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

Then a staff-offlcer appeared in the
doorway When he saw woman en-
ter the room he ftowned He had rid
den from the town, which was empty
of women, a fact that he regarded as
a blessing If she had been a maid
servant he would have kept on his
cap. Seeing that she was not, he re-
moved it and found himself in want of
words as their eyes met after she had
made a gesture to the broken glass
on the floor and the lacerated table
top. which said too plainly:
DO you admire your work."
The fact that he was well groomed
and freshly shaver did not in any wise
dissipate in her feminine mind his
connection with this destruction. He
had never seen anything like the smile
which went with the gesture Her
eyes were two continuing and chal-
longing flames Her chin was held
high and steady, and the paIlor of ex.
haustion, with the blackness of her
hair and eyes, made her strangely
commanding. He understood that she
was not waiting for him to speak, but
to go.
Il did not know that there was a
woman here!" he said
And I did not know that officers of
the Grays were accustomed to enter
private houses without fnyftations!"
she replied.
This is a little different" he began.
She interrupted him
But the law of the Grays is that
homes should be left undisturbed. isn't
It? At least, it is the law of civiliza-
ton. / believe you profess, too. to pro
tect property, do you not?"
Why, yes!" he agreed. He wished
that he could get a little respite from
the steady fire of her eyes. 1t was en-
barrassing and as confusing as the
white light of an impracticable logic.
In that case, please place a guard
around our house lest some more of
your soldiers get out of control" she
went on.
Il can do that, yes, he said. But
we are to make this a staff headquar-
ters and must start at once to put The
house in readiness"
General Westerling's headquar-
ters?" she inquired.
He parted the question with a
frown. Staf-ofiicers never give infor.
nation. They receive information and
transmit orders.
Il know General Westerling. You
will tell him that my mother, Mrs. Gal
land, and our maid and myself are
very tired from the entertainment ne
has given us, unasked, and we need
sleep tonight So you will leave us
until morning and that door, sir, is the
one out into the grounds"
The staff-oficer bowed and went out
by that door, glad to get away from
Marta's eyes. His inspection of the
premises with view to plans for stat
accommodation could wait. Wester
ling would not be here for two DAYS
at least.
''Whew! What energy she hast" be
thought. 4 never had anybody make
me feel SO contemptibly unlike a gen
tleman in my life"
Yet Marta, returning to the hall. ha6
to steady herself in a dizzy moment
against the wall. Complete reaction
had come. She craved sleep as if il
were the one true, real thing in the
world. She craved sleep for the CLARITY
of mind that comes with the mornins
light. In the haziness of feecy thought
as slumber drew its soft clouds
around her, her last conscious visions
were the pleasant ones rising free o.
q background of horror: of Feller's
smile when he went back to his auto
matte for good; Of Denarme's smile q:
ne was dying; of Stransky's smile q:
Minna gave him hope; and of HugoE
face as he uttered his flute-like cry O
protest. In her ears we're the haunt
ing calmness and contained force O
Lanstron's voice over the telephone
She was pleased to think that she ha(
not lost her temper in her talk Will
the stan-offCer. No, she had not fiaret
once in indignation. It was as if sh,
had absorbed some of Lanny's Owl
seif-Control Lanny would approve O
her in that scene with an officer of tn,
Grays. And she realized that a chang,
had come over her-a change mex
plica5le and teIling-and she wa
tired-oh, so tired! It had been ex
hausting work. indeed, for one woman
though she had been around the world
making war on two armies.
The general stan officer of the Grays