The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1914-11-26

Perhaps there wasn't time to do
everything. II they get &s far as the
first terrace-well, in case Of crisis.
we have hand-grenades. But, God
knows, hope we shall not have to
use them"
After an interval. more figures made
a rush across the road. They, too, in
Stransky's words, paid q price for
seeing the garden. But the flashes
from the rifles and the automatic pro-
vided a target for q Gray battery. The
blue spark that flies from an overhead
trolley or third rail. multiplied a
hundredfold, broke in Martas face.
It was dazzling, binding as bolt of
lightning a few feet distant, with the
thunder crash at the same second,
followed by the thrashing hum of bull
and fragments against the side
Of the house. n
IT knew that this must come!"
something within her said. If she
had not been prepared for 1t by the
events Of the last twelve hours she
would have jumped to her feet with
an exclamation of natural shock and
horror. As 1t was, she felt convul-
sive, nervous thrill without rising
from her seat. A pause. The next
shell burst in line with the first, out
by the linden-trees; q third above the
veranda.
We've got that range. all right"
thought the Gray battery commander,
who had judged the distance by the
staff map. This was all he wanted to
know for the present. He would let
loose at the proper time to support
the infantry attack. when there were
enough driblets across the road to
make a charge. The driblets kept on
coming, and, one by one, the number
of dead on the road was augmented.
| Marta was diverted from this proc
ess Of killing by piecemeal by more
theatric spectacle. A brigade COM
mander Of the Grays had licked an
order over the wires and 1t had gone
from battery to battery. Not only
many f1eld-guns, which are the ter
riers of the artillery, but some guns
of siege caliber, the mastiffs, in a
sudden outburst started a havoc of
!: tumbling walls and cornices in the
upper part Of the town.
Then an explosion greater than any
from the shells shot a hemisphere OF
, light heavenward, revealing shadowy
body flying overhead, and an instant
later the heavens were illuminated by
q vast circle of fame as the dirigible
: that had dropped the dynamite re
: ceived its death.blow. But already
l the Brown infantry was withdrawing
, from the town, destroying buildings
, that would give cover for the attach
in the morning as they went. Two Of
j three hours after midnight fell 81
Y lenee which was to last until dawn
i. The combatants rested on their arms
;, Browns saying to Grays, "We shal
be ready for the morrow!" and Cray
q replying: $50 shall wei"
e Marta. at her window, her eyes fol
: lowing the movements Of the display
now here, now there, found hersel
thinking Of many things, as in tn
intermissions between the acts Of
r drama. She wondered If the groar
/, ing, wounded man were crying 70
:. water or If he were wishing that som
|. one at home were near him. Sh
thought Of her talk with Lanstron an
how feminine and feeble It must hav
y sounded to a mind working in the II
0 exorable processes Of the clash G
q millions Of men. She saw his lei
!. hand twitching in his pocket, hi
a right hand gripping 1t to hold 1t still
t on that afternoon when, for the frs
a time, she had understood his injur
D in the aeroplane accident as the ia
# isman Of his feelings-his controlle
= feelings! Always his controlled fee
= ings!
y She saw Westerling, SO consciou
!. of his strength. directing his ches
D men in a death struggle against Pa
!, tow. And he was coming to this hous
= as his headquarters when the fin'
y test Of the strength Of the Titans wa
y made. %
u She hoped that her mother was sti
70 sleeping; and she had seconds whe
70 she was startled by her own calmnes
Again, the faces Of the children
= her school were as clear. as In III
She breathed her gratitude that Il
1t procession in which they moved
n. the rear was hours ago out Of Il
~ theater or SS=SAr. In the simplici
90 Of big things, her duty was to tea'
10 them, a future generation, no le
q than Feller's duty was the pursvil
D. shadow Of his conscience. She slou
" see war. alive. naked. bloody, and 81
lc would tell her children what she HI
u seen as a warning.
ne Silence, except an occasional ri,
ne Subsistence and the darkness befo
9n dawn which would, she knew, conce
ne trate the lightnings around the hout
az She glanced into her mothers roc
30 and marveled as at q miracle to fl
ne her sleeping. Then she stole dow
On stairs and opened the outer door
ne the dining-room. A step or t.