The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-01-19
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[ND. He
GEORGE Creel@= !:
SELF" she said in greeting. "a quiet
afternoon now and then with some one
who will make me remember that I
have a mind"
Thanks for the compliment" he
answered, but 1t carries a rather heavy
obligation. What If I fail?"
you? The so-famous scientist2"
Another case of mistaken identity"
protested Donellan. "You can't mean
me-"
IT did not intend to embarrass," she
smiled, but if one still in his twenties
Is called to the chair Of chemistry in a
great university"-her shoulders COM
pleted the sentence. "And- your war
work. All Washington buzzes with spec
ulation about you?"
Nov, that is plainly absurd"
"Ah, no, my friend. When a dis
tinguished scientist is summoned by the
war department and given a guarded
building for his experiments, what more
natural than excited gossip. But" and
her slim, ringless hands flicked reas-
surtngly, please believe that I am not
Of the merely curious. AS it happens,
science was my own early love. Once
I had q dream of taking a course at
the Sorbonne," and her words, trailing
off into silence, gave Donellan an i'm
preston of ambition thwarted by fam
lily pride and dynastic obligations. "You
must tell me of your work, of the great
things you are planning and doing.
These military men believe that wars
are fought only in the open field, but
you and I, we know that the real battle
ground is more often the laboratory"
Stimulated by Countess Marka's in
terest and intelligent questions and
Spurred on by his own devotion to his
task, Donellan talked long and well.
She was right, indeed, when she said
that the clash of armies was not the
decisive factor in modern warfare. The
discovery Of a new type of CUR, or a
deadlier gas, Of anti-submarine devices,
of a more powerful motor for airplanes,
OF a new explosive, any one of these
might we'll outweigh superiority of num-
bers and turn defeat into victory. It
was along these lines that the scientists,
technicians and inventors were work.
ing, and already their accomplishment
was wonderful.
Regular miracles" he declared en-
Enthusiastically. How I'd love to be able
to tell you about some of the things
we're doing"
II understand, of course" The Count
ess Marka's finger tips, soft as petals,
dropped on his own for an instant, and
then she rose swiftly. 90" she murmur-
ed, throwing wide her arms, "is it
thrilling. It makes one" and her
shining eyes took the place of words.
Promise me you will come again. Like
this?"
It was a promise that Donellan gave
joyously and kept even more gladly.
In the weeks that followed he became
an increasingly frequent visitor at the
home Of the Countess Marka, now for
luncheon a deux, now for tea in the
garden, and sometimes staying after
other dinner guests for a half hour on
the moon drenched terrace. His open
infatuation became a matter of gos-
sip, and with the head Of the intelli-
gence, a matter Of concern.
"Bob," looking up from a batch of
papers he called irritably. IT hear Prof.
Charles Donellan is the Countess Mar
ka's latest victim. Hooked right through
the gills."
Correct, sir!" Harley's tone was dis
tinctly blithe. Feeling runs high In
many quarters. The army and navy
want martial law declared and the sen
ate is stronger than ever for isolation"
"It'S nothing to be funny about.
Donellan's doing some important work
for ordnance, isn't hep"
Rather" Bending down as If afraid
the walls might hear Harley whispered
briefly.
"Good Lord!" The exclamation was a
groan. II think I'll chase right on
over and see the secretary Of war. The
damned simpleton!"
1.-THE secretary of war;"
"Of course not, you ass! That fool
Donellan."
Prof. Donellan, called up before a less
than tactful superior, famed into re-
sentiment when informed that it might
be better for the national service if he
would quit regarding the home Of the
Countess Marka as a rest house. He
was not aware, he said, stiffly, that he
had entered into any obligation to let
the war department pick his friends
for him, and rather than submit to such
ignominy he would turn in his resig-
nation. Were there proofs of the lady's
disloyalty, we'll and good, but unsub-
stantiated suspicious called only for
reprobation from men, with any sense
of decency.
And that, as the secretary Of wal
agreed with the head of intelligence,
was that. Nobody had anything on the
countess, except the fact that she fed
shortgrass senators instead of letting
them perish and there would certainly
be the devil to pay if the newspapers
discovered that q row was being made
about her. Maybe it was nothing but
a mares nest after all, and, anyway,
Donellan had been given something to
think about.
This was true enough. Donellan did
have something to think about, and that
night on the terrace his preoccupation
was 50 plain that the reason was soon
demanded. A few stumbling evasions,