Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-04-18
UNDER THE MOONS OF MARS

BY EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS

that, with you, shall soon return to m.
fathers court, and feel his strong arm
about me, and my mothers tears anC
kisses on my cheek"
DO people kiss, then. upon Barsoom? q
I asked, when she had explained the wore
she used, in answer TO my inquiry as TO III
| meaning
Parents, brothers and sister, yes
and" she added in low. thoughtful tone
lovers"
And you, Dejah Thoris have parents
and brothers and sisters?"
yes"
And lover7"
She was silent, nor did 1 repeat tn,
: question.
THE man of Barsoom," she finally ven.
tured. does not ask personal questions OF
| women, except his mother, and the woman
he has fought for and won"
| But have fought"
I started, and then wished my tongue
| had been cut from my mouth. for she
| turned even as I caught myself and
| ceased and drawing my silks from her
| shoulder she held them out to me, and
without a word, and with head held high
she moved with the carriage of the queen
she was toward the plaza and the door
way of her quarters.
l did not attempt to follow her. other
than to see that she reached the building
In safety: but directing woola TO accom-
pany her, l turned dsconsolately and en-
tered my own house. I sat for hours
cross-legged and cross-tempered upon my
silks, meditating upon the queer freaks
chance plays upon us poor devils of NOR
tails.
So this was love
had escaped Il for all the years 7 had
roamed the five continents and their en-
circlink seas, in spite of beautiful women
a .A.. IA...
desire for love. and constant search for
my IDEAL IL had remained for me to fall
furiously and hopelessly in love with a
creature from another world, of species
similar. possibly, yet not identical with
mine.
A woman who was Matched from an egg.
and whose span of life might cover a
thousand years whose people had strange
customs and ideas; whose hopes, whose
pleasure. whose standards of virtue and
of right and wrong might vary as great
ly from ssline as did those of the green
Martians.
Yes, I was a fool. but was in love-
and though I was suffering the greatest
misery | had ever known. ! would not
have had II otherwise for all the riches of
Barsoom. Such Is love, and such are
lovers wherever love is known
To me Dejah Thoris was all that was
perfect. all that was vlrtuous and bcauti-
full and noble and good.
believed that from the bottom of my
heart, from the depth OF my soul on that
night in korad I sat cross-legged upon
my silks, while the nearer moon of Bar
SOON raced through the western sky
toward the horizon and lighted up the
gold and marble and jeweled mosaics of
my world-old chamber, and l believe 1t
today as l sit at my desk in the little
study overlooking the Hudson
Twenty years have intervened. For ten
of them / lived and fought for Dejah
Thorls and her people and for ten / have
lived upon her memory.
The morning of our departure for Tharll
dawned clear and hot, as do all Martlan
mornings except for the six weeks that the
snow melts at the poles.
1 sought out Dejah Thoris in the throng
of departing chariots but she turned her
shoulder to me, and / could see the red
blood mount to her cheek
With the foolish inconsistency of love I
held my peace when l might have plead
ed ignorance of the nature of my ofrense,