Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1914-12-18
CHAPTER xIII-Continued.

Then a staff-officer appeared in the
doorway When he saw a woman en-
ter the room he froWned. He had rid
den from the town, which was empty
of women, fact that he regarded as
a blessing. If she had been maid
servant he would have kept on his
cay. Seeing that she was not, he re-
moved it and found himself in want of
wo>ds as their eyes met after she had
male a gesture to the broken glass
on tie floor and the lacerated table
tob which said too plainly:
DO you admire your @work?"
The fact that he was well groomed
ana freshly shaven did not in any wise
digsipate 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 fi0Ines. 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 CO.
81 did not know that there was a
woman herei" he said.
And l did not know that officers of
the Grays were accustomed to enter
private houses without invitations"
she replied.
This is 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-
tion. 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 a staff headQuar-
ters and must start at once to put the
house in readiness"
General Westerling's hea@quar-
ters?" she inquired.
He parted the question with a
frown. Staff-officers 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 maiG and myself are
very tired from the. entertainment he
has given us, unasked, and we need
sleep tonight. So yoa will leave US
until morning and that door, sir, is the
one out into the grounds
The staff-officer bowed and went opt
by that door, glad to get away from
Marta's 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
.Whewi What energy she hast" he
thought 81 never had anybody make
me feel so contemptibly unlike a gem
tlerHan in my life
Yet Marta, returning to the hall, had
to steady herself in dizzy moment
against the all. Complete reaction
had come She craved sleep as if it
were the one true, real thing in the
world She craved sleep FIR the clarity
of mind that comes with the morning
light. In the haziness of fieecy thought,
as slumber drew its soft clouds
around her, her last conscious visions
were the pleasant ones rising free of
a background of horror; of Feller's
smile when he went back to his auto
matte for good: of Dellarme's smile as
he was dying; of Stransky's smile as
Minna gave him hope; end of Hugo's
face as he uttered his tiute-like cry of
protest. In heE ears were the haunt