Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1914-10-15

hibition, not OF the man in the ma
chine.
Marta was thinking of the man who
was about to die. She rushed down the
terrace steps wildly. as II her going
and her agonized prayer could avert
the inevitable. The plane, descending.
skimmed the garden wall and passed
out OF sight She heard thud. q crack
ling OF braces, q ripping OF cloth. but
NO cry.
Westerling had started after her. ex-
claiming, This IL q case for first adj"
while Mrs. Galland. taking the steps
m fast as she could. brought up the
rear. Through the gateway In the gar
den wall could be seen the shoulders
Of q young oficer. a streak OF req
coursing down his cheek. rising from
the wreck. An inarticulate sob OF re-
lief broke from Marta's throat, fol-
lowed by quick gasps OF breath. Cap
tain Arthur Lanstron was looking into
the startled eyes Of young girl that
seemed to reflect his own emotions OF
the moment after having shared those
he had In the air.
81 few! / Jew clear over the range,
at any rate!" he said. And I'm alive.
I managed to hold her so she missed
the wall and made an easy bump"
He got one foot free Of the wreck
and that leg was all right. She shared
his citation. Then he found that the
other was uninjured, just as she cried
in distress:
But your hand-oh, your hand!
His left hand hung limp from the
wrist. cut, mashed and bleeding. It's
nerves numbed, he had not as yet felt
any pain from the injury. Now he re-
garded 1t in kind Of awakening stare
of realization OF deformity to come.
"Wool-gathering again!" he NUT
tered to himself GROSSLY.
Then, seeing that she had turned
white. he thrust the disgusting thing
behind his back and twinged with the
movement. The pain was arriving.
at must be bandaged! / have q
handkerchief" she begged. I'm NOT
going to faint or anything like that!'
"Only bruised-and it's the left.
am glad it was not the right" he re
Piled. Westerling arrived and Joined
Marta in offers Of assistance just al
they heard the prolonged honk OF an
automobile demanding the right Of
way at top speed in the direction o.
the pass.
THANK you, but they're coming fol
me-" said Lanstron to Westerling Al
he glanced up the road.
Westerling was looking at the wreck
Lanstron, who recognized him as an
officer, though in multi. kicked bit Of
the torn cloth over some apparatus tt
hide 1t. AT this Westerling smiled
family. Then Lanstron saluted as Of
| ficer to officer might salute across thu
white posts, giving his name and re
ceiving in return Westerling's.
They made contrast. these two
men, the colonel Of the Grays, swar
and sturdy, his physical vitality 30 evi
dent, and the captain Of the Browns
some seven or eight years the junior
bareheaded, in dishevelled fatigue
uniform, his lips twitching, his slender
body Quivering with the pain that ht
could not control, while his Father
bold forehead and delicate, sensitive
! features suggested man Of nerve ant
nerves who might have left expert
ments in laboratory for an adventure
in the air. There was kind OF chal
lenge in their glances; the challeng'
Of an ancient feud of their peoples
Of the professional rivalry OF polite
duellists. Lanstron's slight Sfigur'
seemed to express the weaker numbe
of the three million soldiers Of tn
Browns: Westerling's bulkier one, tn
four million five hundred thousand o
the Grays.
you had a narrow sQueaksa yo'
made a very snappy recovery at tn
last second" said Westerling, passin
q compliment across the white posts.
That's in the line Of duty for yo
and me. isn't it," LAnstron replied
his voice thick with pain as he force
a smile.
There was no pose in his fortitud'
: He was evidently disguised with hin
self over the whole business, and p
turned to the group Of three oficeE
! and q civilian who alighted from 81
!, Brown army automobile as II he wei
! prepared to have them say their wors
They seemed between the impulse
I reprimanding and embracing him.
II hope that you are not surprised
! the result, " said the Oldest of the Q
tsacers. q man Of late middle age, rath'
/ aheCtionataly and teasingly. He VOL
! a single order on his breast. pla'
iron cross, and the insignia Of his ran
!. was that Of field-marshal.
mot now. / should be again. cir
said Lanstron, looking full at the mel