Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1914-10-30

until he recalled it. She had heard of
his rise and she had heard, too, things
about him which girl of twenty-seven
can better understand than a girl of
seventeen. His reason for wanting to
see her he had said was to renew an
old acquaintance" He could have lit
tie interest in her, and her interest in
him was that he was head of the Gray
army. His work had intimate relation
to that which the Marta of twenty
seven, a Marta with a mission, had set
for herself
A page came to tell Westerling that
Miss Galland would be down directly.
When she appeared she crossed the
room with flowing, spontaneous vital
ity that appealed to him as something
fs niliar.
"Ten years, isn't it?" she exclaimed
as she seated herself on the other side
of the tea-table. And, let me see, you
took two Jumps, If remember"
None now," he said.
do you find 1t fattening?" she
asked.
He recognized the mischievous
sparkle Of the eyes, the quizzical turn
of the lips, which was her asset in
keeping any question from being per-
sonal. Nevertheless, he flushed slightly.
"a change of TASTE" he averred.
"Since you've become such a great
MANI" she hazarded 'Is that too
strong?" This referred to the tea
mo, just right" he nodded.
He was studying her with the polite,
yelled scrutiny Of man Of the world.
A materialist, he would look a woman
over as he would a soldier when he
had been a major-general making an
inspection. She was slim, supple; he
liked slim, supple women. Yes, she
was twenty-seven, with the vivacity of
seventeen retained, though she were
on the edge of being an old maid &C.
cording to the conventional notions
Necks and shoulders that happened to
be at his side at dinner, he had found
when they were really beautiful, were
not averse to his glance of appreci
alive and discriminating admiration Of
physical charm. But he saw he1
shrug slightly and caught spark from
her eyes that made him vaguely con
scious of an offense to her sensibili
ties, and he was wholly conscious thai
the suggestion, bringing his faculties
up sharply, had the pleasure Of a move
sensation.
How fast you have gone ahead!'
she said. THAT little prophecy o.
mine did come true. You are chief o.
staff"
After smile of satisfaction he cor
rected her.
mot quite; vice-chief-the right
hand man of His Excellency. / am {
buffer between him and the heads O
divisions. This has led to the errone
Gus assumption which l cannot tot
forcibly deny"
He was proceeding with the phrase
ology habitual whenever men or WON
en-, to f1atter him, had intimated tina
they realized that he was the actua
head Of the army. His Excellency
with the prestige Of career, must b.
kept specifically enjoying the form
of authority. To arouse his jealous,
might curtail Westerling's actua
power.
Eyes, yes!" breathed Marta softly
arching her eyebrows a trifle as sh
would when looking all around an,
through a thing or when she foun
any one beating about the bush. Tn
little frown disappeared and sh
smiled understandingly. you know
I'm not a perfect goose!" she added
Had you been made chief of staff Il
name, too, all the old generals woul
have been in the sulks and the youn
generals Jealous" she continued 9TH
one way that you might have tn
power to exercise was by proxy"
This downright frankness was ar
other reflection of the old days befor
he was at the apex Of the pyramid
ANO" ~ Wuo oO uluSudl Ill HIS SAp6I
ence as to be almost shock. On tn
point Of arguing, he caught a mis-
chievous, delightful Isn't that so?" 1
her eyes, and replied:
Eyes, shouldn't wonder IL 1t were!
Why shouldn't he admit the truth t
the one who had rung the bell of hi
secret ambition long ago by recogni;
ing In him the ability to reach hi
goal? He marvelled at her grasp q
the situation.
} ut wasn't so very hard to say. wa
it?" she asked happily, in response t
his smile. Then, her gift of putin
herself in another's place, while sh
strove to look at things with his pul
pose and vision, in full play, she wen
J on in a different tone, as much to hel
self as to him: you have labored t
make yourself master of a mighty OF
ganization. You did not care for tn
non-essentials. You wanted the realit
, of shaping results"
Eyes, the results, the power!" h
exclaimed.
: Fifteen hundred regiments" sh
| continued thOughtfully looking Of