The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1914-12-11

we nave rJur rooms In the baron's
tower and kitchen stove," Marta pro-
,ceeded. with Minna we can make
ourselves very comfortable and leave
the house to the staff"
"The Gallands in their gardeners
quarters! The staff Of the Grays in
ours! Your father will turn in his
gravel" Mrs. Galland exclaimed.
"But, mother, 1t Is not quite agree.
able to think OF three women living
in the same house with a score Of
strange men!" Marta persisted.
II had not thought Of that, Marta.
Of course, it would be abominable!"
agreed Mrs. Galland, promptly capitu.
lating where point Of propriety was
involved.
When Marta informed the officer
the same one who had rung the door
bell on his second visit-of the family's
decision he appeared shocked at the
idea Of eviction that was implied. But,
secretly pleased at the turn of events,
he hastened to apologize for wars
brutal necessities, and Marta's com
plaisance led him to consider himself
something Of diplomatist. Yes, more
than ever he was convinced Of the
wisdom Of an invader ringing door
bells.
Meanwhile, the service-corps mer
had continued their work until now
there was no vestige Of war in the
grounds that labor could obliterate;
and masons had come to repair the
walls Of the house itself and plasterer'
| to renew the broken ceilings.
All this Marta regarded in a kint
of charmed wonder that an invader
could be so considerate. Her manne
with the officers in charge Of prepara
tions had the simplicity and ease
which a woman Of twenty-seven, whit
is not old-maidish because she is no
afraid Of single future, may emplo.
as a serene hostess. She frequently
asked If there were good news.
"Yes," was the uniform reply. Al
unexpected setback here or resistanc
/ there, but progress, nevertheless. Blu
she learned, too, that the first tw
days fighting along the frontier ha
cost the Grays fifty thousand casua
| ties.
"In order to make an omelet yo
must break eggs!" she remarked.
Spoken like a true soldier-like
member of the staff" was the reply
In her constraint and detachmen
they realized her conscious appreci;
ton of the fact that in earlier time
| her people had been for the Browns
but in her flashes of interest in tn
progress Of the war, flashes from
woman's unmilitary mind, they Judge
that her heart was with the Grays. An
why not? Was it not natural that
woman with more than her share {
intellectual perception should be O
the right side? From her association
1t was not to be expected that sh
would make an outright declaration {
apostasy. This would destroy the valu
and the attractiveness of her oonve
sion. Reverence for the past, for
father who had fought for the Brown
against her own convictions, made he
attitude appear singularly and del
cately correct.
The war was week old-a wee
which had developed other tangent
and traps than La Tir-on the NOR
ing that the first installment of junit
officers came to occupy the tables an
desks. Where the family portraits ha
hung in the dining-room were now bi
maps dotted with brown and gra
flags. Portable field cabinets wit
sectional maps on a large scale wei
arranged around the walls of the dray
ing-room. In what had been the loun
ing-room of the old days Of Gallan
prosperity, the refrain Of half doze
telegraph instruments made medic
with the clicking Of typewriters. Cool
and helpers were busy in the kitcher
for the staff were to live like gentl
men; they were to have their morniI
baths, their comfortable beds, an
regular meals. No twinge of indigo
tion or of rheumatism from exposul
was to interfere with the working
their precious intellectual processe
No detail of assistance would be lac
ing to save any bureaucratic head tin
and labor The bedrooms were appo
toned according to rank-that of Il
master awaited the master; the be-
servants bedroom awaited Francoi
his valet.
When Bouchard, the chief Of intel
gence, who fought the battle Of wi
and spies against Lanstron, came, tv
hours before Westerling was due, Il
last Of the staff except Westerling ar
his personal aide had arrived. Bouc
ard, with his iron-gray hair. bushy ey
brows, strong, aQuiline nose, ar
hawk-like eyes, his mouth hidden |
4 Dristly mustache, was lean and SO
urnine, and he was loyal. No jealol
thought entered his mind at having
serve a man younger than himse
He did not serve a personality; ]
4 A