The Monticellonian., 1915-02-11

race of intellects in the scratch class. l One by one, almost perIuncturny. 1 Westerling gave his assent as he passed the papers to Turcas; while | Tureass dry voice, coming from be- tween narrow opening of the thin 1 lips, gave his reasons with a rapid. frer's precision in answer to his chiefs inquiries.
 With each order. somewhere along that frontier some unit of a great or | ganism would respond. The reserves from this position would be trans. | ferred to that; such a position would 1 be felt out before dark by a reeonnois- sance in force, however costly; the rapid. .firers of the 18th Division would be transferred to the goth, despite the 37th Brigade's losses, 1t would still form the advance; General So-and-So would be superseded after his failure of yesterday; Colonel So-and-So would take his place as acting majorgeneral; more care must be exercised in reeom- mendations for bronze crosses lest their value so depreciate that officers and men would lack incentive to win them.
 Marta was having a look behind the scenes at the fountainhead of great events. Power! power! The abso- lute power of the soldier In the saddle, with premier and government and all the institutions of peace only dlm background for the processes Of war! Opposite her was a man who could make and unmake not only generals but even the destinies of peoples. By every sign he enjoyed his power for it's own sake. There must be chief of the five millions, which were as moving forest of destruction, and here was the chief, his strength reflected in the strong muscles of his short neck as he turned his head to listen to Tureas. Marta recalled the con- trast between Westerling and Lan- stron as they faced each other after the wreck of the aeropiane ten years ago; the iron invincibility of the elders sturdy. mature figure and the alert, high-strung invineibility of the slighter figure of the younger man.
 He had taken up a paper thought fully after Turcas withdrew, when he looked up to Marta in answer to movement in her chair. She had bent forward in pose that freed her figure from the ehair-baek in an outline of suppleness and firmness; her lips were parted, showing a faint line of the white of her teeth, and he caught her gazing at him in a kind of wondering admiration. But she dropped her eye lids instantly and said deliberately, less to him than to herself:
 You have the gift
 No tea-table flattery that, he knew; only the reflection of a fact whose ex- istence had been borne in on her by observation.
 "The gift? How?" he inquired. speaking to the fringe of hair that half hid her lowered face.
 She looked up, smiling brightly.
 You don't know what gift! Not the pianist's. Not the poet'si Why, mand! The thing that made you chief of staff And the war goes we'll for you, doesn't it?"
 Delicious morsel, this, to eonnois- seur in compliments! He tasted it with the same self.satisfied smile that he had her first prophecy. To her who had then voiced secret he had shared with no one. as his chest swelled with full breath, he barred another in the delight of the impress sion he had made on her
 Yes, as you foresaw-as planned!" he said. Yes, I planned all, step by step, till was chief of st r and ready. I convinced the premier that 1t was time to strike and chose the hour to strike; for Bodlapoo was only a con venient excuse for the last of all the steps"
 tTO BE CONTINUED)