Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1914-11-12

| 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. Its
nerves numbed, he had not al yet felt
any pain from the injury. Now he re-
garded 1t In q kind of awakening stare
Of realisation Of a deformity to come.
"Wool'gathering again!" he NUT.
tered to himself crosby
Then, seeing that she had turned
white. he thrust the disgusting thing
behind his back and twinged with the
movement. The pain was arriving.
1T must be bandaged! have a
handkerchief" she begged. "I'm not
going to faint or anything like that!"
Only bruised--and it's the left. I
am glad 1t was not the right" he re-
piled. Westerling arrived and joined
Marta in offers of assistance Just as
they heard the prolonged honk OF an
automobile demanding the right of
way at top speed In the direction Of
the pass.
Thank you, but they're coming for
me-" said Lanstron to Westerling as
he glanced up the road.
Westerling was looking at the wreck.
Lanstron, who recognized him as an
officer. though in multi. kicked a bit of
the torn cloth over some apparatus to
hide 1t. At this Westerling smiled
family. Then Lanstron saluted as Of
ficer to officer might salute across the
white posts. giving his name and re-
ceiving in return Westerling's.
They made a contrast, these two
men. the colonel of the Grays. swart
and sturdy, his physical vitality so evil
dent, and the captain Of the Browns,
some seven or eight years the junior.
b~areheaded, in ~dishevelled fatigue
uniform, his lips twitching, his slender
body Quivering with the pain that he
could not control, while his rather
bold forehead and delicate, sensitive
features suggested a mar Of nerve and
nerves who might have left expert
ments in a laboratory for an adventure
In the air. There was a kind of chal-
lenge in their glances; the challenge
Of an ancient feud of their peoples;
Of the professional rivalry Of polite
duellists. Lanstron's slight figure
seemed to express the weaker number
Of the three million soldiers Of the
Browns; Westerling's bulkier one, the
four million five hundred thousand OF
the Grays.
"You had a narrow squeak and you
made a very snappy recovery at the
last second" said Westerling, passing
a compliment across the white posts.
That's In the line Of duty for you
and me, isn't 1T" Lanstron replied.
his voice thick with pain as he forced
a smile.
There was no pose in his fortitude.
He was evidently Disguised with him
self over the whole business, and he
turned to the group of three officers
and a civilian who alighted from a big
Brown army automobile as II he were
prepared to have them say their worst.
They seemed between the impulse of
reprimanding and embracing him.
II hope that you are not surprised at
the result" said the oldest of the Of
Acers. a man Of late middle age, rather
affectionately and teasingly. He wore
a single order on his breast, a plain
iron cross, and the insignia Of his rank
was that Of a ield-marshal.
MOT now. l should be again, sir"
said Lanstron. looking full at the field.
marshal In the appeal Of n asking
for another chance. II was wooI-gath.
ering. But l shall not wool-gather next
time. I've got a reminder more urgent
than a string tied around my finger"
YES, that hand needs immediate at.
tention," said the doctor. He and an
other officer began helping Lanstron
into the automobile.
"Good-by!" he called to the young
girl, who was still watching him with
big, sympathetic eyes. II am coming
back soon aud land in the field. there.
and when / do. I'll claim a bunch Of
flowers"
"Do! What fun!" she cried, as the
car started.
THE feld-marshal was Partow, their
chief OF staff?" Westerling asked.
Eyes," said Mrs. Galland. II remem
Der when he was a young infantry off,
Ger before the last war, before he had
won the iron cross and become so
great. He was not Of an army family
"a doctors son, but very clever and
skilful."
Getting a little old for his work."
remarked Westerling. But apparent
ly he Is keen enough to take a per-
sonal interest in anything new"
Wasn't 1t thrilling and-and ter
rible!" Marta exclaimed.
Eyes, like war at our own door
again." replied Mrs. Galland. who knew
war. She had seen war raging on the
pass road. "Lanstron, the young man
said his name was" she resumed after
a pause. "No doubt the Lanstrons OF
Thorbourg. An old family and many
Of them in the army.
The way he refused to give in-that
a fine!" said Marta.
Westerling, who had been e%ngrossed
In his own thoughts, looked up.
Courage 1; the cheapest thing an
army has! You can get hundreds Of
young officers who are glad to take a
risk of that kind. The thing is." and
his fingers pressed In on the palm OF
his hand In a pounding gesture OF the
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