Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1915-01-14
CHAPTER XVI.
Marking Time.

Marking Itmes
Soon after dark the attack began.
| Flashes from gun mouths and glow.
ing sheets of flame from rifles made
ugly revelry, while the beams Of
search-Iights swept hither and thither.
This kept up till shortly after mid
night, when 1t died down and, where
hell's concert had ragged, silent dark
ness shrouded the hills. Marta knew
that Bordir was taken without having
to ask Lanstron or wait for confrma-
ton from Westerling.
She was seated In the recess Of the
arbor the next morning, when she
heard the approach Of those regular,
powerful steps whose character had
become az distinct to her as those
Of a member Of her own family. Five
against three! FIVE against three! they
were saying to her; while down the
pass road and the castle road ran the
stream Of wounded from last nights
slaughter.
Posted in the drawingroom Of the
Galland house were the congratula-
lions Of the premier to Westorling,
who had come from the atmosphere Of
q star that accorded to him q mill
tary insight far above the analysis Of
ordinary standards. But he was too
clever a man to vaunt his triumph.
He knew how to carry his honors.
He accepted success as his due, in q
matter-of-course manner that must In
spire confidence In further success.
you we're. Eight," he said to Marta
easily. pleasantly. I'VE did tive did
tive took Bordir with loss Of only
twenty thousand men!"
Only twenty thousand! Her revul.
sion at the bald statement was re-
lieved by the memory Of Lanny's word
over the telephone after breakfast that
the Browns had lost only five thou
sand. Four to one was q wide ratio,
she was thinking.
Then the end-then peace is so
much nearer?" she asked.
VERY much nearer!" he answered
earnestly, as he dropped on the bench
beside her.
He stretched his arms out on the
back of the seat and the relaxed atti-
tude, unusual with him, brought into
relief new trait of which she had
been hitherto oblivious. The con-
queror had become simply a compan-
ionable man. Though he was not sit
ting close to her, yet, as his eyes met
hers, shd had a desire to move away
which she knew would be unwise to |
crafty. She was conscious of a GER
tain softening charm. a magnetism
that she had sometimes felt in the |
days when she first knew him. She
realized, too, that then the charm had |
not been mixed with the indescribable, |
intimate quality that It held now.
I'm the mids Of congratulations
after the position was taken last
night" he declared, II confess that
was thinking less Of success than Of
It's source" He bent on her look
that was warm with gratitude.
She lowered her lashes before It;
before gratitude that made her part
appear in a fresh angle Of misery.
There seems to be kind Of ia
tality about our relations" he went on.
Il lay awake pondering 1t last night"
His tone held more than gratitude. It
had the elation of discovery.
"He is going to make 1t harder than
ever guessed" echoed her own
thought, in a fiutter Of confusion.
"Yes, 1t was strange our meeting on
he frontier in peace and then In war;.
she exclaimed at random. The sound
~ the remark struck her as too sub
iued; as expectant, when her purpose
was one Of careless depreciation.
81 have met a great many women, il
rs you may have imagined" he pro
.eeded. "They have passed in review.
they were simply women, witty and
rail or dull and beautiful, and. one
meant no more to me than another.
Nothing meant anything to me except
ny profession. But never forgot you.
You planted something in mind: i
memory Of real companionship." p
Yes, I made the prophecy that ID
anne true!" she put in. This ought
o bring him back to himself and his
ambitions, she thought.
"Yes!" he exclaimed. his body stiff
ening free Of the back Of the seat