The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-12-17
By Blasco Ibanez

little, and get warm. I'm sorry
/ have so little TO offsr you.
What In the world can ser Tor
them? Let's see, Let's see.
When Leonora reappearod, her
maid was following her with
great bundle Of clothes N ner
arms.
You understand, of course, we
haven't q stitch Of mems clothes
in the house But in war time
we get along as best we can, ell2
We're in what You might call q
state of SIEGE here.
Rafael noted the dirnples that
b charming smile traced IN those
wonderful cheeks! And what per-
feet teeth jewels in q casket Of
red velvet!
Now, Cupido; orr with those
wet things Of yours; you're not
going to catch pneumonia on my
account, and thus deprive the
city 0f its one bright spot. Here's
something to put on while we.
are drying your clothes
And she offered the barber q
magnificent gown Of blue velvet,
with veritapIe cascades OF lace
at the breast and on the sleeves.
For YOU, Leonora said to RAJ
fael with d motherly smile,
could find only this fur cloak.
Come, now, take off that jacket
Of yours; it's dripping wet.
With a blush, the young man
refused. No, ne was all right.
Nothing would happen 10 him.
He had been Wetter than that
many times
Leon0ra without losing her
smile, seemed To grow impatient.
No one in that house ever talked
back to her.
Come, Rafael, don't be 50 silly.
Wen have to treat you Ike e
child. 3
And taking him by q sleeve, as
IL he was b refractory baby, she
began To pull at his jacket
The young man, In his con-
fusion, was hardly aware OF what
was taking place. He seaned to
be travelling along on an endless
horizon, at greater speed than he
had been swept down the river
Just before. She had called him
BY his first name; he was q PAM
pered guest In a house he had
IOI 1AkQEKt4AEe 0CGAA u " AAAk5 st1NAAA
to enter, and she, Le0nora, was
caIlinr him child, and srsating
him like d child, ais IL they had
been friends all their lives.
Come MIR. Obstinate, or we II
have to undress you like 4 doll =
She was bending over him; he
could feel her breath upon his
cheeks, and the touch Of her DELI
cate, agile hands, and sense Of
delicious intoxication swept over
him.
The FUR coat was drawn snugly
about his shoulders. 1T was q
rare garment; q cloak Of blue
fox as soft as silk, thick, yet light
as the pIunes Of some fantastic
bird. Though Rafael passed tor
tall man, its edges touched the
floor. The. young man realized
that thousands Of francs had sud-
denly been thrown over his back,
and trembIingIy he gathered the
bottom up lest he should step
upon 1t.
Leonora laughed at his ernhar-
raBSmemt.
Don't be afraid: no matter Is
you do tread on it. One would
think You were wearing g sacred
veil from the respect you show
that coat. tt isn't worth much.
/ use it only to travel IN. a
grandduke gave 1t to me IN Saint
Petersburg. Z,
Slowly they walked back into
the front room. Meanwhile, the
appearance of the barber, dressed
in his luxuriant gown, was greeted
with shouts of laughter in the
dining room. Cupido was taking
full advantage of the occasion.
The train in one hand and strok-
ing his side-Whiskers with the
other, he was writing about
like d prima donna in her big
scene and singing in a falsetto
soprano voice.
Rafael was standing on the
balcony, at Leonora' s side, his
gaze lost in the darkness, his
spirit lulled by the music Of her
sweet voice, his body snHga and
comfortable IN that elegant gar
ment which seemed to have re-
tanned something of the warmth
and perfume of her shoulders.
With marks OF very real interest,
she was questioning him about
the desperate trip down the river.
Rafael answered her Inquiries
with bated breath.
"What you have done, the
prima donna was saying, de
serves my deep, deep gratitude!
1t is a chivalrous act worthy of
ancient times. Lohengrin, ar
irving in his little boat to save
Elsa. Only the swan is lacking
unless you want to call Cupido
a swan"
'And suppose you had been
carried off-drowned!' the youth
exclaimed in justification Of his
rashness.
Drowned! I must confess that
at first I was somewhat afraid.
Not so much of dying, for I'm
somewhat tired Of life-as you
will realize after you've known
me a little longer. But a. death
like that, suffocated in that mud,
that filthy, dirty water that
smells so, bad, doesn't at all ap-
peal to me. Our only trouble
is that we're cut off, and I'm
waiting for daylight to come so
that we can see where we are.
The sight OF all this country
changed into a lake must be very
beautiful, isn't it, Rafael?"
you've probably seen far more
interesting things" the young
man replied.
IT don't deny that: but I'm al-
ways most impressed by the SEN
sation of the moment"
And she fell silent, showing by
her sudden seriousness the vexa-
ton that his distant allusion TO
her past had caused.
For some moments neither or
4Lo..o z.ol,~ onA II xuoo T,aOnora