The Red Cloud chief., 1915-04-15
CHAPTER xxli-Continued.

II think we have practically agreed
that the two individuals who were In
valuable to our cause we're Partow and
Miss Galland," Lanstron remarked ten
tatively. He waited for reply. II
was apparent that he was laying
foundation before he went any fur
Their.
Certainly" said the vice-chief.
And you!" put In another officer,
which brought chorus OF assent.
mo, not only these two!" Ian
stron replied. "Or, !, too, III you pre-
fer. II little matters. The thing Is
that ! am under promise to both,
which | shall respect. He organized
and labored for the same purpose that
she played the spy. When we sent
the troops forward In a counter.attack
and pursuit to clear our soil OF the
Grays: when stopped them at the
frontier-both we're according to Par
tow's plan. lie had plan and
dream, this wonderful old man who
made us all seem primary pupils In
the art Of war;
Could it be that terrible Partow. a
stroke OF whose pencil had made the
Galland house an inferno? Marta
wondered as Lanstron read his mes.
sage-the message out Of the real
heart Of the man, throbbing with the
power OF his great brain. His plan
was to hold the Grays to stalemate;
to force them to desist after they had
battered their battalions to pieces
against the Brown Notifications. His
dream was the thing that had hap
pened-that an opportunity would
come to pursue broken machine In
bold stroke of the offensive.
Il would want to be hero Of our
people for only one aim. to be able
to stop our army at the frontier" he
had written. Then they might drive
me forth heaped with obloQuy. II they
chose. ! should like to see the Grays
demoralized. beaten, ready to sue for
peace. the better to prove my point
that we should ask only for what is
ours and that our strength was only
for the purpose Of holding what is
ours. Then we should lay up no leg
acy OF revenge In their hearts. They
could never have cause to attack
again. Civilization would have ad.
vanced another step"
Lanstron continued to read to the
amazed STAFF. for Partow's message
had looked far into the future. Then
there was a p s., written after the
war had begun, on the evening OF the
day that Marta had gone from tea on
the veranda with Westerling to the
telephone. In the impulse Of her new
purpose.
IL begin to believe In that dream
he wrote. Il begin to believe that the
chance for the offensive will come
now that my colleague. Miss Galland
in the name of peace has turned prac
tical. There Is nothing like mixing 6
little practice In your dreams Will,
the world is still well this side O.
Utopia, as the head Oh my old behe
moth OF q body well knows. She hat
the right idea with her school. Thu
oath 80 completely expressed m,
ideas-the result OF all my thinking
that had twinge OF literary jeal
ousy. My boy, II you do reach TIL
frontier. In pursuit of broken army
and you do not keep faith with m
dream and with her ideals, then 20,
will get lesson that will last you fol
ever at the foot of the Gray range
But do not think so badly as that O
YOU or of my judgment OF men"
"Lanny! Lanny!"
The dignity of staff council coul
not restrain Marta. Her emotion mus
have action. She eprang to his sid
and seized his hand, her exultatio
mixed with penitence over the wa
she had wronged him and Partov
Their self'contained purpose had bee
the same as hers and they had worke
with a soldiers fortitdde, while sh
had worked with whms and impulse
She bent over him with gratitude an
praise and plea for forgiveness 1
her eyes, submerging the thing whic
he sought In them. He flushed bo
ishly in happy embarrassment, inc
pable OF words for an instant: an
silently the staff looked on.
And agree with Partow," Lanstrc
went on, that we cannot take Il
range. The Grays still have humble,
equal to ours. 1t is they, now. wi
will be singing God with us!' vii
their backs against the wall. Wi
Partow's goes my own appeal to Il
army and the nation; and shall Ike,
faith with Partow. with Miss Gallan
and with my own ideas. II the cover
ment orders the army to advance,
resigning as chief Of staff-my wo
finished"
Westerling and his aide and val
inQuiring their way as strangers, fou
the new staff headquarters OF I
Grays established in an army buildr
where Bouchard had been assigned
trivial duties. back Of the Gray ran,
AS their former chief entered roc
In the disorder Of maps and packil
cases, the staff-oiilcers rose from tn,