El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-05-15
The Puzzle
A short story.

- OBOzY' and AngyaI were sitting
on the divan in the smoking room
- talking of a fairhaired lady. The
stiffness Of the night. the red light of
the lamp on the armors swords and
shields on the wall the strong Turkish
tobacco wrapped everything in the room
in blue fog and led their imaginations
into the empire OF mystery. They
talked OF many things In the abstract
though the principal subject Of their
conversation. was woman who was
very real indeed
you know that I am madIy in love
with her" said DObOZy, the magnate
when l see her / have to use all OF
my self control not to throw myself at
her feet But listen-last week we were
on our way toward the Turkish ruin
and it was getting dark as we re-
turned. She and / had walked a little
ahead of the others We stopped on
a bridge to wait for them. Below US
the Danube was rushing and above our
heads the moon was shining. sudden
" 1 felt her hand gripping my arm
and she said: / can look into your
very soul as If 1t were made from
glass I can read every word written
there. Surely you can also read mine
No, please do not say anything
Strange words, you must admit I did
not answer. The others caught up with
US. She was unusually quiet all the
rest Of the evening asiOnally she
looked up at me and smiled sadly
And what happened them asked
Angyal, the poet very much inter
ested-
BOckstal, and then We drove home. The
next day we started out in six car
riages. She sat opposite and until We
reached Jause she was bubbling over
with good humOr. Then some gypsies
began singing their ugly, melancholy
songs. She listened dreamily and
her answers 10 me grew ever shorter.
Her face had turned quite pale and she
a
not dare say anything more to her, for
I felt her soul was filled with bitter
ness. Suddenly she arose and went
away from the rest or US TO ST. down
alone on a bench in the wood. / fol-
lowed her and noticed that her eyes
were full Of tears and her face was
cOnvulsed with pain"
.lrmas do tell ssle, what IS the mat
ter with your I asked.
she stamped her foot angriIy and
said: Please leave me alone. An
hour later she drove home alone with
out saying goodbye to anybody But
now comes the strangest part OF IT all
When We returned We passed her villa
She stood on the balcony with her sis
ter waving her hand at US and when my
carriage passed she threw a red rose
to me and cried. Goodnight DObOzy.'
What do you think OF this, my frIend2
How am TO explain the sudden change
in her treatment OF me2 She must
have a secret But what can IT be
"a very interesting woman" said
AnRyal- 1T would be something TO
poet 10 look into ner soul. Perhaps he
might be able to solve the riddle
Now here is The real explanation.
On the day of the excursion to BOcksJal
Irma had just received q. pair of new
shoes which. Of course, snsN must put
on right away. otl they reached
Jause. as long IS they were sitting in
the carriage. every uhinS was wei. but
when she put her foot on the ground
she might have screamed with pain
She felt as If she were sitting on
crater Of glowing lava bathing her feet
in It The others. who noticed her dis
to put an end 10 this she walked TO the
bench in the wood and when DObOZy
did not leave her alone even there, she
mad an attack OF nervous crying AT
last the pain became so uncomfortable
that she drove home As soon as she
ture she felt as happy as ever before
and her happiness eliminated when she
saw DobOzy driving by and she threw
him the rose
THE next day the goIden-haired.
beautiful and charming as ever, prom
enaded in the park
In front Of the bandstand she met
barrassed, but Irma's bewit-hing
smile soon gave him back his courage
An hour later DObozy called on his
friend, the poet AngyaL In his button
hole was a red rose Irms hat worn in
the morning. As soon as he saw Angyal
he burst out:
Congratulate me old boy Irma has
prOprOmised to be my wife"
But neither Of the two ever succeeded
in solving the riddle in Mrs Irna Do
boys life