Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1914-12-31


there must be great risks.
I'VE prepare for the movement,
your excellency." answered Turcas.
1t was a steel harness of his own
Will that Westerling wore, without ad-
uniting that it CALLED him, and he laid
it of only in Marta's presence. With
her, his growing sense of isolation had
the relief Of companionship She be-
came kind OF mirror of his egoism
and ambitions. He liked to have her
thlnk or him as great man unTuf1ed
among weaker men. In the quiet and
seclusion Of the garden, invoIuntarily
as one who has no confidant speaks
TO himself, reserving fortitude for his
part before the staff, while she, under
the spell Of her purpose, silently, with
serene and wistfuIly listening eyes,
played hers, he outlined how the final
and telling blow was to be struck
We must and we shall win!" he
kept repeating.
Through a rubber disk held to his
ear in the closet of his bedroom a
voice, tremuIous with nervous fatigue,
was giving Lanstron news that all his
aircraft and cavalry and spies could
not have gained; news worth more
than score of regiments; news fresh
from the lips of the chief of staff of
the enemy. The attack was to be
made at the right of Engadir, it's CEN
ter breaking from the redoubt manned
by Fracasse's men.
Marta, you geniusi" Lanstron cried.
You are the real generali You
Not that, pleased" she broke in.
I'm as foul and depraved as a dealer
IN subtle poisOns in the middle agesi
Oh, the shame of it, while look into
his eyes and feign admiration feign
everything which will draw out his
plans! can never forget the sight
of him as he told me how two or three
or four hundred thousand men were
to be crowded into ram, as he called
it-a ram of human f1eshl-and guns
enough in support, he said, to tear any
redoubts to pieces; guns enough to
make their shells as thick as the bull
lets from an automatic!"
We'll meet ram with ram! Well
have some guns, tool" exclaimed Lam
stron. Wen send as heavy shell
fire at their infantry as they send into
our redoubts
Don't. It's. too like Westerling. It
has become too trite!" she protested.
THE endi If l really were helping
toward that and to save lives and our
country to its people, what would my
private feelings matter? My honor,
my soul-what would anything mat
ter? For that, anx sacrifice. I'm
only one human being-a weak, luna
tic sort of one, just row."
Marta, don't suffer so! You are
overweight. YOU"
81 can say all that for you, Lanny,'
she interrupted with the faintest laugh.
I've said it so many times to myself.
Perhaps when call you up again |
shall not be so hysterical."
Lanstron was not thinking of war or
wars combination when he hung I'D
IlAC lCNCif OAs IL 0Oi1lCs UlOIIlGIIS
before he returned to the staff room
and then he had mastered his emo
ton. He was the soldier agair,.
An hour or so before the attack the
telegraph instruments i'll the GalIand
house had become pregnanfiy silent
| There We're no more orders to give;
no more reports to come from the
troops in position until the assault was
made. Officers of supply ceased to
! transmit routine matters over the wire
while they strained their eyes toward
the range. Officers of the staff moved
about restlessly, glancing at their
! watches and going to the windows FIRE,
quently to see if the mist still held
No one entered the library where
WesteTling was seated alone with
| nothing to do. His suspense was that
of the mothers who Ionged for news
of their sons at the front; his helpless.
ness that of a man in hospital lobby
waiting on the result of an operation
whose success or failure will save or
wreck his career. The physical desire
OF movement, the conflict with some.
thing in his own mind, drove him out
of doors.
Westerling was rather pleased with
the fact that he could still smile;
pleased with the loyalty of younger
officers when, day By day, the staff
had grown colder and more me-
chanical in the attitude that com.
pleted his isolation. Walking vigor-
ousIy along the path toward the tower
the exercise of his muscles, the feel
of the cool, moist air on his face
brought back some of the buoyancy of
spirit that he craved A woman's fig
ure, with cape thrown over the shout.
ders and the head bare, doomed out OF
| the mist
q couldn't stay in-not tonight"
Marta said as Westerling drew near
Il had to see. It's only quarter of
an hour now, isn't it?'
She seemed so utterly frail and
distraught that Westerling, in an i'm
| pulse of protection, laid his hand on
her relaxed shoulders.
Our cause is at stake tonight" he
| declared, yours and minei We must
win, you and 1! 1t is our destiny!"
you and Il" repeated Marta. why
| you and II"
1t seemed very strange to be think
| ing of any two persons when hundreds
of thousands were awaiting the signal
/ for the death prepared by him. He
mistook the character of her thought
| in the obsession of his egoism.
What do lives mean ?" he cried with
a sudden desperation, his grip of he1
/ shoulders tightening. ct is the law
of nature for man to fight. Unless he
fights he goes to seed. One trouble
with our army is that it was soft from
the want of war. 1t is the law of ma
ture for the fittest to survived Other
sons will be born to take the place Of
those who die tonight. There will be
all the more room for those who live