The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1915-04-08

sidiousiy grrviag. Lanstroa Vas stin
1 in the oficesv' minds after his strange
appearance and stranger departure
They began to talk Of him, and MARIA
listened.
He said something about bsias .
free man nov!"
Yes. he looked . eager - . ter.
rier after rats"
He knows what hs y doing. He
sees 30 far ahead Of what Ne are
thinking that it's useless to guess his
object. Well understand when it's
| DONE"
How little side be has! So per.
fectly simple. He hardly seems to
realize the immensity Of his success.
In fact. none Of us realizes It: it's too
enormous. overwhelming. sudden!"
And no nerves."
OF course. they guessed nothing OF
Marta's part in his success. The very
| things they were saying about him
built up . figure of the type whose
character she had keenly resented
few minutes before.
l
know him far better than we. This =
not news to you." remarked the bri-
gade commander.
Yes. l saw the accident of his first
flight when his hand was injured" she
said. and WINGED with horror. Never
had the picture of him as he rose from
the wreck appeared SO distinct. She
| Lott 1f hio
feel his twinges of pain while he
smiled. Was the revelation the more
vivid because 1t had once occurred
to her since the war began? 1t shut
out the presence of the officers; she
no longer heard what they were say
ing. Black fear was enveloping her.
Vaguely she understood that they
were looking away at something. She
heard the roar of artillery not far dis
tant and following their gaze toward
the knoll where Dellarmes men had
received their baptism of fire, now un-
der . canopy of shrapnel smoke.
That's about their last stand in the
tangent. their last snarl on our SOIL"
remarked the brigade commander.
|
said his aide. with our glasses we'll
be able to watch the infantry go in."
"Yes, very WE'LL"
We're all used to how 1t feels, now
we'll see how 1t looks at q distance"
piped one Of the soldiers.
Not until he had shouted to them
did they notice q division staff-oficer
| hn had oo,,o nm feov,, tho ro,d ua
had q piece Of astounding news to i'm
part before he mentioned official busi-
ness.
What do you think of this?" he
cried. Nothing could stop him! Lam
stron-yes, Lanstron has gone into
that charge with the African Braves!"
"Why?" Marta heard the officers
around her asking after their excla-
nations Of amazement at the news
that Lanstron was going in the
charge. why should the chief Of stan
risk his life in this fashion?"
Marta knew. All her taunts about
sending others to death from his office
chair. uttered as the fugitive sarcasm
of q mood, recurred in the merciless
hammerbeat of recollection. For q
moment she was aghast, speechless
Then the officers, occupied with the
startling news, heard voice.
wrenched from a dry throat In an
guish. saying:
"The telephone! Try to reach him!
Tell him he must not!"
i I'VE can hardly say must not to a
chief Of staff," said the general auto
matically.
Tell him l ask him not to! Try
to reach him-try-you can try,"
!, Yes. yes! Certainly" exclaimed
the general. turning to the telephone
operator
He had seen now what the younger
men had seen at glance. They were
recalling Lanstrons relief at seeing
her; how he had passed them by to
speak to her; the intensity of the two
in their almost wordless meeting.
Her bloodless lips, the imploring pas
sion In her eyes, her quivering impa-
tience told the rest
Division headquarters" called the
operator. They're getting brigade
headquarters" he added while he
waited in silence. Brigade headquar-
ters says the Braves have no WIRE It's
too late. The charge is starting"
so 1t isl" cried one of the subal-
terms. Look! Look"
Marta looked toward the rising
ground this side of the knoll in time
to see bayonets fash in the waning
"a
they descended the slope.
There! They're up on the other
slope without stopping!" exclaimed
the general. Quick! Don't you want
to see?" He offered his glasses to
Marta.
mo, l can see we'll enough" she
murmured. though the landscape was
moving before her eyes in Riddy