The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1915-01-15
CHAPTER xlII-Contlnued.

Then a staff-officer appeared in the
doorway. When he saw a woman en-
tor the room he frowned. He had rid
den from the town, which was empty
OF women, 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 it and found himself in want OF
words as their eyes met after she had
made a 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 well groomed
and freshly shaven 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-
fenging 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
% go.
81 did not know that there was a
woman here!" he said.
"And did not know that officers Of
She Grays were accustomed to enter
yrivate houses without invitations!"
ehe replied.
This is a little different" he began.
She interrupted him.
"But the law of the Grays Is that
Aomes should be left undisturbed, isn't
st? At least, ii is the law of civiliZa-
tion. l believe you profess, too, to pro-
tect property, do you not?"
why, yes!" he agreed. He wished
that he could get little respite from
she steady fire of her eyes. 1t was en-
sarrassing and as confusing as the
white light of an impracticable logic.
I'm that case, please place a guard
around our house lest some more Of
your soldiers get out of control" she
went on.
81 can do that, yes" he said. But
we are to make this a staff headquar-
ters and must start at once to put the
house in readiness"
~GeEersj Nesterling's headquar-
ters?" she inquired.
He parried the question with a
frown. Staff-officers never give infor-
nation. They receive information and
transmit orders.
81 know General Westerling. You
will tell him that my mother, Mrs. Gal
land, and our maid and myself are
very tired from the entertainment he
has given us, unasked, and we need
sleep tonight. So you will leave US
until morning and that door, sir, is the
me out into the grounds"
The staff-officer bowed and went out
by that door, glad to get away from
harta's eres. His inspection OF the
premisa with view TO plans for STAFF
accommodation could wait. Wester-
ling would not be here for two days
ut least.
"Whew! What energy she hast" he
thought. IL never had anybody make
me feel so contemptibly unlike a gen
tleman in my life"
Yet Marta. returning TO the hall, had
10 steady herself in a dizzy moment
against the wall. Complete reaction
had come. She craved sleep as IL IL
were the one true, real thing in the
world. She cr.ved sleep for the clarity
Of mind that comes with the morning
light. In the haziness of fieecy thought.
eli ~ AZ
around her. her last conscious visions
were the pleasant ones rising free of
q background OF horror; OF Feller's
smile when he went back to his auto
matte for good: OF Dellarmee smile as
he was dying: OF Stransky's smile as
Ainna gave him nope; and Of Hugo's
nee as he uttered his fute-like cry OF
protest In her ears we're the haunt