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4 IHS NEWS-RECORD, IIAILSHALL, NORTH CAROLINA. BT FREDERICK (Copyright. 1914. by CharUs Scribner-e Sons) 16 SYNOPSIS. At their hjnm on the frontier between the Bmwm and Grays Malta Ualland and her mother, entertaining Colonel Wester llng of the Gray, eee Captain Lanstron of the Browns injured by a fall In his aeroplane. Ten years later. Westerllng, nominal vice but real chief of staff, re-enforces South La Tir and meditates on war. Marta tells him of her teaching children the follies of war and martial patriotism, and begs him to prevent war while he is chief of staff. Lanatron calls on Malta at her home. She tells Lanstron that she believes Feller, the gardener, to be a spy. Lanstron confesses it is true and shows her a telephone which Feller has con cealed in a secret passage under the tower for use to benefit the Browns In war emergencies. Lanatron declares his love for Marta. Westerllng and the Gray prtmler plan to use a trivial International affair to foment warlike patriotism and strike before declaring war. Partow, Brown chief of staff, reveals his plans to Lanstron, made vice-chief. The Gray army crosses the border line and attacks. The Browns check them. Artillery, in fantry, aeroplanes and dirigibles engage. Marta has her first glimpse of war In its modern, cold, scientific, murderous bru tality. The Browns fall back to the Gal land house. Marta sees a night attack. The Grays attack In force. Feller leaves his secret telephone and goes back to his guns. Hand to hand fighting. The Browns fall back again. Marta asks Lanstron over the phone to appeal to Partow to stop the fighting. Vandalism In the Galland house. Westerllng and his staff occupy the Gal land house and he begins to woo Marta. who apparently throws her fortunes with the Grays and offers valuable Information. She calls up Lanstron on the secret tele phone and plans to give Westerllng Infor mation that will trap the Gray army. Westerllng forms his plan of attack upon what he learns from her. The Grays take Bordlr. Through Marta Westerllng Is led to concentrate his attack on the main line at Engadlr. A leak of Information Is sus pected. Bouchard Is relieved as chief In telligence officer. CHAPTER XVII Continued. All on the subject for the present! When it was taken up again his suc cessor would be In charge. He, the indefatigable, the over-Intense, with medieval partisan fervor, who loathed In secret machines like Turcas, was the first man of the staff to go for in competency. "And Engadir Is the key-point," Wes terling was saying. "Yes," agreed Turcas. "So we concentrate to break through there," Westerling continued, "while we engage the whole line fiercely enough to make the enemy uncertain where the crucial attack is to be made." "But, general, if there is any place that Is naturally strong, that" Tur cas -began. "The one place where they are confi dent that we won't attack!" Wester llng Interrupted. He resented the staffs professional respect for Turcaa. After a silence and a survey of the faces around, he added with senten tious effect: "And I was light about Bordlr!" To this argument there could be no answer. The one stroke of general ship by the Grays, who, otherwise, had succeeded alone through repeated mass attacks, had been Westerling's hypothesis that had gained Bordlr in a single assault "Engadir it is then!" said Turcas with the loyalty of the subordinate Defense Aid." Your mho makes a superior's conviction his own, the better to carry It out Hazily, Bouchard had heard the talk. while he was looking at Westerling and seeing him, not at the head ot the council table, but In the arbor in eager appeal to Marta. "I shall find out! I shall find out! was drumming In his temples when the council rose; and, without a word or a backward glance, he was the first to leave the room. - When Bouchard returned to his desk he guessed the contents of the note awaking him, but he took a long time to read its stereotyped expressions In transferring him to perfunctory duty well to the rear of the army. Then he pulled himself together and, leaden- hearted, settled down to arrange rou- "In My Own PALMER tine details for his departure, while the rest of the staff was Immersed in the activity of the preparations for the attack on Engadir. He knew that he could not sleep if he lay down. So he spent the night at work. In the morn ing his successor, a young man whom he himself had chosen and trained, Colonel Bellini, appeared, and the fallen man received the rising man with forced official courtesy. "In my own defense and for your aid," he said, "I show you a copy of what I have Just written to General Westerling." A brief note it was; In farewell, be ginning with conventional thanks for Westerling's confidence In the past "I am punished for being right," It concluded. "It is my belief that MIbs Galland sends news to the enemy and that she draws It from you without your consciousness of the fact. I tell you honestly. Do what you will with me." It took more courage than any act of his life for the loyal Bouchard to dare such candor to a superior. See ing the patchy, yellow, bloodless face drawn In stiff lines and the abysmal stare of the deep-set eyes in their bony recesses, Bellini was swept with a wave of sympathy. "Thank you, Bouchard. You've been very fine!" said Bellini as he grasped Bouchard's hand, which was icy cold. "My duty my duty, in the hope that we shall kill two Browns for every Gray who has fallen that we shall yet see them starved and besieged and crying for mercy in their capital," replied Bouchard. He saluted with a dismal, urgent formality and stalked out of the room with the tread of the ghost of Hamlet'e father. The strange impression that this farewell left with Bellini still lingered when, a few moments later, Wester ling summoned him. Not alone the diffidence of a new member of the staff going Into the presence accounted for the stir in his temples, as he wait ed till some papers were signed be fore he had Westerling's attention. Then Westerling picked up Bouchard's note and shook his head sadly. "Poor Bouchard! You can see for yourself," and he handed the note to Bellini. "I should have realized ear lier that it was a case for the doctor and not for reprimand. Mad! Poor Bouchard! He hadn't the ability or the resiliency of mind for his task, as I hope you have, colonel." "I hope so, sir," replied Bellini. "I've no doubt you have," said Wes terling. "You are my choice!" CHAPTER XVIII. A Change of Plan. That day and the next Westerling had no time for strolling In the gar den. His only exercise was a few periods of pacing on the veranda. Tur cas, as tirelessly Industrious as ever, developed an increasingly quiet insist ence to leave the responsibility of de cisions about everything of Importance to a chief who was becoming increas ingly arbitrary. The attack on Enga dir being the jewel of Westerling's own planning, he was disinclined to risk success by delegating authority, which also meant sharing the glory ot victory. Bouchard's note, though officially dis missed as a matter of pathology, would not accept dismissal privately. In Hashes of distinctness It recurred to him between reports of the progress of preparations and directions as to dispositions. At dusk of the second day, when all the guns and troops had their places for the final movement un der cover of darkness and be rose from his desk, the thing that had edged its way into a crowded mind took possession of the premises that strategy and tactics had vacated. It passed under the same analysis as his work. His overweening pride, so sen sitive to the suspicion of a conviction that he had been fooled, put his rela tions with Marta In logical review. He had fallen in love in the midst of war. A cool and intense impatience pos sessed him to study her In the light of his new skepticism, when, turning the path of the first terrace, he saw her watching the sunset over the crest of the range. She was standing quite still, a slim, soft shadow between him and the light, which gilded her figure and quarter profile. Did she expect htm? he won dered. Was she posing at that in stant for his benefit? When she turned, her face in the shadow, the glow of the sunset seemed to remain in her eyes, otherwise without expres sion, yetable to detect something un usual under externals as they ex changed commonplaces of greeting. "Well, there's a change in our offi cial family. We have lost Bouchard transferred to another post!" said Westerling. Marta noted that, though he gave the' news a casual turn, his scrutiny sharpened. ' ' .; . ' " y. " "Is that sot I can't say that my mother and 1 shall be sorry," she re marked. "He was always glaring at ue as If he wished us out of sight Indeed, If he bad his way, I think he would have made us prisoners of war. Wasn t he a woman-hater T" aha con cluded, half in Irritation, half in amusement . ' X " "He had that reputation," said Wes terllng. "What do you think led to his departure?" he continued. "I confess 1 cannot guess!" "said Marta, with a look at the sunset glow as If she resented the loss of a min ute of it'.. ' " - "There has been a leak of Informa tion to the Browns!" he announced. There has! And he was Intelli gence officer, wasn't he?" she asked, turning to Westerllng, her curiosity apparently aroused as a matter of cour tesy to his own Interest In the sub ject. - ' "Who do you think he accused? Why, you," he added, with a peculiar laugh. She noted the peculiarity of the laugh discriminatingly. Oh!' Her eyes opened wide In wonder only wonder, at first Then, as comprehension took the place of wonder, they grew sympathetic "That explains!" she exclaimed. "His hate ful glances were those of delusion. He was going mad, you mean? Yes," said Westerllng, "that that would explain it!" "1 have been told that when people go mad they always ascribe every in jury done to them to the person who happens to have excited their dislike," he mused. "Which seems to have been the case here," Westerllng assented. He did not know what else to say. His pride was recovering its natural confidence In the infallibility of his judgment ot human beings. He was seeing his sus picions as ridiculous enough to con vict him of a brain as disordered as Bouchard's. Marta was thinking that she had been skating on very thin ice and that she must go on skating till she broke through. There was an exhila ration about It that she could not re sist: the exhilaration of risk and the control of her faculties, prompted by purpose hypnotically compelling. Both were silent, she watching the sky, he in anticipation and suspense. The rose went violet and the shadows over the range deepened. The guns and the troops wait. With darkness the music begins!" he said slowly, with a start of , stern fervor. The music the muBic! He calls it music!" ran through Marta's mind mockingly, but she did not open her lips. They wait, ready, every detail ar ranged," he continued proudly. The sky merged into the shadows of the landscape that spread and thick ened into blackness. Out of the drawn curtains of night broke an ugly flash and farther up the slope spread the explosive circle of light of a bursting shell. "The signal!" he exclaimed. Right and left the blasts spread along the Gray lines and right and left, on the inBtant, the Browns sent their blasts in reply. Countless tongues of flame seemed to burst from count less craters, and the range to rock in a torment of crashes. In the inter vening space between the ugly, sav age gusts from the Gray gun mouths, which sent their shells from the midst ot exploding Brown Bhells, swept the beams ot the Brown searchlights, their rays lost like sunlight in the vor tex of an open furnace door. "Splendid! splendid!" exclaimed Westerllng, in a sweep of emotion at the sight that had been born of his command. "Five thousand guns on our side alone! The world has never Been the equal of this!" Marta looked away from the range to his face, very distinct In the garish Illumination. It was the face of a maestro of war seeing all his rehear sals and all his labors come true in symphonic gratification to the eye and ear; the face of a man of trained mind, the product of civilization, with the elation of a party leader on the floor ot a parliament in a crisis. "Soon, now!" said Westerllng, and looked at his watch. , Shortly, in the. direction of Engadir, to the rear of the steady flashes broke forth line after line of flashes as the long-range batteries, which so far had been silent, joined their might ier voices to the chorus, making a con tinuous leaping burst of explosions over the Brown positions, which were the real object of the attack. , "The moment I've lived for!" ex claimed Westerllng. "Our Infantry is starting up the apron of Engadir 1 We held back the fire ot the heavy guns concentrated for the purpose of sup porting the men with an outburst Three hundred heavy guns pouring In their shells on a space of two acres! We're tearing their redoubts to pieces! They can't see to fire! They can't live under it! They're in the crater of a volcano! . When our infantry is on the edge of the wreckage the guns cease. Our infantry crowd in crowd into the ' house that Partow built He'll find that numbers count; that the power of modern gunfire will open the way for infantry in masses to take and hold vital tactical positions t And no no, their fire In reply is not as strong as I expected." "Because they are letting you inl It will be strong enough in due sea son!" thought Marta in the uncontrol lable triumph of antagonism. Five against three was in hi tone and in every line Of his features. "It's hard for a soldier to leave a sight like this, but the real news will be awaiting me at my aesK,- ne con cluded, adding, as he turned away: "It's fireworks worth seeing, and if you remain here I will return to tell you the results. ; .. Turning her back to the range for the moment, she saw the twinkle ot the lights ot the town and the threads of light of the wagon-trains and the sweep of the lights of the railroad trains on the plain; while in the fore ground every window of the house was ablaze, like some factory on a busy night shift She could hear the click of the telegraph instrument! already repotting the details of the action as cheerfully fes Brobdlngnaglan crickets In their peaceful surroundings. Then out of the shadow Westerllng reap peared.' . "The apron ot Engadir Is ours!" he called. "Thanks to you!" he added with pointed emphasis. Back in the house he had received congratula tions with a nod, as If success were a matter of course. Before her, ex ultation unbent stiffness, and he was hoarsely triumphant and eager. "It's plain sailing now," he went on. "A break In the main line! We have only to drive home the wedge, and then and then!" he concluded. She felt him close, bis breath on her cheek. ' i. . "Peace!" she hastened to say, draw ing back instinctively. And then! The irony of the words in the light of her knowledge was pointed by a terrific renewal ot the "We're Tearing Their Redoubts to Pieces!" thunders and the flashes far up on the range, and she could not resist re joicing In her heart That's the Browns!" exclaimed Westerllng in surprise. , The volume of fire Increased. With the rest of the frontier in darkness, the Engadir section was an isolated blaze. In its light she saw his fea tures, without alarm but hardening in dogged Intensity. They've awakened to what they have lost! They have been rushing up re serves and are making a counter attack. We' must hold what we have gained, no matter what the cost!" His last sentence was spoken over his shoulder as he started for the house. Without changing her position, hardly turning her head, she watched until the firing began to lessen rap idly. Then she heard his step. She rose to face him, summoning back the spirit of the actress. This is better yet! I came to tell you that the counter-attack failed!" he said as he saw her appear from the shelter of the arbor. She wondered if she were going to fall. But the post of the trellie was within reach. She caught hold of it to steady herself. Failed! "The killing It must have been ter rible!" her mind at last made her ex claim to cover her tardiness of re sponse to his mood. "You thought ot that as you should I do!" he said. He took her hands in his, pulsing warm with the flowing red of his strength. She let them remain life lessly, as if she had not the will to take them away, the instinct of her part again dominant To him this was another victory, and it was discovery the discovery of melting weakness In her for the first time, which magni fied his sense of masculine power. He tightened his grip slightly and she shuddered. ' "You are tired!" he said, and It hurt her that he should be so considerate. , "The killing to end that! It's all I want!? she breathed miserably. "And the end Is near!" he said. "Yes, now, thanks to you!" Thanks to her I And she must listen and submit to his touch! "Then engineers and material were ready to go in," he continued. "Be fore morning, as I had planned, we shall be so well fortified In the posl tion that nothing can budge us. This success so strengthens my power with the staff and the premier that I Med not wait on Fabian tactics. I am supreme. ' I shall make the most of the demoralization ot this blow to the enemy.- I shall not wait on slow ap proaches in the hope of saving life. Tomorrow I shall attack and keep on attacking till all the main line Is ours.1 "Now you are playing your real part, the conqueror!" she thought gladly. "Your kind of peace Is the ruin of an other people; the peace of a helpless enemy. That Is better"-r-better for her conscience, Unwittingly, she allowed her hands to remain in his. In the pa ralysis ot despair she was unconscious that she had hands. She felt that she could endure anything to retrieve the error Into which she had been the means ot leadXAg the Browns. And the killing It would not stop, she knew. No, the Browns would not yield until they were decimated. ' "We have the numbers to spare. Numbers shall press home home to terms In their capital!" - Westerling's voice grew husky ss he proceeded, harsh as orders to soldiers who hesi tated In face of fire. "After that after that" the tone changed from harsh ness to desire, which was still the de sire of possession "the fruits of peace, a triumph that I want you to share!" He was drawing her toward him with an impulse of the force of this desire, when she broke free with an abrupt struggling pull. "Not that! Not that! Your work Is not yet done!" she cried. . He made a move as If to1 persist then be fell back with a gesture of understanding. "Right I Hold me to it!" he ex claimed resolutely. "Hold me to the bargain! So a woman worth while should hold a man worth while." "Yes!" she managed to say, and turned to go in a sudden Impetus of energy. Half running, half stumbling. the light of the lantern bobbing and trembling weirdly, she hastened through the tunnel. Usually the time for taking the receiver down till Lanny replied was only a half min ute. Now she waited what seemed, many minutes without response. Had the cennections been broken? To make sure that her impatience waa not tricking her she began to count off the seconds. Then she heard Lan- Btron's voice, broken and hoarse: 'Malta, Marta, he is dead! Partow is dead!'' Recovering himself; Lanstron told the story of Partow'a going, which was In keeping with his life and his prayers. As the doctor put it, the light of his mind, turned on full "olt age to the last, went out without a flicker. Through the day he had at tended to the dispositions for receiv ing the Grays' attack, enlivening rou tine as usual with flashes of humor and reflection ranging beyond the de tails in hand. An hour or so before dark he had reached across the table and laid hie big, soft palm on the back ot Lanstron's hand. He was thinking aloud, a habit of his in Lanstron's com pany, when an idea requiring gesta tion came to him. 'My boy. It is not fatal if we lose the apron of Engadir. The defenses behind It are very strong." "No, not fatal," Lanstron agreed. But it's very Important." "And Westerling will think it fatal Yes, I understand his character. Yes yes; and if our counter-attack should fall, then Miss Galland's position would be secure. Hm-m-m those whom the gods would destroy hm-m-m. Westerllng will be con vinced that repeated, overwhelming attacks will gain our main line. In stead of using engineering approaches, he will throw his battalions, masses upon masses, against our works until his strength is spent. It would be baiting the bull. A risk a risk but my boy, I am going to " . , Partow's head, which was bent in thought, dropped with a jerk. A con vulsion shook him and he fell forward onto the map, his brave old heart in Its last flutter, and Lanstron' was alone In the silent room with the dead and his responsibility. "The order that I knew he was about to speak, Marta, I gave for him," Lan stron concluded. "It seemed to me an inspiration his last Inspiration to make the counter-attack a feint" "And you're acting chief of staff, Lanny? You against Westerllng V "Yes." ' The colonel of the 128th. and Captain Fracasse were eating their biscuits to gether and making occasional remarks rather than holding a conversation. "Well, Westerllng is a field-mar shal," said the colonel. "Yes, he's got something out of It!" "The men seem to be losing spirit there's not doubt of it!" exclaimed the colonel, more aloud to himself than to Fracasse, after a while. . "No wonder!" replied Fracasse. Mar tinet though he was, he spoke, in grum bling loyalty to hia soldiers. "What kind ot spirit is there in doing the work - of navvies? Spirit! No sol diers ever fought better in invasion, at least Look at our losses! Spirit! Westerllng drives us in. He thinks we can climb Niagara Falls! He" "Stop! You are talking like an an archist!" snapped the colonel. "How can the men have spirit when yon feel that way?" "I shall continue to obey orders and do my duty, sir!" replied Fracasse. "And they will, too, or I'll know the reason why." There was a silence, but at length the colonel exploded: "I suppose Westerllng knowa what he is doing!" ' ''Still we must go on! We must win!" ''Yes, the offensive always wins in the end. We must go on!" "And once we have the range yes. once we've won one vital position the men will recover their enthusiasm and be crying: On to the capital!' " "Right! We were forgetting history. We were forgetting the volatility of human nature." (TO BE CONTINUED.) Cholera's Natural Home. The marshy ground of the Ganges delta, with its vast masses of vege tation. decaying under a tronlcal sun, Is the native home of the cholera. In that pestilential region the chol era and plague are found every, year and all the year round. Every chol era epidemic , which . has desolated Europe, every visitation of the plague, Is believed to have started from Ute mouth ot the Ganges. '. Chas. E. George, Editor and Publisher of the "Bench and Bar Review," 825 Per dido St, New Orleans, La. Head Catarrh Cured by Peruna. 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The News-Record (Marshall, N.C.)
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