The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1915-03-27

such was her emotion; and he, too.
was held IN a spell, as the reality OF
her, after all that had passed, hlied
his ewes. He waited for her to speak,
but she was silent.
"Marta-that bandage! You have
been hurt" he exclaimed.
"It's the fashion to be wounded" she
said, eyebrows lifted and lashes los-
cred, with a nervous smile. Il played
Florence Nightingale, the natural wom-
| ans part, l believe. We should never
protest; only nurse the victims Of war.
After helping to send men to death
! went under fire myself, and-and that
helped"
Yes, that would help" he agreed.
wincing as from knife thrust.
Her old taunt: sending men to death
and taking no risk himself! She saw
that he WINGED; she realized that she
had stayed words that were about to
come in a flood. She was marshaling
her thoughts to begin when the brittle
silence was broken by a rumbling of
voices, stirring Of feet, and cheer.
"Lanstron! Lanstron! Hurrah for
, Lanstron!"
The soldiers in the garden did not
bother with any Your Excellency, the
chief of staff" formula when word had
!. been passed of his presence. Marta
. looked around to see their tempestu
Gus enthusiasm as they tossed their
I caps in the air and sent up their spon
taneous tribute from the depths Of
their lungs. Conqueror and hero tc
the living, but the dead could moi
9 speak, whispered some fiend in hel
heart.
Lanstron uncovered to the demsn
stration impulsively, when the conven
q tional military acknowledgment would
is have been salute. He always looked
C. more like the real Lanny to her witt
al his forehead bare. 1t completed thu
e ensemble of his sensitive features. Sh
saw that he was blinking almost boy
IN ishly at the compliment and noted tn
ID little deprecatory shake Of his head
lie as much as to say that they wer
IL making a mistake.
as Thank you'll" he called, and tn
ne cheeriness of his voice, she thought
AZ expressed his real self; the delight c
vs. victory and the glowing anticipatio
{! of further victories.
ne Thank you!" called the private wit
op a big voice.
&c Yes, thank you'll" repeated some {
We the officers in quick appreciation OF
he compliment as real as human courag
lis He stood smiling for a moment
reply to their smiles; then, still smi
Of ing, but in a different way. he said
a Marta:
op- las you say. that helpe!" with nj
ru- toward the bandage on her forearI
en- and hurriedly turned away.
red She saw him involuntarily clutch Il
an wrist above the pocket of his blouse
still the twitching; but beyond tn
there was no further sign of emotit
as he went to the telephone. Instant
Ter he was through he started toward q
pass road, not by the path to the steI
but by leaping from terrace to terra
t." and waving his hand gayly to the 81
red diers as he went. The officers star
ms at the sight of a chief Of staff brea
en-. ing away from his communications
ing this unceremonious fashion. TIL
hat saw him secure a horse from a gro
rita of cavalry officers on the road and g
Ugh lop away.
ter. Marta having been the object
nan Lanstron's attention now became I
her object of theirs. 1t was good to see
and woman, a woman of the Browns. af
by their period OF separation from ,el
nine society. She found herself he
ing an impromptu reception.