Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1914-12-17

weak and strange-a little dizzy. Be
sides, her mothers voice now came
from the doorway and then her moth
er's hand was pressing her arm.
Marta. II you remain out here, I
shalt" announced Mrs. Galland.
Il was Just coming In"
Dellarme, his cap held before him in
the jaunty fashion of officers. bowed,
his face beaming his happiness at her
decision.
"Come!" Mrs. Galland slipped her
hand into Marta's. Two women can't
fight both armies. Come! prescribe
hot coffee. It is waiting; and, do you
know, | find a meal In the kitchen
very coZy."
Being human and not a heroine fed
on lotos blossoms, and being exhaust
ed and also hungry, when she was
seated at table, with Minna adroitly
urging her. Marta ate with the relish
OF little Peterkin in the shell crater
munching biscuits from his haversack,
but the movement of the minute-hand
on the clock-face became uncanny and
merciless to her eye in its deliberate
regularity. Dellarme had been told
to hold on until noon. she knew. Was
he still smiling? Was Teller still
happy in playing a stream of lead
from the automatic? Was the second
charge of the Grays, which must have
come to close quarters when the guns
went silent. going to succeed?
Mrs. Galland had settled down con-
scientiously to play solitaire, favor
tie pastime of hers; but she failed
to win, as she complained to Marta,
because of her stupid way this morn
ing of missing the combination cards.
After a long intermission came an
other outburst from Dellarmes men,
which she interpreted as the response
to another rush by the Grays; and this
yelping of the demon was not that
of the hound after the hare, as in
the valley, but of the hare. with his
back to the wall. When 1t was over
there was no cheer. What did this
mean? Without warning to her mother
she bolted out Of the kitchen. Mrs.
Galland sprang up to follow, but
Minna barred the way.
zone is enough" she said firmly,
and Mrs. Galland dropped back into
her chair.
In the front rooms Maria found
havoc beyond her imagination. A por-
ton of the ceiling had been blown out
by shell entering at an upstairs win
dow; the hardwood floors were lit
tered with plaster and window-glass
and ripped into splinters in places.
But she hurried on, impelled by she
knew not what, through the dining
room, and, coming to the veranda, |
stopped short, with dilating eyes and
cry of grievous shock. Two of his |
men were carrying Dellarme back |
from the breastwork, where they had
caught him in their arms as he fell. |
They laid him gently on the sward |
with a knapsack under his head. His |
face grew winter with the flow of |
blood from the red hole in the right |
breast of his blouse. Then he opened
his lips and whispered to the doctor:
How is it?" Something in his eyes,
in the tone of that faint question, re-
quired the grace Of soldiers truth
In answer.
Bad" said the doctor.
Then, good-by!" And his head fell
to one side, his lips set in his CHEEKY
smile.
His company was a company with
his smile out of its heart and in its
place blank despair. Many Of the men
had stopped firing. Some had even
run back to look at him and stood,
caps of, backs to the enemy, miser-
able in their grief. Others leaned
against the parapet, rifles out Of hand,
staring and dazed.
"They have killed our captain!"
They've killed our captain!"-still
a captain to them. A generals stars
could not have raised him a cubit In
their estimation.
"And once we called him Baby Del
larme,' ne was so young and DasnIul!
Him baby? He was king!"
men, get to your places!" cried the
lieutenant rather hopelessly,
with no Dellarme to show him what
to do; and Marta saw that few paid
any attention to him.
In that minute of Generalization the
Grays had their chance, but only for
minute. A voice that seemed to speak
some uncomfortable thought of her
own broke in, and it rangTwith the au-
thority and leadership Of a mature Of
f1cer's command, even though coming
from a gardener In blue blouse and :
crownless straw hat.
Your rifles, your rifles, Quick!"
called Teller. Were only beginning
to fight"
And then another voice in a bull
rOaP Gfranakvpa.