Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1915-01-07
CHAPTER XIV.
In FsIIsr's Place.

What am ! about TO dof snot a. torhee
shadows over the hot lava-fiow OF Mar
ta's impulse. The vitality that Wester
ling had felt by suggestion from q still
profile rejoiced in quickening Of pace
directly she was out Of sight OF the
veranda. All the thinking she had
done that afternoon had been In pic
lures; some saying. some cry. some
groan, or some smile went with every
picture.
The sitting-room OF the tower was
empty to other eyes but not to hers
The lantern was In the corner at hand.
After her Fastening steps had carried
her along the tunnel to the telephone,
she set down the lantern and pressed
the spring that opened the panel door.
Another moment and she would be en-
barked on her great adventure In the
finality Of action. That little ear-piece
became q specter Of conscience. She
drew back convulsively and her hands
few to her face; she was rocking
shadow in the thin, reddish light OF
the lantern.
Conscious mind had torn on the
mask from subconscious mind, reveal
ing the true nature of the change that
war had wrought in her. She who had
resented Feller's part-what a part
she had been playing! Every word,
every shade Of expression, every tell
ing pause Of abstraction after Wester-
ling confessed that he had made war
for his own ends had been subtly
prompted by a purpose whose actually
terrified her.
Her hypocrisy, she realized, was as
black as the wall Of darkness beyond
the lanterns CLEAN. Then this demon
aIIzatIOn passed, as a nightmare
passes, with WesteTling's boast again
In her ears.
When wars principles, enacted by
men, were based on sinister trickery
called strategy and tactics, should not
women, using such weapons as they
had. also fight for their homes? Mar
ta's hands swept down from her eyes;
she was On IRE with resolution.
Forty miles away a bell in Lam
strunis bedroom and at his desk rang
simultaneously. At the time he and
Partow were seated facing each other
across . map ON the table of the room
where they worked together No per
Buasion of the young vfce-chief, no
edict of the doctors, could make the
old chief take exercise or shorten his
hours.
IT kn0w. know myself" he said.
Fl know my duty And you are learn
ing, my boy, learnfng!"
Every day the hahhy cheeks grew
pastiar and the poaches under the eye
brows heavier. But there was no
Of the eagle flashes of the
eyes, NO weakening Of the viii. Last
night Lanstron had trrmed as white
rs chalk when Partow staggered on
rising from the table, the veins on his
tempIes knotte6 blue whfpcords. Yet
after a few hours sleep he reappeared
with firm step. fresh for the fray.
The paraphernalia around these two
was the same as that around Wester- |
ing. Only the atmosphere Of the star |
was different. Each man was perform |
ng the part set for him No man knew |
aruch Of any other mans part. Partow
nlone knew all, and Lanstron was try
ing to grasp all and praying that Par
lows old body should still feed his
mind with energy. Lanstron was thin
aer and paler, a new and glittering in.
tensity In his eyes.
When word of Feller's detection
came, Lanstron realized for the first.
lime by Partow's manner that the old
chief Of staff, with all his depreciation
of the telephone scheme as chimerical,
had grounded q hope on 1t.
There was the chance that ne
might know-so vital to the defense
what they were going to do before and
1ot after the attack" he said.
Yet the story Of how Teller yielded
o the temptation Of the automatic had
made the nostrils Of the old war-horse
culver with q dramatic breath. and In.
stead Of the command Of battery OF
gums, which Lanstron had promised.
he chief made It a battalion. He had
irawn down his brows when he heard
hat Marta had asked that the wire
be left intact; he had shot a shrewd.
glance at Lanstron and
hen beat q tattoo on the table and
lalf grinned as he grumbled under his
,reath:
"she is afraid Of being lOnesomel No
larin donel"
A week had passed since the Grays
lad taken the Galland house, and still
10 word from Marta. The ring Of the
,ell brought Lanstron to his feet with
startled. boyish bound.
very springy, that tendon Of
AchiIlesl" muttered Partow. "And,
ny boy, take care, take carel" he
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