The Monticellonian., 1915-03-11

here" Westerling assented. He cid not know what else to say. His pride was recovering it's natural confidence in the infallibility of his judgment of human beings. He was seeing his sus- picions as ridiculous enough to con- vict him of brain as disordered as Bouchard's.
 Marta was thinking that she had been skating on very thin ice and that she must go on skating till she broke through. There was an exhila- ration about it that she could not re sist: the exhilaration of risk and the control of her faculties, prompted by a purpose hypnotically compelling. sky, he in anticipation and suspense. The rose went violet and the shadows over the range deepened.
 The guns and the troops wait. With darkness the music beginst' he said slowly, with start of stern fervor.
 The music-the music! He calls 1t music!" ran through Martas mind mockingly, but she did not open her lips.
 They wait, ready, every detail ar ranged, he continued proudly.
 The sky merged into the shadows of the landscape that spread and thick ened into blackness. Out of the drawn curtains of night broFe an ugly flash and farther up the slope spread the explosive circle of light of a bursting shell.
 The signal!" he exclaimed.
 Right and left the blasts spread along the Gray lines and right and left, on the instant the Browns sent their blasts in reply. Countless tongues Of flame seemed to burst from count less craters, and the range to rock in torment of crashes In the inter- vening space between the ugly. say age gusts from the Gray gun mouths, which sent their shells from the midst of exploding Brown shells. swept the beams of the Brown search-Iights, their rays lost like sunlight in the vor- tex of an open furnace door.
 "Splendidi splendidi" exclaimed Westerling, in a sweep of emotion at the sight that been born of his command. Five thousand guns on our side alone! The world has never seen the equal of this!"
 Marta looked away from the range to his face, very distinct in the garish illumination. It was the face of a maestro of war seeing all his rehear- sals and all his labors come true in symphonic qualification to the eye and ear; the face of a man of trained mind, the product of civilization, with the elatiOn of a party leader on the floor of parliament in a crisis.
 Soon, now!" said Westerling, and looked at his watch
 Shortly, in the direction of Engadir, to the rear of the steady flashes broke forth line after line of flashes as the long-range batteries, which so far had been silent, joined their might fer voices to the chorus, making a con- tinuous leaping burst of explosions over the Brown positions, which were the real object of the attack.
 The moment I've lived for!" ex- claimed Westerling Our infantry is starting up the apron of Engadiri We held back the fire of the heavy guns concentrated for the purpose of sup porting the men with an outburst. Three hundred heavy guns pouring in their shells on a space of two acres We're tearing their redeubts to pieces ! They cant see to frei They can't live under it! They're in the crater of a volcano! When our infantry is on the edge of the wreekage the guns cease. Our infantry crowd in-crowd into the house that Partow built He'll find that numbers count; that the power of modern gunfire will open the way for infantry in masses to take and hold vital tactical positionsi And -no-no. their fire in reply is Dot as strong as I expected.
 Because they are letting you in, It will be strong enough in due sea son!" thought Marta in the uncontrol lable triumph of antagonism Five against three was in his tone and in every line of his features.
 "It's hard for a soldier to leave a sight like this, but the real news will be awaiting me at my desk" he con cluded, adding, as he turned away Its fireworks worth seeing, and il you remain here l will return to tel you the results"
 Turning her back to the range foI the moment. she saw the twinkle oi the lights of the town and the threade of light of the wagon-trains and the sweep of the lights of the railroad trains on the plain; while in the fore ground every window of the house was ablaze, like some factory on a busy night shift She could hear the click of the telegraph instruments already reporting the details of the action as Sheerfully as Brobdingnagian criekets in their peaceful surroundings. Then out of the shadows Westerling reap peared
 The apron of Engadir is ours!" he called Thanks to you!" he added with pointed emphasis Back in the house he had received congratula tions with a nod as if success were matter of course. Before her. ex ultation unbent stiffness, and he was hoarsely triumphant and eager Its plain saitng now." he went on. "A break in the main line! We have only to drive home the wedge. and then-and theni" he concluded
 She felt him close, his breath or her cheek.
 "Peace!" she hastened to say, draw inc hack instfnctivalv