The evening world., 1921-04-05

preston the expression tney ndo
when they were alone, and the
laughter is that which they shared
between themselves, but which no
man ever heard" Furiously, the man
who knew all about women pursues
his quest; the curtain falls on him
rushing frantically from one ghost to
another, the silver candelabra in his
hand; at the beginning OF the second
and last act he still is searchtng--in
vain-and day is about to break.
Nevertheless, we loved each 9TH
err" he eXclaims.
We might have loved each other!"
sigh the ghosts.
You have seen nothing! You have
known nothing! You have had moth
ing!" is the Devils scathing summary.
But, even II l did not know you, L
dominated youth that sense, L pos
scssed. L corrupted. l Seduced you"
cries Don Juan.
When we persuaded you to it." re-
plies a ghost. You proudly dictated
what was our will"
oh, how l seduced the magnet!
the iron said to ITSELF" dryly COM
ments the Devil.
Then Don Juan takes a new tack.
At least, he says, he has the distinc-
ton OF the irOn-the distinction OF
pleasing the magnet.
Whereupon the thousand and three
ladies tell him the petty, superficial
reasons why he pleased them; DE
cause 1t is with you one bushes
most" for the pride of facing 50
many comparisons" because of a
perfume composed of mild tobacco, of
the alcovc and Of the fencing school,"
because woman is your trade" "be-
cause one never feels you occupied
with anything else"
Even Prince Charming admits that
he detests this sort of glory. but, at
least, was the one who left YOU" he
boasts; for ten years | have run my
LIES course without law and order"
Because you We're afraid to stop
yourself" he Devil points out.
You fed from woman to woman, as
one flees from tree TO tree before an
archer whom one fears" charges the
ghost. with each new body encoun-
tered on his road he made a rampant
against an old love- challenges an
other You were afraid" they cry
all together.
That he had no rivals among men Is
Don Juan's next defense.
Whereupon half the women sigh,
Romeo" The other half murmur,
Tristan"
They are lovers" points out one
ghost. You protiting from the weak
ness left in our souls by these names,
you, plunderer, your only achievement
was finishing off the wounded. Even
when we love you, it is they who are
the gods, for it is they whom we
blaspheme. Their glory troubles you!
You had only women-but not one
wOman!"
Don Juan's next argument Is that
he, more than any other, made women
suffer. To prove il the Devil collects
in cup from the eyes of the ghosts
the concealed tears of their bitterest
griefs. Then he tests them with
lens-and finds that all save one are
false tears, because they were in
the programme"
when one takes Don Juan, my
dear" explains a ghost ut is TO af-
ford oneself the luxury of knowing
how he makes one suffer"
Suddenly the hand OF the Devil Is
burnt-he has touched a true tear
II is claimed by "A newcomer, the
White Ghost, who sheds it for Don
Juan's anguish. Yet he fails to rec
ognize her. even when she takes off
her mask He cannot find her name
on the copy of his famous List, which
the Devil takes from his own pocket
Must be punished" asks Don Juan,
allowed the Ideal to escape me only
once out of a thousand and four
loves?"
"Only once?" sadly echoes the
White Ghost Then Don Juan learns
the truth-that she, the Ideal, the
soul, was in each love, each woman,
II only he had tried to find her.
Even now, when he is given a last
chance, he cannot be true to her.
While the words OF his pledge OF
faithfulncss tremble upon his lips
the other ghosts unmask, and he ad-
mitS' II have no heart for one alone
so long as new face intrigues me-"
He is given courage for a new boast
that he did not love woman, but
the search for woman, that she was
only a preteXt, an inspiration.
Then what have you done with
your Inspirations" the ghosts clamor
accusnGly. GIVE US an accounting
In what ode did the rose flower again
that, departing in the morning, you
plucked from my hedge? What did
you do with the kiss which, since
was queen, should have compelled
you to become king?" And they
, cover him with their ultimate scorn
''for having made OF us-wishing ONLY