The Monticellonian., 1915-02-11
CHAPTER xlll-contlnued.


 doorway. When he saw woman en- ter the room he frowned. He had rid den from the town, which was empty of women, fact that he regarded as blessing. If she had been a maid servant he would have kept on his cap. Seeing that she was not. he re- moved 1t and found himself in want of words as their eyes met after she had made 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 destruetioS He had never seen anything like the smile which went with the gesture Her eyes were two continuing and ehal. lenging 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 to go.
 "I did not know that there was woman herei" he said.
 And l did not know that officers of the Grays were accustomed to enter private houses without invitations! !" she replied.
 This is little different" he began
 She interrupted him.
 But the law of the Grays Is that homes should be left undisturbed. isn't 1t? At least, it Is the law of ciyiliza- tion. believe you profess, too. to pro- tect property, do you not?"
 Why, yesl" he agreed He wished that he could get little respite from the steady fire of her eyes. It was em. barrassing and as confusing as the white light of an impractieable logic
 Tn that case, please place a guard around our house lest some more of your soldiers get out of control" she went on.
 T 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.
 General Westerlings headquar- ters?" she inquired
 He parried the question with a frown. Staff-offieers never give infor- nation. They receive information and transmit orders,
 T 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. Sc you will leave us until morning and that door, sir, is the one out into the grounds .
 The staff-offieer bowed and went out by that door. glad to get away from Martas eyes His inspection of the premises with view to plans for staff accommodation could wait. Wester- ling would not be here for two days at least
 '.Whew! What energy she has" he thought. q never had anybody make me feel so eontemptbly unlike a gen. tleman in my life''
 Yet Marta. returning to the hall had to steady herself in dizzy moment against the wall. Complete reaction had come. She crayed sleep as if 1t were the one true, real thing in tie world. She craved sleep for the clarity of mind that comes with the morning light. In the haziness Of fleeey thought. as slumber drew its soft clouds around her, her last conscious visions were the pleasant ones rising free of background Of horror: Of Feller's smile when he went back to his auto matic for good; Of Dellarme's smile as he was dying; of Stranskys smile as Minna gave him hope; and Of Hugo's face as he uttered his flute-like cry of protest In her ears were the haunt ing calmness and contained force of Lanstron's voice over the telephone. She was pleased to think that she had not lost her temper in her talk with the staff-offlcer. No, she had not fared once in indignation. It was as If she had absorbed some of Lanny's own self-eontrol Lanny would approve of her in It scene with an officer of the Grays. And she realized that a change had come over her-a change inex. lpiicable and telling-and she was tred-oh, so tired! It had been ex. ihausting work. indeed, for one woman though she had been around the world making war on two armies.
 The general staff officer of the Grays