hedworth Westerling, commander
OF the regimental post of the Grays on
the other side of the white posts,
stretched hts privilege of crossing the
frontier and appeared for tea at the
Gallands. 1t meant a pleasant half
hour breaking a long walk, a relief
from garrison surroundings, and in
view of this order, received that morn
ing, this was to be a farewell call.
He had found Mrs Galland an agree
able reflection of an aristocratic past.
The DAUGHTER had what he defined
vaguely as girlish piquancy. He found
it amusing to try to answer her un-
usual questions; he liked the variety
of her inventive mind, with its flashes
Of downright matter-of-factness
Not Gntil tea was served did he men
ton his uew assignment; he was going
to the general staff at the capital. Mrs.
GallaLd murmured her congratulations
in conventional fashion.
Masta,s chair was drawn back from
the table. She leaned forward in a
favoIite position Of hers when she was
intensely interested, with hands
clasped over her knee, which her
mother always found aggravatingly
tompoyish. She had a mass of lustrous
black hair and 3 mouth rather large
in cepose, but capable of changing
curves of emotion. Her large. dark
eyes, luminously deep under long
lashes. If not the rest of her face, had
beauty. Her head was bent, the
OBJECTS TO WOMEN WEEPING