Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1915-03-04


lhzl ] am undtf : pI0nIss g btin
which shah respect Re olsAnInol
and labprpd for tha same purpQea that
she played the SPY. When va eeni
the troops forward In q counterattach
and pursuit 70 clear our soil OF the
0rays; when I stopped them at the
frontier-both were according 70 Par
tow's plan. He had . plan and q
dream, this wonderful old man who
made us all seem primary pupils In
the art OF war"
Could II DO that terrible PaFtow, q
stroke OF whose pencil had made the
Galland house an infernof Marta
wondered a. 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 20 hold the Grays to stalemate;
to force them to desist after they had
battered their battalions 70 pieces
against the Brown Notifications. His
dream was the thing that had hap
pened-thAt an opportunity would
come TO pursue q broken machine In
a bold stroke OF the offensive.
81 would want to be q 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
demoraliEed. beaten. ready to sue for
peace, the better to prove my point
that we should ask only for what 10
ours and that our strength was only
for the purpose of holding what IL
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 adj
vanced another STEP"
Lanstron continued to read to the
amazed stan, for Partow's message
had looked far into the future. Then
there was p. s., written after the
war had begun, on the evening Of the
day that Marta had gone from tea on
the yeranda with Westerling to, the
telephone, In the impulse OF her new
purpose.
ct begin to believe in that dream"
he wrote. II 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
little practice in your dreams while
the world ie still well this side Of
Utopia, as the head on my old behe-
moth OF a body well knows. She had
the right idea with her school. The
oath SO completely expressed my
ideas-the result of all my thinking
that had a twinge Of literary jeal-
ousy. My boy, If you do reach the
frontier, in pursuit of a broken army,
and you do not keep faith with my
dream and with her ideals, then you
win get lesson that will last you for
ever at the foot of the Gray range.
But do not think so badly as that Of
You or of my judgment Of men,"
'Lanny! Lanny!"
The dignity of a STAFF council could
not restrain Marta Her emotion must
have action. She eprang to his side
and seized his hand, her exultation
mixed with penitence over the way
she had wrOnged him and Partow.
Their self-contained purpose had been
the same as hers and they had worked
with a soldiers fortitude, while she
had worked with whims and impulses. |
She bent over him with gratitude and
praise and a plea for forgiveness in
her eyes, submerging the thing which |
he sought in them. He flushed boy
ishly in happy embarrassment. inca
pable Of words for an instant; and
silently the staff looked on.
And agree with Partow," Lanstron
went on, that we cannot take the
range. The Grays still have numbers
equal to ours. 1t 10 they, now, who
will be singing God with us!' with |
their backs against the wall. With |
Partow's goes my own appeal to the
army and the nation; and shall keep
faith with PaYtow, with Miss Galland.
and with my own ideas, II the govern
ment orders the army to advance, by |
resigning as chief Of staff-my work
Westerling and his aide and valet.
their way as strangers, found
the new STAFF headquarters Of the
Grays established in an army building |
where Bouchard had been assigned to
trivial duties, back Of the Gray range.
As their former chief entered a room
IN the disorder Of maps and packing
cases. the stafC-oflcers rose from their
work to stand at salute like stone Inn
ages In respect TO a 1leld-mRrShals
rank. There was no word, Of greeting |
but a telling silence before Turcas
L,hdMl OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES