Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-01-21

feel his twinges Of pain while he
smiled. Was the revelation the more
vivid because it had once occurred
TO her since the war began? 1t shut
out the presence of the officers; she
no longer heard what they were say
ing. Black fear was enveloping her
Vaguely she understood that they
were looking away at something. She
heard the roar of artillery not far dis
tant and following their gaze toward
the knoll where Dellarme's men had
received their baptism Of fire. now IN
der canopy of shrapnel smoke.
That's about their last stand in the
tangent, their last snarl on our soil"
remarked the brigade commander
And we're raining shells on it,"
said his aide. with our glasses we'll
be able to watch the infantry go in"
Eyes, very well"
We're all used to how it feels, now
Wen see how it looks at a distance"
piped one of the soldiers.
Not until he had shouted to them
did they notice a division staff-officer
VIM hc@d NOA4C 0p A1OlI1 LUS IOdQ.
had piece of astounding news to i'm
part before he mentioned official bust
ness.
What do you think of this?" he
cried. Nothing could stop him! Ian
stron-yes, Lanstron has gone into
that charge with the African Braves!"
'Why?" Marta heard the officers
around her asking after their excla-
nations of amazement at the news
that Lanstron was going in the
charge. why should the chief of staff
risk his life in this fashion,"
Marta knew. All her taunts about
sending others to death from his office
chair, uttered as the fugitive sarcasm
of mood, required in the merciless
hammerbeat of recollection. For
moment she was aghast, speeches..
Then the officers, occupied with the
startling news, heard voice,
wrenched from a dry throat in an
guish, saying:
''The telephone! Try to reach him!
Tell him he must not!"
Eve can hardly say must not to a
chief of staff" said the general auto
matically.
Tell him I ask him not to! Try
to reach him-try-you can try!"
Yes, yes! Certainly" exclaimed
the general, turning to the telephone
operator
He had seen now what the younger
men had seen at glance. They were
recalling Lanstron's relief at seeing
her; how he had passed them by to
speak to her; the intensity of the two
in their almost wordless meeting.
Her bloodless lips, the imploring pas
sion in her eyes, her quivering impa-
tience told the rest.
Division headquarters! called the
operator. They're getting brigade
headquarters" he added while he
waited in silence. Brigade headquar-
| tiers says the Braves have no wire It's
too late. The charge is starting"
$50 it isl" cried one of the subal-
terms. Look! Look!''
Marta looked toward the rising
! ground this side of the knoll in time
to see bayonets flash in the waning
afternoon sunlight and disappear as
they descended the slope.
There! They're up on the other
slope without stopping!" exclaimed
the general Quick! Don't you want
to see?" He offered his glasses to
Marta.
mo, I can see well enough" she
murmured, though the landscape was
moving before her eyes in giddy
waves.
THE madness of it! The whole
slope is peppered with the fallen!"
What a cost! Magnificent, but not
war. Carrying their flag in the good
old way, right at the 'front.'"
''Heavens l hope they do it,"
1.-THE flags down."
Another man has tits uni"
splendid! They're int
so they arei And the flag, tool"
Eyes, what's left are in!'
''And Lanstron was therein that!'
What if"
eyes, the chief of staff, the head Of
the army, in an affair like that!"
"The mind of the army-the minC
that was to direct our advanced"
'sWhen all the honors of the world
are his!"
Their words were acid-tipped nee
dies knitting back and forth through
Marta's brain. Was Lanny one o.
those black specks that peppered the
slope? Was he? Was he?
Telephone and-and see if Lanny
isis killed." she begged.
I'll go-Tll go out there where he
isl" she said incoherently, still look
ing toward the knoll with glazed eyes
She thought she was walking fast as
she started for the garden gate, bu
really she was going slowly, STUN
blingly.
L think you had better stop her i
you can," said the general to his aide
The aide overlook her at the gate.
eve shall know about his exceIlency
before you can find out for yourself,
he said; and, young himself, he could
put the sympathy of youth with TO
nance into his tone. you might miss
the road, even miss him, when he was
without a scratch, and be for hours il
ignorance" he explained. In a few
minutes we ought to have word
Marta sank down weakly on the
tongue of wagon, overturned agains
the garden wall in the melee of the re
treat, and leaned her shoulder on the
wheel for support.
IF the women of the Grays waited
four weeks she said with an effort a.
stoicism, then l ought to be able tC
wait a few minutes
Depend on me. III bring news a:
soon as there is any" the aid con
Guided, and, seeing that she wished tt
be alone, he left her.
For the first time she had real oh
livion from the memory Of her deceit
of Westerling, the oblivion of drear
heart-pulling suspense. All the good
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