The Monticellonian., 1915-02-25
CHAPTER XVI.
M arkinq Time.

Soon after dark the attack began. ing sheets of flame from rifles made ugly reyelry, while the beams of search-lights swept hither and thither. This kept up till shortly after mid night, when it died down and, where helrs concert had ragged, silent dark ness shrouded the hills. Marta knew that Bordir was taken without having to ask Lanstron or wait for confirma- tion from Westerling.
 She was seated in the recess of the arbor the next morning, when she heard the approach of those regular. powerful steps whose character had become as distinct to her as those of a member of her own family. Five against threei five against three! they were saying to her; while down the pass road and the castle road ran the stream of wounded from last nights slaughter.
 Posted in the drawing-room of the Galland house were the eongratula tions of the premier to Westerling,
  staff that accorded to him a mili- tary insight far above the analysis of ordinary standards. But he was too clever a man to vaunt his triumph He knew how to carry his honors. He accepted success as his due, in a matter-of-course manner that must in- spire confidence in further success.
 You were right" he said to Marta easily, pleasantly. We did tive did tive took Bordir with a loss of only twenty thousand men!"
 Only twenty thousand! Her revul- sion at the bald statement was re- lieved by the memory of Lanny's word over the telephone after breakfast that the Browns had lost only five thou sand Four to one was a wide ratio, she was thinking.
 Then the end-then peace is so much nearer?" she asked
 Very much nearer!" he answered earnestly, as he dropped on the bench beside her.
 He stretched his arms out on the back of the seat and the relaxed atti- tude, unusual with him, brought into relief new trait of which she had been hitherto oblivious. The con queror had become simply a compan- ionable man. Though he was not sit ting close to her, yet, as his eyes met hers. she had a desire to move away which she knew would be unwise to gratify. She was conscious of a cer tain softening charm, magnetism that she had sometimes felt in the realized, too, that then the charm had not been mixed with the indescribable, intimate quality that it held now.
 Tn the midst of congratulations after the position was taken last night" he declared, q confess that was thinking less of success than of it's source" He bent on her look that was warm with gratitude.
 She lowered her lashes before 1t; before gratitude that made her part appear in a fresh angle of misery.
 There seems to be a kind of fa- tality about our relations" he went on. T lay awake pondering it last night" His tone held more than gratitude. It had the elation of discovery
 He is going to make it harder than l ever guessed." echoed her own thought in a fiutter of confusion.
 Yes, it was strange our meeting on the frontier in peace and then in war!" she exclaimed at random. The sound of the remark struck her as too sub dued; as expeetant, when her purpose was one of careless deprecatfon.
 T have met great many women. as you may have imagined" he pro- ceeded. They have passed in review. They were simply women, witty and frail or dull and beautiful, and one meant no more to me than another. Nothing meant anything to me except my profession. But l never forgot you. You planted something in mind: a memory of real companionship."
 Yes. made the prophecy that came true!" she put in. This ought to bring him back to himself and his ambitions, she thought
 "Yes," he exclaimed. his body stiff fening free of the back of the seat You realized what was in me. You foresaw the power which was to be mine The fate that first brought us