The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1915-02-05


his rise and she had heard, too, things
about him which girl Of twenty-seven
can better understand than a girl OF
seventeen. His reason for wanting to
see her he had SAID was to renew an
old acquaintance" He could have lit
tie interest In her, and her interest In
him was that he was head Of the Gray
army. His work had intimate relation
to that which the Marta of twenty
seven, Marta with a mission, had set
for herself
A page came to tell Westerling that
Miss Galland would be down directly.
When she appeared she crossed the
room with flowing, spontaneous vital
ity that appealed to him as something
familiar.
Ten years, isn't it," she exclaimed
as she seated herself on the other side
Of the tea-table. And, let me see, you
took two Jumps, II rememberi"
None now" he said.
DO you find 1t fattening?" she
asked.
He recognized the mischievous
sparkle OF the eyes, the quizzical tSrn
Of the lips, which was her asset In
keeping any question from being per
sonal. Nevertheless, he flushed slightly.
"A change of TASTE" he averred.
Since you've become such great
MANI" she hazarded. "Is that too
strong?" This referred to the tea.
mo, just right" he nodded.
He was studying her with the polite,
yelled scrutiny of man of the world.
A materialist, he would look woman
over as he would a soldier when he
had been a majof-general making an
inspection. She was slim, supple; he
liked slim, supple women. Yes, she
was twenty-seven, with the vivacity OF
seventeen retained, though she were
on the edge of being an old maid &C
cording to the conventional notions.
Necks and shoulders that happened to
be at his side at dinner, he had found,
when they we're really beautiful, were
not averse to his glance of appreci-
alive and discriminating admiration OF
physical charm, But he saw her
shrug slightly and caught spark from
her eyes that made him vaguely con
scious of an offense to her sensible
ties, and he was wholly conscious that
the suggestion, bringing his faculties
up sharply. had the pleasure Of a nove
sensation.
How fast you have gone ahead!'
she said. THAT little prophecy Of
, mine did come true You are chief o.
staff"
After smile of satisfaction he cor
rected her
Not quite; vice-chief-the right
hand man Of His Excellency. am {
buffer between him and the heads o
J divisions. This has led to the errone
GUS assumption which cannot to'
4 forcibly deny"
He was proceeding with the phrase
ology habitual whenever men or won
en-, to fiatter, him, had intimated tina
they realized that he was the actua
head of the army. His Excellency
with the prestige of career, must b
kept specifically enjoying the form
of authority. To arouse his Jealous
1 might curtail Westerling's actua
Y power.
\ YES, yes!" breathed Marta softly
! arching her eyebrows trife as sh
q would when looking all around an
8 through a thing or when she foun
+ any one beating about the bush. Tn
little frown disappeared and sh
;. smiled understandingly. "You kno'
? I'm not a perfect goose!" she adde'
Had you been made chief of staff
IT name, too, all the old generals woul
have been In the sulks and the youn
- generals jealous" she continued. 9Th
!, one way that YOU might have tn
!. power to exercise was by proxy"
~ This downright frankness was a
n other reflection Of the old days befoi
a he was at the apex of the pyrami
Now 1t was so unusual In his expei
70 ence as to be almost shock. On Il
= point OF arguing. he caught a mi
d chievous, delightful Isn't that sol"
O. her eyes, and replied:
nj Eyes, / shouldn't wonder II 1t were
"a Why shouldn't he admit the truth
In the one who had rung the bell Of b
"a secret ambition long ago by recogni
AZ ing in him the ability to reach b
"a goal? He marvelled at her grasp
nd the situation.
CO 1T wasn't SO very hard to say, W
Al III" she asked happily, In response
m his smile. Then, her gift OF putin
al herself In another's place, while s.
lis strove to look at things with his pI
he pose and vision. in full play, she we
lie on in a different tone, as much to b,
ID self as to him: You have labored
IN make yourself master OF mighty I
ID ganization. You did not care for t
all non-essentials. You wanted the real
lie Of shaping results"
Of YES, the results. the powerl"
I'd, exclaimed.
ac- Fifteen hundred regimentsl" s
continued thoughtfully. looking at
given point rather than at him. Eve
regiment blade which you wol
bring to an even sharpnessi Eve
rarirnanf unit Of a harmonious who