The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1915-04-03
CHAPTER xxII-continued.

valuable to our cause were Partow ana
Miss Galland," Lanstron remarked ten
tatively. He waited for a reply. IL
was apparent that he was laying
foundation before he went any fur
ther
Certainly" said the vice-chief.
"And you!" put in another officer.
which brought a chorus OF assent.
mo, not I-only these two" Lam +,
stron replied. "Or, I, too. II you pre-
fer. It little matters. The thing Is
that l am under a promise to both,
which I shall respect. He organized
and labored for the same purpose that
she played the spy. When we sent
the troops forward in counter-attack
and pursuit to clear our soil OF tne
Grays; when I stopped them al the
frontier-both were according to Far
tow's plan. He had plan ana d
dream, this wonderful old man VINO
made US all seem primary pupils III
the art of war"
Could it be that terrible Partow,
stroke of whose pencil had mace 'ne
Galland house an inferno? MarIa
wondered as Lanstron read his mes
sage-the message out OF the real
heart of the man, throbbing Win Tue
power of his great brain. HIS plan
was tc hold the Grays to stalema'e,
to force them to desist after they hau
battered their battalions to pieces
against the Brown Notifications. Ills
dream was the thing that had nap
pened-that an opportunity wouia
come to pursue broken machine IN
a bold stroke of the offensive.
81 would want to be hero OF our
people for only one aim, to be able
to stop our army at the frontier, ne
had written. "Then they might drive
me forth heaped with obloquy. II they
chose. should like to see the Grays
demoralized. beaten. ready to sue Tor
peace, the better to prove my point
that we should ask only for what Is
ours and that our strength was only
for the purpose of holding what Is
ours. Then we should lay up no leg
acy of revenge In their hearts. They
again. Civilization would have ad-
vanced another STEP"
Lanstron continued to read to the
amazed staff. for Partow's message
had looked far into the future. Then
there was a p. s., written after the
war had begun. on the evening Of the
day that Marta had gone from tea ON
the veranda with Westerling to the
telephone, in the impulse Of her new
purpose.
II begin to believe in that dream.
he wrote. II begin to believe that the
chance for the offensive will come,
now that my colleague. Miss Galland,
in the name of peace has turned prac.
teal. There IL nothing like mixing a
little practice in your dreams while
the world IL still well this side OF
Utopia, as the head on my old behe
moth of q body well knows. She had
the right idea with her school. The
oath SO completely expressed my
ideas-the result of all my thinking
that I had q twinge of literary jeal
ousy. My boy, II you do reach thu
frontier, In pursuit Of broken army
and you do not keep faith with m,
dream and with her ideals, then 70,
will get lesson that will last you for
ever at the foot of the Gray range
But do not think so badly as that o
you or of my judgment Of men,"
"L4anny! Lanny!"
The dignity ola staff council coul,
not restrain Marta. Her emotion mus
have action. She sprang to his sid
and seized his nand. her exultatiol
mixed with penitence over the wa
she had wronged him and Partov
Their self-contained purpose had bee
the same as hers and they had worke
with q soldiers fortitude. while sh
had worked with whims and impulses
She bent over him with gratitude an
praise and o plea for forgiveness 4
her eyes. submerging the thing whic
he sought In them. He flushed boy
ishly in happy embarrassment. incs
pable Of words for an instant; an
silently the stan looked ON.
And agree with Partow." Lanstro
went on. that we cannot take tn
range. The Grays still have number
equal to ours. II 10 they. now. VIII
win be singing God with us!' wit
their backs against the wall. Wit
Partow's goes my own appeal to tn
army and the nation; and l shall kee
faith with Partow. with Miss Gallant
and with my own ideas. II the govern
ment orders the army to advance, b
resigning as chief of staff--my wor
finished"
..
Westerling and his aide and vale
inQuiriug their way as strangers. foun
the new stan headquarters OF IN
Grays established In an army buildin,
where Bouchard had been assigned
trivial duties. back of the Gray rang
As their former chief entered a roo,
In the disorder OF maps and packin,
cases, the staff-ofiicers rose from the
work to stand at salute like stone In
ages. In respect to a field-marshaI
rank. There was no word of greetiu
but q telling silence before lures
spoke, His voice had lost its pare
ment crinkle and become natural. II
blue veins on his bullying temples wei
Q little more pronounced, his thin Re
lures little more pinched. but othe
wise he was unchanged and he seem,
equal to another strain as heavy
the one he had undergone.
I'VE have N nav 0ovorpmenf q No