The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1915-02-26

on in face Oft
Il tell you we cannot retreat!"
terling interrupted. THAT is the
I know what you do not know. {
in touch with the government. I t
know"
This brought fresh alarm into ;
which had become set in grim stoicis !
by many alarms. II the people were -
ignorance Of the losses and the army
in ignorance Of the nations feeling,
the officers Of the staff were no less in
ignorance Of what passed over tha
ilong-distance wire between the Chief
of staff and the premier.
Il know what is best-I alone!'
'Westerling continued, driving home his
point. 'Tell our commanders to hold
Neither general nor man is to bulge
They are to stick to the death. Any
one who does not | shall hold up to
public shame as a poltroon. Who
knows but Lanstron's attack may be
a council of desperation? The Browns
may be worse off than we are. Hold
hold! If we are tired, they are tired
Frequently it takes only an ounce more
of resolution to turn the tide of battle
Hold, hold! Tomorrow will tell diff
ferent story! We are going to win
leyet! Yes, we are going to win!"
ut is for you to decide. Your Excel
lency," said Turcas, slowly and pre-
cisely. "You take the responsibility"
II take the responsibility. l am in
commando" replied Westerling id un
| flinching pose.
"Yes. Your Excellency."
And they filed out Of the room. leav
ing him to his isolation.
- -
After Marta had learned, over the
telephone, from Lanstron Of the Ger
tain repulse of the Gray assault, fatigue
sheer physical fatigue such as made
soldiers drop dead in slumber on the
earth, their packs still on their backs
--overcame her. Her work was done
The demands of nature overwhelmed
her faculties. She slept with nervous
,twitching Of her muscles, restless
tossing Of her 1.-the body, until ham
mers began beating on her temples
beating, beating with the sound o.
shell bursts, as If to warn her that pun
ishment for her share in the killing
was to be the eternal concussion o.
battle in her ears. At length she real
lied that the cannonading was real.
Fastening out-of-doors, as hel
glance swept toward the range she saw
bursts of shrapnel smoke from tn,
guns of the Browns nearer than since
the fighting had begun on the mair
line, and these were directed at bodie!
of infantry that were in confused re
treat down the slopes, while all traffi,
on the pass road was moving towart
the rear. Impelled by a new appre
hension she hurried to the tunnel
Lanstrou answered her promptly in {
voice that had ring Of relief and jo!
in place of the tension that had char
acterized 1t since the outbreak of tn
war.
Thanks to you, Marital" he cried
Everything goes back to you-thank
to you came this chance to attack, an
we are succeeding at every point! Yo
are the general, you the maker of vic
tories!"
Eyes, the general of still more kill
ing!" she cried in indignation. "Wh
have you gone on with the slaughter
did not help you for this. Why?"
No reply came. She poured ou
more questions, and still no reply. Sn
pressed the button and tried again. bu
she might as we'll have been 'talkin
over a dead wire.
One man alone against the tide
rather, the man who has seen It'd
rise at his orders now finding all it
sweep against Misunderstanding accus
toned to have millions of men nGv
at his command, found himself, on
man out of the millions, still and hell
less while they moved of their own in
pulses.
AS news of positions lost came il
he could only grimly repeat, Hold
Tell them to hold" fruitlessly, like az
jurations to the wind to cease blowinl
The bell of the long distance keI
ringing urheeded, until at last his aid
came to say that the premier mus
speak either to him or to the vic'
chief. Westerling staggered to hi
feet and with lurching steps went int
the closet. There he sank down on til
chair in heap, staring at the tell
phone mouthpiece. Again the bell rant
Clenching his hands in rocking e
fort, he was able to stiffen his spin
once more as he took down the RI
ceiver. To admit defeat to the prt
mier-no, he was not ready for tha
yet.
"The truth Is out!" said the premie
without any break in his voice an
with the fatalism Of one who neve
allows himself to blink q fact. "Telel
raphers at the front who got out
touch with the star were still In touc
with the capital. Once the reports b.
gan to come. they poured in--decimi
tion Of the attacking column, PAM
and retreat In other portions Of th