The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1915-02-05

VI tWouty-uVS. 1uat WOuIQnt nave
worried Frederick the Great or Napo
leon much Eight Hundred thousand ia
one out Of six. The trouble is that
such vast armies have never been en-
gagged before. You must consider the
percentages. nc. .Ae ..cta!s."
yet. eight hundred thousand! II
the public knew" exclaimed the pre-
mier. s.f.
Tho public does not knowl" said
Weste- -ling.
They guess. They realize that we
stopped the soldiers letters because
they t Id bad news. The situation is
seriou: f"
why not gfye the public something
to think aboutY" Westerling demanded.
"I've tried. It doesn't work. The
murmurs increase. / repeat, my fears
Of rising OF the women are we'll
grounded. There is mutiny in the air.
feel It through the columns of the
press, though they are censored. /"
Then, soon I'll give the public some
thing to think about, myself" Wester-
ling broke In. "The dead will be for
gotten. The wounded will be proud
Of their wounds and their fathers and
mothers triumphant when our army
descends the other side of the range
and starts on Its march to the Browns
capital"
But you have not yet taken a
single fortress!" persisted the premier.
"And the Browns report that they have
lost only three hundred thousand
men,"
"Lanstron Is lying!" retorted Wes-
terling hotly. "But no matter. We
have taken positions with every at
tack and kept crowding in closer. l
ask nothing better than that the
Browns remain on the defensive, leav-
ing initiative to us. We have devel-
oped their weak points. The resolute
offensive always wins. l know where
am going to attack; they do not l
shall not give thom time to reinforce
the defense at our chosen point.
have still plenty of live soldiers left.
shall go in with men enough this
time to win and to hold"
THE army is yours, Westerling,"
concluded the premier. II admire your
stolidity Of purpose. You have my con-
fidence. I shall wait and hold the stu
alton at home the best can. We go
into the hall Of fame or into the gut.
ter together, you and II"
For while after he had hung up
the receiver Westerling's head
dropped, his muscles relaxed, giving
mind and body release from tension.
But his spine was as stiff as ever as
he left the closet, and he was even
smiling to give the impression that
the news from the capital was favor
able.
When he called his chiefs of divi-
sion 1t was hardly for staff council.
Stunned by the losses and repulses,
Loyalty Industrious, their opinions un-
asked, they listened to his whirlwind
Of orders without comment-all except
Turcas.
IF they are apprisedNof our plan and
are able to concentrate more artillery
than our guns can silence. the losses
will be demoralizing," he observed.
Westerling threw up his head. frown.
ing down the objection.
Suppose they amount to half the
forces that we send I'M" he exclaimed.
isn't the position, which means the
pass and the range, worth it?"
Eyes, II we both take and hold It;
not II we fail" replied Turcas, quite
unaffected by Westerlings manner.
Failure is not in my lexicon!" Wes
terling shot back. "For great gains
there must be great risks"
I'VE prepare for the movement
your excellency." answered Turcas.
It was steel harness of his own
will that Westerling wore, without ad
mitting that 1t CALLED him, and he laid
1t off only In Marta's presence. With
her, his growing sense Of isolation had
the relief Of companionship. She be
came kind Of mirror Of his egoisn
and ambitions. He liked to have hel
think of him as a great man unrufflet
among weaker men. In the quiet ant
seclusion Of the garden, involuntarilJ
as one who has no confidant. speaks
to himself, reserving fortitude for hit
part before the staff, while she, undel
the spell Of her purpose, silently, will
serene and wistfully listening eyes
played hers, he outlined how the fina
and telling blow was to be struck.
1--WE must and we shall win!" h
kept repeating.
Through rubber disk held to hi
ear in the closet Of his bedroom
voice, tremulous with nervous fatigue
was giving Lanstron news that all hi
aircraft and cavalry and spies coul'
not have gained; news worth NOR
than a score Of regiments; news fresl
from the lips Of the chief Of stan o
the enemy. The attack was to b
made at the right of Engadir. its Ger
, ter breaking from the redoubt manne
by Fracasses men.
Marta, you geniusl" Lanstron cried
. "You are the real general! YOU"
II aNnk that rIaaaaln aha hroka iY