The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-01-18


Obi" She spread out her hands
vaguely. How can one remem.
Der" And that look he most dis
liked, that look Of ancient wisdom,
disillusioned and contemptuous,
came into her eyes.
you are too young to have had
so very many And the war took
good slice out OF your life. II
don't suppose you were infatuating
smashed.up men or even doctors
and surgeons"
Certainly not. But. when ono
marries young-and one begins to
live early in Europe"
How often have you loved. yourt
self?"
THAT question could answer
specifically. but I shall not"
He calculated rapidly. -Four
years Of war. Assuming that you
are> thirty.two. although sometimes
you look older and sometimes
younger, and that you married at
seventeen, that would leave you
we'll. eleven years before the war
began. suppose you didn't fall
in love once q year,"
"Oh, no, am a faithful soul.
Say three years and a third to each
attack"
"You talk at times singularly1
like an American for ono who left
here at the age Of two"
Remember that my family went
with me. Moreover. Mary and I
always talked English together
American II you like. She was In.
tensely proud Of being an Ameri-
can. We read all the American
novels. as I told you. They are an
education in the idiom, permanent
and passing. Moreover. I was a.
ways meeting Americans"
Were you? Well. the greater
number Of them must be in New
York at tho present moment. Mo-
doubt they would be glad TO relieve
your loneliness"
II am not in the least lonely and
have not the least desire to SEQ
any OF them. Only one thing
would induce me-if I thought 1t
would be possible to raise a largo
amount Of money for the women
and children Of Austria"
"Ah! You would take the risk.
them"
"Risk? They were the most
casual acquaintances. They prob.
ably have forgotten me long since.
I had not left Hungary for q year
before the war. and one rarely
meets an American In Pesth So
ciety-two or three other Aneri.
can women had married Hunga.
rians, but they preferred Vienna
and I preferred Europeans. ]
knew them only slightly.
Moreover. there are many Eat.
tiany's. It Is an immense connec.
ton"
"You mean you believe you would
be SAFE" he caught her up.
mon dieu! You make me feel
as II I we're on The stand. But yes,
quite safe" r.
| "And you really believe that any
one could ever forget you?" ,oH
II am not as vain as you seem TO
think"
I "You have every right to be.
Suppose-suppose that something
should occur to rouse the suspi-
cions Of the Countess Zattiany's old
friends and they should start in.
vestigations in Vienna!"
"They would not see her-nor
their emissaries. DR.. Steinach's
sanitarium Is inviolate."
"Steinach - steinach where
have heard that name lately?"
Her eyes flew open, but she low.
cred the lids Immediately. Her
voice shook slightly as she replied:
"He is a very great doctor. He will
keep poor Mary's secret as long as
she lives and nobody in Vienna
would doubt his word. 1nvestiga.
lions would be useless"
"She II there then? I suppose
you mean that she is dying Of an
incurable disease or has lost her
mind. But do not imagine that I
care to pry further into that. I
never had the least idea that VOW
had Oh, l don't know what to
believe! Won't you ever
tell me?"
II wonder! No. I think not! No!
No!"
There is something them"
"Do you know why you still harp
on that absurd idea that I am what
I am and still am not? Do you not
know what It is-the' simple ex.
planation?"
"No. do not 4
1T is. merely that European
women, the women who have been
raised in the intrigues of courts
and the artificialities of what We
call the World who learn the
technique Of gallantry q soon as
they are lancee, where men make q
definite cult Of women and women
Of men. where sincerity in such an
atmosphere is more bafiing than
subtlety and guile-that is the rea-
, son your American girl is never
|, understood BY foreign men-where
, naturalness is despised as gauche
and art commands homage, where.
in short, the game is everything
/ that most aristocratic and enthrall.
ing Of all games-the game Of
chess, with men and women an