The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1915-03-12

concluded the premier. Il admire you
stoldity of purpose. You have my con
fdence. shall wait and hold the stu
alton at home the best can. We e
into the hell of fame or into the gut
ter together, you and II"
For q while after he had hung w
the receiver Westerling's head
dropped. his muscles relaxed, givine
mind and body a release from tension
But his spine was as stiff as ever az
he left the closet. and he was even
smiling to give the impression that
the news from the capital was favor
able.
When he called his chiefs of divi
sion It was hardly for staff council
Stunned by the losses and repulses,
Loyalty industrious, their opinions I'm.
asked they listened to his whirlwnd
Of orders without conment-all except
Turcas.
If they are apprised of our plan and
are able to concentrate more artillery
than our guns can silence, the losses
will be demoralizing, he observed.
Westerling threw up his head, frown.
ing down the objection.
Suppose they amount to half the
forces that we send In" he exclaimed
Isn't the position, which means the
pass and the range, worth it,"
Yes, If We both take and hold It.;
not if we fail" replied Turcas, quite
unaffected by Westerling's manner.
Failure is not in my lexicon!" Yves
terling shot back. For great gains
there must be great risks"
I'VE prepare for the movement
your excellency," answered Turcas.
1t was steel harness OF his own
will that Westerling wore, without ad
mitting that it CALLED him, and he laid
it off only in Marta's presence. With
her, his growing sense of isolation had
the relief Of companionship. She be-
came kind of mirror Of his egoism
and ambitions. He liked to have her
think of him as a great man unruffled
among weaker men. In the quiet and
seclusion of the garden, involuntaribI
as one who has no confdant speah
to himself, reserving fortitude for hi
part before the staff, while she, unde
the spell Of her purpose, silently, will
serene and wistfully listening eya
played hers, he outlined how the find
and telling blow was to be struck.
we must and We shall win!" Ne
kept repeating. II
Through rubber disk held to Vii
ear in the closet Of his bedroom n
voice, tremulous with nervous fatigu|
was giving Lanstron news that all NIL
aircraft and cavalry and spies coun
not have gained; news worth mmlt
than score of regiments; news freAIr
from the lips Of the chief Of staff Ill
the enemy. The attack was to MI
made at the right Of Engadir, its eel
ter breaking from the redoubt mannaI
BY Fracasses men. ~
y! "A1.'s.. s'aa g W
You are the real general! You-Tf'
mot that, pleased" she broke 8
"I'm as foul and depraved as a deal =
in subtle poisons in the middle age =
Oh, the shame Of 1t, while look in u
his eyes and feign admiration, felt =
everything which will draw out b d
plans! can never forget the sig 9
of him as he told me how two or thr, y
or four hundred thousand men we u
to be crowded into ram, as he Gale Il
it-a ram Of human flesh!-and gul =
enough in support, he said, to tear ar u
redoubts to pieces; guns enough q y
make their shells as thick as the bull 5
lets from an automatic!" 10
We'll meet ram with ram! Well "
have some guns, tool" exclaimed La
stron. We'll send as heavy shd :
fire at their infantry as they send in, I
our redoubts."
Don't. It's too like Westerling I {
has become too trite!" she protestd.
1.-THE end! If ! really were helpig
toward that and to save lives and ar
country to its people, what would ny
private feelings matter? My homo,
my soul-what would anything mt
ter? For that, any sacrifice. I'm
only one human being-a weak, Luna
tic sort of one, just now!"
Marta, don't suffer so! You are
overweight. YOU"
81 can say all that for you, Lanny,"
she interrupted with the faintest laugh.
1--WE said 1t so many times to myself.
Perhaps when I call you up again
shall not be so hysterical."
Lanstron was not thinking Of war or
wars combination when he hung up
the receiver. 1t was some moments
before he returned to the staff room.
and then he had mastered his emo
ton. He was the soldier again.
An hour or so before the attack the
telegraph instruments in the Galland
house had become pregnantly silent.
There were no more orders to give;
no more reports to come from the
troops in position until the assault was
made. Officers Of supply ceased to
transmit routine matters over the wire,
while they strained their eyes toward
the range. Officers of the staff moved