The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1915-02-20

about him which a girl OF twenty-seyen
can better understand than a girl OF
seventeen. His reason for wanting to
see her he had said was to renew an
old acquaintance" He could have lit
tie interest in her, and her interest in
him was that he was head OF the Gray
army. His work had intimate relation
to that which the Marta OF twenty
seven, a Marta with a mission, had set
for herself.
A page came to tell Westerling that
Miss Galland would be down directly.
When she appeared she crossed the
room with a flowing. spontaneous vital
fty that appealed to him as something
familiar.
Ten years, isn't it," she exclaimed
as she seated herself on the other side
of the tea-table And, let me see, you
took two Jumps, If remember"
None now" he said.
DO you find it fattening?" she
asked.
He recognized the mischievous
sparkle of the eyes. the quizzical turn
Of the lips. which was her asset IN
sonal. Nevertheless, he flushed slightly.
"A change of TASTE" he averred.
Since you've become such a great
man." she hazarded. rs that too
strong?" This referred to the tea
No, just right" he nodded.
He was studying her with the polite.
yelled scrutiny Of a man Of the world.
A materialist he would look a woman
over as he would a soldier when he
had been a major-general making an
inspection. She was slim, supple; he
liked slim, supple women. Yes. she
was twenty with the vivacity OF
seventeen retained, though she were
on the edge OF being an old maid ac-
cording to the conventional notions.
Necks and shoulders that happened to
be at his side at dinner. he had found,
when they were really beautiful. we're
not averse to his glance of appreci-
ative and discriminating admiration OF
physical charm. But he saw her
shrug slightly and caught a spark from
her eyes that made him vaguely con-
scious of an offense to her seneibili-
ties. and he was wholly conscious that
the suggestion, bringing his faculties
up sharply, had the pleasure OF a novel
sensation.
How fast you have gone ahead!"
she said. THAT little prophecy OF
mine did come true You are chief of
staff"
After a smile OF satisfaction he cor
rected her.
Not quite; vice-chief-the right
hand man of His Excellency. ! am a
buffer between him and the heads OF
divisions. This has led to the errone-
Gus assumption which l cannot too
forcibly deny"
He was proceeding with the phrase
ology habitual whenever men or wom-
en-. to fiatter him. had intimated that
they realized that he was the actual
head of the army. His Excellency.
with the prestige of career, must be
kept specifically enjoying the forms
OF authority. To arouse his jealousy
might curtail Westerling's actual
power.
"Yes. yes!" breathed Marta softly.
arching her eyebrows a trifle as she
would when looking all around and
through a thing or when she found
any one beating about the bush. The
little frown disappeared and she
smiled understa 1dingly. You know
I'm not perfect goose!" she added
Had you been made chief of staff in
name, too. all the old generals would
have been in the sulks and the young
generals jealous" she continued. The
one way that you might have the
power to exercise was by proxy
This downright frankness was an
other reflection of the old days before
he was at the apex OF the pyramid.
Now 1t was so unusual in his expert
ence as to be almost a shock. On the
point of arguing, he caught a mis-
chievous. delightful Isn't that so?" In
her eyes, and replied:
Yes, l shouldn't wonder II it were!"
Why shouldn't he admit the truth to
the one who had rung the bell of his
secret ambition long ago by recogniz-
ing in him the ability to reach his
goal? He marvelled at her grasp of
the situation.
1T wasn't SO very hard to say, was
it?" she asked happily. in response to
his smile. Then, her gift Of putting
herself in another's place, while she
strove to look at things with his pur.
pose and vision. in full play, she went
on in a different tone. as much to her
self as to him: You have labored to
make yourself master Of a mighty or
ganization. You did not care for the
non-essentials. You wanted the reality
Of shaping results"
Yes, the results, the power!" he
exclaimed.
Fifteen hundred regiments" she
continued thoughtfully, looking at a
given point rather than at him. Every
regiment q blade which you would
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