Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1914-11-26

race of intellects in the scratch class.
One by one, almost perfunctorily,
Westerling gave his assent as he
passed the papers to Turcas; while
Turcas's dry voice, coming from be-
tween a narrow opening of the thin
lips, gaYe his reasons with a rapid.
frer's precision IN answer to his
chiefs inquiries.
With each order somewhere along
that frontier some unit of great or.
ganism would respond. The reserves
from this position would be trans
ferred to that; such a position would
be felt out before dark by a reconnois-
sance in force, however costly; the
rapid-frers Of the 18th Division would
be transferred to the Goth; despite the
9th Brigade's losses, it would still
form the advance; General So-and-So
would be superseded after his failure
of yesterday; Colonel So-and-So would
take his place as acting major-general;
more care must be exercised in recon-
mendations for bronze crosses, lest
their value so deprecil-e that officers
and men would lack incentive to win
them.
Marta was having a look behind the
scenes at the fountainhead Of great
events. Power power! The abso-
lutte power of the soldier in the saddle,
with premier and government and all
the institutions of peace only dim
background for the processes of war!
Opposite her was a man who could
make and unmake not only generals
but even the destinies of peoples. By
every sign he enjoyed his power for
it's own sake. There must be a chief
of the five millions, which were as a
moving forest of destruction, and here
was the chief, his strength reflected
in the strong muscles Of his short
neck as he turned his head. to listen
to Turcas. Marta recalled the con-
trast between Westerling and Lam
stron as they faced each other after
the wreck of the aeroplane ten years
ago; the iron invincibility of the
elders sturdy, mature figure and the
alert, high-strung invincibility of the
sHghter figure of the younger man.
He had taken up paper thought
fully after Turcas withdrew, when he
looked up to Marta in answer to a
movement in her chair She had bent
forward in pose that freed her figure
from the chair back in an outline Of
suppIeness and firmness; her lips were
parted, showing a faint line of the
NH Of hnr he har
gazing at him in a kind of wondering
admiration. But she dropped her eye
lids instantly and said deliberately,
less to him than to herself:
you have the gift"
No tea-table fattery that, he knew;
only the reflection OF fact whose ex-
istence had been borne in on her by
observation.
THE gift? How" he inquired,
speaking to the fringe of hair that
half hid her lowered face
She looked up, smiling brightly.
you don't know what gift! Not
the pianists! Not the poets! Why,
of course, the supreme gift of COM
mand! The thing that made you chief
OF stan! AND the war goes Well Tor
you, doesn't it,"
Delicious morsel, this, to a connois-
seur in compliments! He tasted it
with the same self-satisfed smile that
he had her first prophecy. To her
who had then voiced a secret he had
shared with no one, as his chest
swelled with full breath, he barred
another in the delight of the impress
sion he had made on her.
Yes, as you foresaw-as planned"
he said. yes, l planned all, step by
step, till I was chief Of staff and ready
I convinced the premier that it was
time to strike and I chose the hour to
strike; for Bodlapoo was only con-
venient excuse for the last OF all the
steps"
CTO BE CONTINUED