The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1915-03-25

He had told KNrta only two weeks
ago that he shc3ld see her again II
war came: and war had come. With
the inviting prospect OF few holiday
moments in which to continue the In
terview that had been abruptly con-
Guided in a hotel reception room. he
started down the terrace steps. Above
the second terrace he saw a crown OF
woman's hair-hair of jet abundance,
shading a face that brought familiar
completeness to the scene. Their
chances met where the path ended
at the second terrace fight; hers shot
with a beam of restrained and ques-
tioning good humor that spoke at
least truce to the invader.
You called sooner than l expected"
she said in a note of equivocal pleas.
antry.
"Or l." he rejoined with a shade of
triumph, the politest of triumph. He
was q step above her, her head ON
level with the pocket of his blouse.
His square shoulders. commanding
height, and military erectness we're
thus emphasized, as was her own femf-
nine slightness.
II want TO thank YOU" she said. "As
becomes q soldier, your forethought
was expressed in action. It was the
promptness of the men you sent to
look after the garden which saved the
uprooted plants before they were past
recovery"
Il wished it for your sake and some
what for my own sake to be the same
that 1t was in the days when | used
to CALL" he said graciously. Tea was
from four to FIVE, do you remember?
Will you join me? have just ordered
it,"
A generous, pleasant conQueror,
thisi No one knew better than Wester-
ling how to be one when he chose. He
was something of an actor. Leaders
OK men Of his type usually are.
Why. yes. Very gladly!" she as
sented with no undue cordially and
no undue constraint, quite as IL there
were no war.
Neutrality could not be better inn
personated, he thought. than in the
even cleaving of her lips over the
words. They seemed to say that q
storm had come and gone and new
set of masters had taken the place of
the old. AS they approached the
veranda Francois was placing the tea
things.
Just like the old days. isn't it?" he
exclaimed with his first sip, convinced
that the officers commissary supplied
excellent tea in the held.
Yes, for the moment--if we forget
the war;" she replied, and looked
away, preoccupied, toward the land
scape.
IL we forget the war! She bore on
the words rather grimly. The change
that he had noted between the Marta
of the hotel reception-room and the
Marta OF the moment was not alto
gether the work of ten years. 1t had
developed since she was in the CAPT.
tai In these three weeks war had
been brought to her door. She had
been under heavy fire. Yet this sub
ject of the war was the one which he,
as an invader. considered himself
, bound to avoid.
1--WE do forget 1t at tea, don't WEI"
he asked.
"At least we need not speak OF it,"
she replied.
Il am staying tonight. l was going
to ask il you wouldn't remain on the
| veranda while I go over these pa
pers. lit would be very cozy and
pleasant"
"Why, yes" she agreed with evident
pleasure.
Turcas came, in answer to Wester-
ling's ring. The orders and sugges-
tions on the table seemed to be the
product of this lath of man, the vice.
chief, but lath of steel, not wood,
who appeared a runner trained for a