Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1915-04-28
CHAPTER xxI-contInued.

We are going on, / and my guns,
on to the best yet on in the pursuit!
Nothing can stop I'D! We shall hit the
Grays SO fast and hard that they can
never get their machine in order again.
God bless you! Everything that is fine
In me will always think finely OF you!
You and Lanny-two fixed stars for
met"
TRULY" She was radiant "Truly?"
she asked wistfully.
Yes. yes-a yes as real as the
guns!"
Then 1t helps Oh, how it helps!"
she murmured almost inaudiby.
"Good-by! God bless you" he cried
as he started to go. adding over his
shoulder merrily: "I'll send YOU pic
ture postcard from the Grays' capital
OF my guns parked in the palace
square"
She watched him leap the garden
wall as lightly as he had come and
gallop away. an impersonation of the
gay, adventurous spirit OF war, count
ing death and wounds and hardship as
the delights of the gamble Yes. he
would follow the Grays throwing
shells in the irresponsible Joy OF toss
ing confetti in a carnival Pursuit.
Was Feller's the sentiment of the
srmy2 Were the Browns not to stop
at the frontier? Were they to change
their song to, Now we have ours we
shall take some of theirs?" The
thought was fresh fuel to the live Goals
that still remained under the ashes.
A brigade commander and some Of
his staff-ofticers near by formed a
group with faces intent around an op-
orator who was attaching his instru-
ment to tield-wire that had Just been
Teeled over the hedge. Marta moved
toward them, but paused on hearing an
outburst OF jubilant ordinations:
"A hundred thousand prisoners!"
And five hundred gunsi"
We're coming in on their frontier
all along the line,"
It's incredible!"
But the word is ofiicial-it's right"
From mouth to mouth-a hundred
thousand prisoners, FIVE hundred guns
the news was passed In the garden.
Eyes dull with fatigue began flashing
as the soldiers broke into cheer that
was not led, cheer unlike any Marta
had heard before. 1t had the high
notes of men who were weary of a ter.
rible exultation. OF spirit stronger than
tired legs and as yet unsatisfied. Other
EXPLANATIONS from both officers and
men expressed a hunger whetted by
the taste OF one days victory.
Wen go on"
We'll make peace in their capital"
And with an indemnity that will
stagger the world"
Nothing is impossible with Ian
stron. How he has worked It out
baited them to their own destruction"
"A frontier OF our own choosing!"
"On the next range. We will keep
all that stretch Of plain there!"
And the river, too"
They shall pay-pay for attacking
us!"
Pay. pay for he drudgery, the sleep.
less nights, the dead and the wounded
for our dead and wounded! No mat
ter about theirs! The officers were too
intent In their elation to observe a
young woman. standing quite still, her
lips thin line and deep blaze I'm
her eyes as she looked this way and
that at the field OF faces, seeking some
dissentient, some partisan Of the right
She was seeing the truth now: the
cold truth, the old truth 20 which she
had been untrue when she took Eel
ler's place. There could be no choice
or sides In war unless you believed in
war. One who fought for peace must
q ~
part as a fDy appeared 10 her clad i'm
new kind of shame, the desertion Of
her principles
Nor did the officers observe a man Of
thirty-fiye. wearing the cords OF fine
etaG and a generals stars coming
around the corner Of the house Mar.
ta's feverish. rowing glance had noted
him directly be was I'm sight His face
seemed 10 be IN keeping with the
other faces. In the ardor Of a hunt I'm.
finished hand in blouse pocket bls
bearing little too easy TO be conyen.
tionally military same Lannv.
She was dlroly conscious OF surprise
not to find him changed, perhaps be
cause he vas uuaccompanied by a re.
tinue or any other symbol OF his power
He might have been coming TO call ON
a Sunday afternoon. In that first
glimpse II was difficult to think Of
him as the commander OF an army. But
that he vas, she must not forget She
was shaken and trembling: and a
mist rose before her. go that she did
not see him clearly when. with a ges-
ture Of reiiof. he ssg her.
"Lanstron!" exclaimed an officer in
the first explosive breath Of amaze
ment on recognizing him. then added
''Iiis Excellcncy. the chief OF STAN"
Bur the one word, Lanstron. had
been enough to thrill all the officers
into silence and ramrod salutes. Marta