The Washington times., 1923-01-27

II win be released rs . Para
mount picture.
By Vincente BlascO Ibanez
Author Of ''The Four Horsemen
Of the Apocalypse" and Other
Novels Of World Renown.
"a S he was doing all this a
"a sinking feeling of lack of
"A confidence in himself be-
gan to assail him. 1t was
q feeling of uneasiness like
that of a student before examina-
ution. of a dramatist watching from
the wings for the fate of his play,
or like that of man who is going
to fight a duel. He had spent so
many weeks desiring without
avail! He had renowned love so
long ago! And the thought of
Alicia aroused in him both eager
ness and terror.
Three o'clock. Michael left
Villa Sirena. It was long way
and he wanted to walk it. The
exercise would fortify his will
and dispel the doubt which was
assailing him anew. He felt the
lack of confidence of an athlete
who has left off exercising and
doubts if he can summon all his
former strength again.
On reaching Monte Carlo
Michael climbed the long stone
steps as fast as the streets OF
Beausoleil. He considered it adj
visable to go out of his way thus
to carry out to the fullest detail
the counsels of prudence that
Alicia had given him.
-. He planned to enter her street
from above, where there were no
houses. In this way he would
7avoid any of her neighbors who
lat that hour might be going
downtown.
Above the building plots where
houses We're going up and the
stairways winding down the slope,
he could overlook a large ex-
panse of sea. and on the shore
the groves of the gardens, with
birds-eye view of the huge mass
of the Casino. with its green tiles
and the yellow cupoIas of its
halls, the wide square, the little
circular garden of the ''Camem-
BERT and around it. numerous
people the size of ants.
The Prince had a feeling of
pity for those pigmies. Unhappy
men! They were going to gam
BILE, to shut themselves up be-
tween four walls, under artificial
:, light, with no other dreams than
those for money. For him some
thing better was waiting; for a
few hours he was going to ex-
perience the one interesting in
toxication of life Then he
laughed with pity at a. certain
1unatic-his double-who tried to
found club group of enemies
of women. Imagine hating love,
and trying, to live apart from
women. Poor Prince Michael!
He Goes co Alicia.
1t was now o'clock Passing
among tiny gardens which
seemed miles away from a crowd
ed city, he entered Alicia's street.
The red roof of Villa Rosa was
peeping out from among the
trees, almost at his feet. He
kept on descending. His legs
trembled slightly, and he stopped
for a moment to regain his poise,
raising his hand to his breast
Rounding a bend. all of the
street that was built up appeared,
straight and gently sloping down
to where ii joined one of the
avenues of Monte Carlo.
No One in Sight.
No one was in sight and he
A1StCIlC0 " sip lulU Nllld IIOSd
before any neighbors appeared.
He passed the gardens rapidly
with the air of a man who is
afraid of being late at a game of
cards. He found the gate half
open. 1t was a good sign; Alicia
had thought of facilitating his
entry.
He crossed the little garden,
and thought he saw the fright
ened face Of the gardener, peep
ing over some shrubbery for
moment, then hiding again pre-
cipitOusly. There was something
strange about that mans curios-
fly and his look of fear But he
was hurrying away, and the
prince was pleased at his dis
cret;on.
With a flutter of emotion he
climbed the four steps to the
door. With each one there awoke
in his imagination a fresh dream
picture, softly rose colored like
women's flesh, a sweet uncon-
fessable vision which suddenly
brought back his past More
with his memory than with his
sense of smell, he perceived in