The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1915-01-22
CHAPTER XI-Continued.


She was at the door Of her mothers
room, which was like an antique shop.
Old plates lay on top of old tables
With vases on the floor under the
tables. Surrounded by her treasures,
Mira Galland awaited the attack; not
"a a soldier awaits 1t, but as that ven
arable Roman senator Of the story
faced the barbarous Gauls-neither
disputing the power Of their spears
nor Yielding the self.respect Of his own
mind and soul. She had lain down IN
her wrapper for the night, and tne
light from a single candle-she still
favored candles-revealed her features
calm and philosophical among the Pill
lows. Yet the magic Of war, reaching
deep into hidden emotions, had her
also under its spell. Her voice was al
once more tender and vital.
Marta, l see that you are all on
wires!"
Eyes; jangling wires, every one,
1angling every second out OF tune
Marta acquiesced.
Marta, my father"-her father had
been a premier Of the Browns-"al-
ways said that you may enjoy the lux
ury Of fussing over little things, fol-
they don't count much one way or an
other; but about big things you mus
never fuss or you will not be worth!
of big things. Marta, you cannot stol
8 railroad train with your hands. Thl
Is not the first war on earth and W
are not the first women who eve
thought that war was wrong. Fac
Of US has his work to do and you wi
have yours. 1t does no good &c tir
yourself out and fly to pieces, even
YOU do know so much and have bee
around the world"
She smiled as a woman OF slXt,
who has a secret heart-break that sh
had never given her husband a sol
may smile at daughter who is bot
son and daughter to her, and hi
plump hand, all curves like her plum
face and her plump body, spread ope
in appeal.
Marta, who, In the breeding of h
generation, felt sentiment as more
less of a lure from logic, dropped b
side the bed in a sudden burst of Sc
timent and gathered the plump hal
in hers and kissed it.
Mother, you are wonderful" 81
said. Mother, you are great"
After a time, her ear becoming g
customed to the firing as a city DIV
ler's to the distant roar of city tr;
fic, Ms. Galland slept. But Mar
could not follow her advice. If, ira
silently at least, she had found son
thing Of the peace Of the confession
the vigor of youth was in her arterie
and youth cannot help remaini
awake under some conditions. S
tiptoed across the hall into her oN
room and seated herself by the W
dow. The symbol of what the e
had heard the eye saw--war, work.
IN tones of the landscape by day wi
smokeless powder; war, revealed
It's tongues Of flame at night. Ut
hursts of fire from the higher hi
snread to the heavens like an aurt
horealis and broke their messengt
IN sheets of fame over the lower nj
the batteries Of the Browns spr
king death about the heads of
gunners Of the Grays emplacing tn
batteries. Staccato flashes from
single point counted so many bull
from an automatic, which directed
the beams Of the search-lights, fou
their targets in sections of advance
infantry. Hill crests, set OF W
flashes running back and forth,
marked infantry lines OF the Brow
assisting the automatics.
There were lulls between
crashes Of the small arms and
heavy, throaty speech Of the gul
lulls that seemed to say that b
sides had paused for a breath
spell; lulls that allowed the battle
the distance to be heard in its per
siye undertone. In one OF them, WI
even the undertone had ceased fol
few seconds, Marta caught family
sroans of q wounded man-one OF