Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1914-12-24

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 shaven did not in any wise
diesipate In her feminine mind his
connectio~ with this destruction. He
had neye. anything like the smile
which went h the gesture. Her
eyes were two continuing and chal
longing flames. Her chin was held
high and steady. and the pallor 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.
"T did not know that there was
woman herel" he said.
"And I did not know that officers of
the Grays were accustomed to enter
private houses without invitationsl"
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 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 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 q stan headquar
tiers and must start at once to put the
house in readiness"
General Westerling's headquar-
ters?" she inquired.
He parried the question with
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 he
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 stafr-oflcer bowed and went out
by that door, glad to get away from |
Martas eyes. His inspection Of the
premises with view to plans for STAFF
accommodation could wait. Wester-
ling would not be here for two days
at least.
"Whew! What energy she hast" he
thought. II never had anybody make
me feel so contemptibly unlike a gen.
tleman in my life."
Yet Marta, returning to the hall. had
to steady herself in a dizzy moment
against the wall. Complete reaction
had come. She craved sleep as II 1t
were the one true, real thing in the
world. She craved sleep for the clarity
of mind that comes with the morning
light. In the haziness Of fleecy thought,
as slumber drew its soft clouds
around her, her last conscious visions
were the pleasant ones rising free OF
background of horror; of Feller's
smile when he went back to his auto
matte for good; of Dellarme'e smile as
he was dying; of Stransky's smile as
Minna gave him hope; and Of Hugo's
fooo nc bo ,,fkarad hic AI1fo.1ilxo crv 0f
protest. In her ears were the haunt
ing calmness and contained force OF
Lanstron's voice over the telephone
She was pleased to think that she had
not lost her temper in her talk with
the staff-officer. No, she had not fiared
once in indignation. 1t was as If she
had absorbed some of Lanny's own
self-control Lanny would approve OF
her in that scene with an officer OF the
Grays. And she realized that a change
had come over her-a change mex
plicable and telling-and she was
tired-oh, so tired! 1t had been ex-
hausting work, indeed, for one woman
though she had been around, the world,
making war on two armies.
The general staff-officer Of the Grays,
who had tasted Marta's temper on his
first call, when he returned the next
morning did not enter unannounced.
He rang the door-bell.
II have a message for you from Cen
eral Westerling," he said to her. "The
general expresses his deep regret at
the unavoidable damage to your house
and grounds and has directed that
everything possible be done immedi'
ately in the way of repairs"
In proof Of this the officer called at
tention to a group of service-corps
men who were removing the eand-bags
from the first terrace. Others were
at work in the garden setting uprooted
Dlants hack into the earth.