The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1915-01-23
CHAPTER XIII.
From Brown to Gray.

Ianstron exclaimed in alarm when he
heard her voice over the tunnel tele-
phone. But safe," he added in re-
lief Thank God for that! It's .
mighty load off my mind. And your
mother?"
Safe, too"
We'll, you're through the worst OF
It. There won't be any more fighting
around the house, and certainly West
erling will be courteous. But where
is Gustave?"
"Gone!"
"Gone!" he repeated dismally.
wait until you hear how he went"
Marta said. With all the vividness Of
her impressions, a partisan for the mo-
ment of him and Dellarme. she
sketched Feller's part with the auto
matte.
AS he listened. Lanstron's spirit was
twenty again.
81 can see him." he said. 1T was a
full breath of fresh air to the lungs
| of a suffocating man. /"
Marta was off in interruption in the
full tide of an appeal.
"You must-I promised-you must
let him have the uniform again." she
begged You must let him keep his
automatic. To take it away would
be like separating mother and child;
like separating Minna from Clarissa
Eileen"
Better than an automatic-a bat
tery of guns!" replied Lanstron. This
is where / will use any influence
have with Partow for all it is worth.
Yes. and he shall have the iron cross.
It is for such deeds as his that the
iron cross was meant"
Thank YOU" she said. Its worth
something to make man as happy as
you will make him. Yes, you are real
flesh and blood to do this. Lanny."
Her point won with surprising ease
when she had feared that military
form and law could not be circum
vented, she leaned against the wall
in reaction. For twenty-four hours
she had been without sleep. The in
terest Of her appeal for Teller had
kept up her strength after the excite
ment of the fight for the redoubt was
over. Now there seemed nothing left
to do.
That's fine Of you, Lanny!" she
said. You've taken 1t like a good
stole, this loss of your thousandth
chance. You really believed in it
didn't you?"
Forgotten already, like the many
other thousandth chances that have
failed" he replied cheerfully. "One
of the virtues of Partow's steel au
donations is that, being fearless az
} we'll as passionless, they never cry
over split milk. And now," he went
on soberly, 1--WE must be saying good
by"
"Good-by, Lanny? Why, what DE-
you mean?" She was startled.
Till the war is over" he said, "ant
longer than that, perhaps, If La Til
remains in Gray territory"
: you speak as If you thought yor
were going to lose!"
Not while many of our soldiers arr
IL
spirit that they have shown so far
not unless two men can crush on,
. man in the automatic gun-recoil age
But La Tir is in a tangent and alread!
in the Grays' possession, while we &C
on the defensive. So ! should hardl!
be flying over your garden again"
But there's the telephone, Lanny
and here we are talking over it thii
very minute!" she expostulated.
You must remove It," he said. 81
the Grays should discover it the!
might form suspicion that would pu
you in an unpleasant position"
The telephone had become almost
familiar institution in her thoughts
Its secret had something of the fasci
nation for her of magic.
"Nonsense!" she exclaimed Il an
going to. be very lonely. l want Il
learn how Teller is doing-T want Il
, chat with you. So / decide not to lie
1t be taken out. And, you see, hav'
, the tactical situation. as you soldier
call it. all in my favor. The worl
OF removal must be done at my en-,
Of the line. You're quite helpless {,
enforce your wishes. And. Lanny,
l ring the bell you'll answer, won
you?"
81 couldn't help IT," he replied.
Until then! You've been fine abou
everything today!"
Until them"
, When Marta left the tower she knew
only that she was weary with tn
, mind-weariness, the body-weariness