The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1915-01-30
CHAPTER xIII-ContInued.

Then a staff-officer appeared in the
doorway. When he saw a woman en-
ter the room he frowned. He had rid
den from the town, which was empty
of women, a fact that he regarded as
a blessing. II she had been a maid
servant he would have kept on his
cap. Seeing that she was not, he re-
moved 1t and found himself In want Of
words as their eyes met after she had
made q gesture to the broken glass
on the floor and the lacerated table
top, which said too plainly:
do you admire your work."
The fact that he was we'll groomed
and freshly shaver did not in any wise
dissipate in her feminine mind his
connection with this destruction. He
had never seen anything like the smile
which went with the gesture. Her
eyes were two continuing and chal-
longing flames. Her chin was held
high and steady, and the pallor of ex-
haustion, with the blackness Of her
hair and eyes. made her strangely
commanding. He understood that she
was not waiting for him to speak, but
TO 60.
81 did not know that there was q
woman herei" he said.
And did not know that officers OF
the Grays were accustomed to enter
private houses without invitations!"
she replied.
"This is q little different" he began.
She interrupted him.
But the law Of the Grays IL that
homes should be left undisturbed. isn't
II? At least, II Ia the law of civiliza
ton. / believe you profess, too. to pro
tect property, do you notf"
why. yes!" he agreed. He wished
that he could get little respite from
the steady IRE of her eyes. 1t was EN-
barrassing and a. confusing as the
white light of an impracticable logic
I'm that case, please place q guart
around our house lest some more o.
your soldiers get out of control" sh,
went on.
Il can do that, yes" he said. "Bu
we are to make this stan headQuar
tiers and must start at once to put the
house In readiness"
General Westerling's headouar
tersT she inquired.
He parted the question with Z
frown. Staff-oficers never give infor
nation. They receive information ant
transmit orders.
Il know General Westerling. 70,
will tell him that my mother, Mrs. Gal
land. and our maid and myself ar,
very tired from the entertainment h,
has given US. unasked, and we nee,
sleep tonight. So you will leave u
until morning and that door, sir, is tn
one out into the grounds"
The staff-oficer bowed and went GU
by that door, glad to get away iron
Marta's eyes. His inspection of tn
premises with q view to plans for stat
accommodation could wait. Westel
ling would not be here for two day
ct least.
''Whewi What energy she hast" b
thought. Il never had anybody max
me feel % contemptibly unlike a ger
tleman In my life."
Yet Marta. returning to the hall, ha
to steady herself In q dizzy momen
against the wall. Complete reaction
had come. She craved sleep as II 1
were the one true. real thing in tn
world. She craved sleep for the clarit,
OF mind that comes with the mornin,
light In the haziness Of fleecy thought
a. slumber drew its soft cloud
around her, her last conscious vision
were the pleasant ones rising free O
q background Of horror; OF Teller,
smile when he went back to his auto
matte for good; Of Dellarme's smile a,
he was dying; Of Stransky's smile a,
Minna gave him hope; and of Hugo'i
face as he uttered his flute-like cry O
protest. In Der ears were the haunt
tng calmness and contained force O
LAnstron's voice over the telephone
She was pleased to think that she hat
mot lost her temper in her talk will
the etah-officer. No, she had not fiaret
once In indignation. 1t was as IL she
had absorbed some of Lanny's owl
self-control Lanny would approve o.
her In that scene with an officer of tn,
Grays. And she realized that chang,
had come over her-a change mex
piicabie and telling-and she wa.
tired-oh. 80 tired! 1t had been ex
hausting work. indeed. for one woman
though she had been around the world
making wal. on two armies.
The general staff-ofiicer of the Grays