Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1914-11-12

humor, he would have looked at home
with his big. bony hands gripping a
broadsword hilt and his lank body
clothed In chain armor. He had a
mastiff's devotion to its master for his
chief.
Since Lanstron became chief Of In
telligence of the Browns Information
seems to have stopped" said Wester-
ling but not complainingly. He appre-
ciated Bouchard's loyalty.
"Yes, they say he even burns his
laundry bills. he is SO careful" Bou-
chard replied.
But that we ought to know" Wes-
terling proceeded. referring very In.
sistently to a secret of the Browns
which had baffled Bouchard. "Try a
woman" he went on with that terse.
hard directness which reflected one OF
his sides. There is nobody like a
woman for that sort Of thing. Spend
enough to get the right woman"
Turcas and Bouchard exchanged a
glance, which rose suggestively from
the top Of the head Of the seated vice.
chief of staff. Turcas smiled slightly,
while Bouchard was craven as usual.
you could hardly reach Lanstron
though you spent a queens ransom"
said Bouchard in his literal fashion.
IL should say mott" Westerling ex-
claimed. "No doubt about Lanstron's
being all there! saw him ten years
ago after his first aeroplane fight un-
der conditions that proved 1t. How
ever, he must have susceptible subor-
dinates."
We'll set all the machinery we
have to work to find one, sir" Bou-
chard replied.
Another thing, we must dismiss any
idea that they are ~concealing either
artillery or d%irigibles or planes that
we do not know Of" continued Wester-
ling. THAT is a Pigment of u appre-
tensions. The fact that we find no
truth in the rumors proves that there
is none. Such things are too important
to be concealed by one army from an
other"
"Lanstron certainly cannot carry
them In his pockets" remarked Tur-
cas-. still, we must be sure" he
added thoughtfully, more to himself
than to Westerling, who had already
turned his attention to a document
which Turcas laid on the desk.
1.-THE 128th Regiment has been or
dered to South La Tir. but no order
yet given for the 1920. whose place 1t
takes" he explained.
Let 1t remain for the PRESENT."
Westerling replied.
After they had withdrawn, the look
that passed between Turcas and Bou-
chard was a pointed question. The
1920 to remain at South La Tir! Was
there something more than "newspa-
per talk" in this latest diplomatic
crisis between the Grays and the
Browns? Westerling alone was in the
confidence Of the premier Of late. Any
exchange of ideas between the two
subordinates would be f%ruitless sur
mise and against the very instinct Of
staff secrecy, where every man knew
only his work and asked about no one
else's.
Westerling al through the papers
that Turcas had prepared for him. If
Turcas had written them. Westerling
knew that they were properly done.
Having cleared his desk into the hands
Of his executive clerk, he looked at the
clock. It had barely turned four. He
picked up the final star report Of OBJ
servations on the late Balkan cam
paign, Just printed in book form,
glanced at 1t and laid 1t aside. Already
he knew the few lessons afforded by
this war done on the cheap" with
limited equipment and over bad roads.
No dirigibles had been used and few
planes. 1t was no criterion, except in
the effect of the fire of the new pattern
guns, for the conflict of vast masses Of
highly trained men against vast masses
Of highly trained men, with rapid
transportation vcr good roads, CON.
plete equipment. thorough organiza-
ton, backed by generous resources, In
the cataclysm of two great European
powers.
To BE coNTINUEp)