The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1915-04-01

III luIOtNDASIO0 V18 Ov2 t0l8 WlfV IKV8
our staR into the Browns headquar-
tiers. n Bouchard beloved and -
came TO believe"
30 loag hsd Marta expoete1 this ~
msnt Of exposure that II brought -
shock Her spirit had undersons many
subtle rehearsals for the occasioa-
Yes. that il true" she heard hsrsslf
saying. . little distantly. but vssy
quietly and naturally.
Westerling fell back - nom Q blow
in the face. His breath cane hard at
hrst. like one being strangied. Thea
1t sank deep in his chest and his eyes
were bloodShot. a. bulls in bis anal
effort against the matador. He raised
. quivering. clenched fist and took .
step nearer her.
But far from ninching. Marta ssemsd
to be greeting the blow. a. II she A.
mitted his right to strike. She vas
without any sign of triumph and With
every sign of relief Lying vas at an
end. She could be truthful.
DO you recall what said in the re-
ception-room at the hotel?" she asked.
The question sent fash into hid.
den chamber Of his mind. Now the
only thing he could remember OF that
interview was the one remark which
hitherto he had never included in his
recollection OF 1t.
You said l could not win" He drew
out the words painfully.
When you said that you brought on
this war to crafty your ambition. !
chose to be one of the weapons OF
war: / fought for civilization. for my
home. with the only means I had
against the wickedness of victory of
conquest-the precedent of 1t In this
age-a victory which should glorify
such trickery as you practised on your
people"
Il should like to shoot you dead! "
cried Bellini
"And you let me make love to you!"
Westerling said in a daxed. cropping
monotone to Marta.
Such a wreck was he of his former
self that she found 1t amazing that she
could not pity him. Yet she might
have pitied him had he plunged into
the tight: had he tried to rally one Of
the broken regiments; had he been
able to forget himself.
Rather, you made love to yourself
through me-" she answered. not harsh
ly, not even emphatically, but merely
as q statement of passionless fact. I'll
you dared to endure what you ordered
others to endure for the sake Of your
ambition; if"
She was interrupted by . sharp sip
in the air. Westerling lodged and
looked about wildly.
What is that?" he asked. WHAT?
Five or six zips followed like q
charge of wasps flying at q speed that
made them invisible. Marta felt q
brush Of air past her cheek and Wes'
terling went chalky white. It was the
FIRST time he had been under hre. But
these bullets were only strays. Nc
more came. .-4
"Come, general. let % be going!'
urged the aide, touching his chief on
the arm.
Yes. yes!" said westerling hur
riedly,
Francois. who had picked up the coat
that had fallen from Westerling'a 4
shoulders with his start at the buzzing
held 1t while his master thrust his
hands through the sleeves.
And this is WISER" said the aide
unfastening the detachable insignia Of
rank from the shoulders of the great
coat. "It's wiser. too. that we walk.
he added.
Walk? But my carl" exclaimed
Westerling petulantly.
| I'm afraid that the car could not
get through the press in the town,
was the reply. Walking is safer"
The absence in him of that quality
which Is the soldiers real glory, the
picture Of this deserted leader, this
god OF . machine who had been
crushed by his machine, his very lack
Of stoicism or courage-all this sud
denly appealed to Marta's quick sym
pathies. They had once drunk tea to
gether.
"Oh. 1t was not personal! l did not
think OF myself as a person or of you
as one-only Of principles and of thou
sands of others-to end the killing-to
save our country to its people! Oh,
I'm sorry and. personally. I'm horrible
-horrible!" she called after him in q
! broken, quavering gust of words which
he heard confusedly in tragic mockery
He made no answer; he did not even
4
seeing the path, he permitted the aide
to choose the way, which lay across
the boundary Of the Galland estate.
| CHAPTER XXI.