The Southern herald., 1915-04-16
TheL.astSh
FREDERICK PALMER
(cOpyright. 1914. BY Charles scribner's sOns)

frown. His duty being to get infor-
nation, he was gaining none. His
duty being to keep the Grays' secrets,
there was leak somewhere in his
own department. He quizzed subordi-
mates; he made abrupt transfers, to no
avail.
Meanwhile, the Grays were taking
the approaches to the main line of
defense, which had been thought rela-
lively immaterial but had been found
shrewdly placed and their vulnerable
ity overestimated. The thunders of
batteries hammering them became a
routine Of existence, like the passing
Of trains to one living near railroad.
The guns went on while tea was be-
ing served; they ushered in dawn and
darkness; they were going when sleep
came to those whom they later awak-
ened with start. Fights as desper-
ate as the one around the house be-
came features of this period, which
was only a warming-up practice for
the war demon before the orgy of
impending assault on the main line.
Marta began to realize the immen-
sity Of the chessboard and Of the
forces engaged in more than the bare
statement of numbers and distances.
If first attack on position failed,
the wires from the Galland house re-
peated their orders to concentrate
more guns and attack again. In the
end the Browns always yielded, but
grudgingly, calculatingly, never be-
ing taken by surprise. The few of
them who fell prisoners said, God
with US! We shall win in the end!"
and answered no questions. Gradually
the Gray army began to feel that it
was battling with a mystery which
was fighting under cover, falling back
under cover-a tenacious, watchful
mystery that sent sprays Of death into
every finger Of flesh that the Grays
thrust forward In assault.
Another position takenN Our ad-
vance continues" was the only news
that Westerling gave to the army, his
people, and the world, which forgot
its sports and murders and divorce
cases in following the progress of the
first great European war for two gen.
erations. He made no mention of the
costs; his casualty lists were secret.
The Gray hosts were sweeping for
ward as slow, irresistible tide; this
by Partow's own admission. He an
nounced the loss of a position as
promptly as the Grays Its taking. He
published daily list of casualties so
meager in contrast to their own that
the Grays thought 1t false; he made
known the names of the killed and
wounded to their relatives. Yet the
seeming candor of his press bureau
included no straw of information of
military value to the enemy.
Westerling never went to tea at the
Gallands' with the other officers, for 1t
was part Of his cultivation Of great
ness to keep aloof from his subordi-
mates. His meetings with Marta hap
pened casually when he went out into
the garden. Only once had he made
any reference to the "Ahd then" of
their interview In the arbor.
II am winning battles for youl" he
had exclaimed with the thing in his
eyes which she loathed.
To her 1t was equivalent to saying
that she had tricked him into sending
men to be killed In order to please
her. She despised herself for the
way he confded in her; yet she had
to go on keeping his confidence, re.
turning tender glance with one that
held out hope. She learned not to
, shudder when he spoke of loss OF
. only ten thousand" In order to rally
! herself when she grew faint-hearted
to her task, she learned to picture the
lines Of his face hard-set with FIVE
, against-three brutality, while in com
7 fort he ordered multitudes to death
? and, In contrast, to recall the smile
3 Of DellaIme, who asked his soldiers tc
3 undergo no risk that he would moi
share. And after every success he
/ would remark that he was SO much
nearer Engadir, that position of the
3 main line Of defense whose weakness
5 she had revealed,
3 your Engadirl" he came to say
: Then we shall again profit by you
3 information; that is, unless they have
3 fortified since you received It."
!, "They haven't. They had already
8 fortified" she thought. She was al
r ways seeing the mockery Of his words
+ In the light Of her own knowledge anC
a her own part, which never escaped
s her consciousness. One chamber O
J. her mind was acting FOR him; a sec
/ and chamber was perfectly aware tina
g the other was acting.
4 "0ne position more-the Twin Boul
8 der Redoubt, It Is called" he an
n nounced at last. I'VE shall not pres
F.; hard in front We shall drive ii
/ masses on either side and storm tn,
r TANKS"
b This she was telephoning to Ian
] stron a few minutes later and having
Q in return, all the news Of the Browns
e The sheer fascination of knowing wha
both sides were doing exerted its spell
IN | - l.