The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-01-30

DS0sS0 AAASV - OAPoA1osAVC 4AkOs1OAA
picture by Cosmopolitan Produc.
eion direction Of Alan Grassland.
dtsswin be released % Para
amount picture. -
By Vincente BlascO Bane1
Author Of ''The Feur Horsemen
II Of the Apocalypse" and Other
os Novels OF World RenOwn.
HT REF makes mystics of
- u.s." she continued.
'nsO What 1 regret is
not being able to be one in the
way that others are. I pray, but
resignation does not come to my
aid. I am greatly to be pitied,
Michael"
She Has Changed.
These words did not move the
Prince, in spite Of the despair
which Alicia put into them. His
amorous yearning let him think
only Of the present.
And l." he said in reproach-
3ul tone. you are unhappy; all
the more reason that you should
not, drive me from you. I can
put cheer into your life. I can
guess what you are thinking. No,
no. I do not insist on talking to
you Of love Perhaps later on,
but now-now, I want to be your
eomrade, your brother, whatever
you want me to be-but at your
side. Why do you avoid me?
Why do you shut your door to
me as you would to a stranger?"
And incoherently he continued
his laments, his protests, his ran
cor at her unexplainable estrange-
ment.
Am I to blame for your mis-
fortune?" he finally asked. cam I
q different man today than I was
the last time we saw each other?"
She shook her head sadly. She
could not convince Michael, no
matter how much she might
talk; it was beyond her strength
20 explain her new feelings. She
looked at him with fearful eyes,
which reflected the hesitations of
her thoughts. Finally she seemed
20 have made up her mind.
You haven't changed" she
said in subdued voice, ''but L
am different. Misfortune has
made another woman of me.
do not recognize myself; am
dominated by a fixed idea. An
absurd one, it may well be. Your
presence increases my remorse.
Seeing you, I feel extraordinary
shame, a desire to die, to kill
myself. I have a feeling of sus-'
picion that 1t was I who killed
my SON. I remember all that
took place between us; and
recognize Gods punishment"
Michael's resentment vanished
Mt these inexplicable words. Au-
tomaticaIly he took her hands
with caressing gentleness, as
though they were those Of poor
sick patient at the height of de-
lirious rawlings. She should be
calm What was she saying?
What remorse was she talking
about? Her gloved hands, in
passive resignation, offered no
resistance to his touch, but sud-
denly they awoke to life, violent
~ freeing themselves from
Michael's as though they had
Just received a hard shock.
And the Prince felt a strong
current of repulsion between
them, something that he had
never experienced until then;
the fear Of his person.
The Shame of 1t.
He was so disconnected and
Inundated by this movement of
withdrawal that he did not know
what to say. But Alicia took ad-
vantage of his silence to go on
talking, but as though she were
talking to herself in a trance,
rs though she did not see the
man who was standing before
her eyes.
When ] remember all that
what a shame! My poor son,
my poor boy, living like a slave.
suffering from hunger - being
whipped. He who was so noble
and so handsome-and his mother
here acting like a young girl. CO.
ing into ecstacies over ideal love,
taking poetic promenades through
the gardens, exchanging kisses.
What diabolical spell was upon
me? And God has punished me;
and If not God, whoever or what
ever it may be: Fate, a mysten-
Gus power which makes US ex-
plate our shortcomings-call it
anything you like"
Michael looked at Alicia with
pity and dismay in his eyes He
realized that whatever he might
try to say now would be useless.
That absurd and Borrowing con-
Viction OF hers was a gulf be-
tween them that could be bridged
over only by time.
The silence of the Prince
caused her to lose the nervous