The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1915-03-26


Sture OF relief. he saw her.
"Lanstron!" exclaimed an officer IN
the first explosive breath Of amaze
ment on recognizing him: then added;
His Excellency, the chief OF staff"
But the ons word. Lahstron, had
been enough to thrill eli the officers
into silence and ramrod salutea. Marta
noted the difference OF their glances as
they covertly looked him over.
Il wanted q glimpse Of the front as
well "a the rear" Lanstron remarked
in explanation Of his presence to the
general Of brigade a. he passed on
toward Marta. who was thinking that
she, al least. was not ii awe Of him;
she, at least. saw clearly and truly his
part.
Marta! Martal"
\ LanstronB voice was tremulous, as
II he were In awe Of her. while he
drank In the fact that she was there
before him ct arms length, safe. alive.
she did not offer her handsin greeting.
she was incapable Of any movement,
such was her emotion: and he, too,
was held in spell, as the reality Of
her. after all that had passed. filed
his eyes. He waited for her to speak.
but she was silent.
"Marta--th bandage! You have
been hurt!" he exclaimed.
"It's the fashion to be wounded" she
said, eyebrows lifted and lashes low
cred, with nervous smile. Il played
Florence Nightingale, the natural wom-
| ans part. believe. We should never
protest: only nurse the victims of war.
After helping to send men to death |
went under fire myself. and-and that
helped"
"Yes. that would help" he agreed.
wincing as from knife thrust.
Her old taunt: sending men to death
and taking no risk himself! She saw
that he WINGED; she realized that she
had stayed words that were about to
| come In food. She was marshaling
4 her thoughts to begin when the brittle
silence was broken by rumbling Of
voices, stirring Of feet, and cheer.
"Lanstron! Lanstron! Hurrah for
Lanstron!"
The soldiers In the garden did not
bother with any "Your Excellency, the
chief OF staff" formula when word had
been passed Of his presence. Marta
looked around to see their tempestu-
GUS enthusiasm as they tossed their
caps in the air and sent up their spon-
taneous tribute from the depths OF
their lungs. Conqueror and hero to
the living, but the dead could not
speak. whispered some fiend In her
heart.
Lanstron uncovered to the demon
stration impulsively, when the conven.
tional military acknowledgment would
have been salute. He always looked
more like the real Lanny to her with
his forehead bare. It completed the
ensemble Of his sensitive features. She
saw that he was blinking almost boy
ishly at the compliment and noted the
little deprecatory shake Of his head
as much as to say that they were
! making mistake.
THANK you'll" he called, and the
cheeriness Of his voice, she thought
expressed his real self; the delight o.
victory and the glowing anticipation
Of further victories.
THANK you'll" called the private will
big voice.
"Yes, thank you'll" repeated some o
! he officers in quick appreciation Of {
compliment as real as human courage
He stood smiling for a moment Il
reply to their smiles; then, still smil
ing, but In a different way, he said t
: Marta:
"As you say, that helps!" with a no
toward the bandage on her forearm
and hurriedly turned away.
She saw him involuntarily clutch tn
; wrist above the pocket Of his blouse t
: still the twitching; but beyond tha
there was no further sign Of emotio
I as he went to the telephone. Instantl
Y he was through he started toward tn
pass road, not by the path to the step
4 but by leaping from terrace to terrac
and waving his hand gayly to the so
diers as he went The officers stare
at the sight Of chief Of staff breal
ing away from his communications
: this unceremonious fashion. The
Z saw him secure a horse from grou
Of cavalry officers on the road and ga
q lop away
Z Marta having been the object
VI Lanstron's attention now became Il
n object Of theirs. 1t was good to see
woman, woman Of the Browns, aft
i their period of separation from fen
9 nine society. She found herself hol
( ing an impromptu reception. 81
z heard some other self answeril
9 their polite questions: while a fes
I a new kind Of fear, was taking hold
! her real self; fear inexplicable,
y ! sidiously growing. Lanstron was ct
ls In the officers minds after his stran
appearance and stranger departul
4 They began to talA Of him, and Mar
n listened.
g "IIe said something about being
"a