Evening star., 1932-03-25

very merry, and enjoyed them
selves immensely. May sat so
i far away from Martin that he
could not even see her. She had
a strange gentleman beside her. Herr
Direktor Wucherpfenning, a business
friend of Herr Lyssenhop. Herr Lyssen-
hop took in the Countess Czereny and
conversed with her in the most Sprightly
and gallant manner. Martin had by
Frau Geheimrat, who could not help
nodding her head in a tremolo that
sometimes meant Yes, yes, yes" and
sometimes NO, no, no, no." She could
not keep it still, but apart from this
she was agreeable enough.
On the other side he had q very
powerful young girl who kept her mouth
open and uttered not a word. She
merely stared at all that went on with
importunate and devouring eyes, and
now and again produced deep,
throaty and terrifying laugh.
THE poor child is deaf and dumb"
the Frau Geheimrat explained. But
never mind. She is my granddaughter,
and she enjoys it so much. She Is so
glad to be sitting next to you. She
is little crazy about you. You know
what young girls are. yes. yes, yes, yes,
no, no, no, no, no
Martin relapsed into silence When
the dishes came round he took shame
lesSly large helpings in his rage and de-
Spondency Once some one as she
passed stroked his fair head in consola-
ton. But it was only Carla.
Yes, Fraulein, here we sit, but what
are we here for?" he said to the deaf
and dumb girl.
She had been gazing at his lips and
now it seemed that she understood him.
Her face took on sad and regretful
expression, and she passed her hand
over her cheek with a strange air. Mar
tin. who always got on we'll with ami
mails and children, felt a fleeting
warmth of tenderness for this poor de-
fective creature. He stuck two rolls
on two forks and made them perform
dance as he had seen Charley Chap
lin do in a film. The girl broke into
such roar of laughter that the whole
table was silent for a moment and
looked stern reproof at the deaf and
dumb girl and the swimming instructor
in his wretched blue suit
Soon after Martin got UP and went
miserably away The deaf and dumb
girl pressed his hand in farewell with
an eager tremulous pressure. The
Frau Geheimrat agitatedly waggled her
head. Martin went down to the water
and swan out to the middle of the lake.
He wanted to cool himself down, and
throw it all off.
Next day the proprietor of the Peter
mann told Eggenhofer. the porter, and
the porter told Herr Birndl, who passed
it on to Martin. that it was not Gus
tomary at the Big Petermann, nor was
1t very desirable that the swimming in
structor should be always in and out
of the hotel The Petermann was an
exclusive hotel, and there had been talk
about this, and to preserve the tone
Of the hotel only gentlemen wearing
dinner jackets would be admitted to the
public dinners. For this reason, and
to exclude undesirable persons the
tt ck is henceforth would be 10
schillings.
This communication threw Martin
into a fury. His lips went so white
that he looked quite ghastly.
Take the stop-watch and get into
the boat" he said hoarsely to May.
II feel like making a record" May,
who looked frightened, clambered into
the old tub with the Stop-watch. Lit
tie Matz rowed Martin started and
did the 1,500 meters straight across the
lake in 2013. The boat with May in
it dancing up and down with excite
ment could not keep pace with him.
Martin had beaten the record for Aus
tria. He had beaten the record for
Germany. He was only three seconds
behind the world record. When May
reached the farther shore he was lying
breathleSs and almost unconscious on
the landing stage of the motor boat.
But what was the use of an unofficial
record?
L.,
gave his pupils a very thin time of it.
Frau Mayreder swallowed far more
water than she liked. At night on the
ZirbithZplatte he squeezed May in his
arms till she nearly went to pieces. He
tore at her in a rage Of love, and be-
slowed on her all the delicate atten-
tions Of an untamed young lion.
May returned to her virginia. bed
room, with its pink wall paper and its
scent of lavendar and Odol, bruised and
shaken by this athletic display of grim
passion.
"Well?" asked Carla, who sat in front
of the looking glass rubbing cream into
her face.
He wouldn't be the kind of man for
you, Carla, darling" said May, and
turned out the light.
Martin went with a Scowl to the Big
Petermann and in a loud tone abruptly
demanded a ticket for the assembly
dance. Herr Eggenhofer produced the
ticket, while Herr Petermann stood by
and pretended not to hear Martin
put 10 schilhngs on the table; he still
had enough money left to buy himself
10 eggs and a loaf Of bread, as pro-
visions for the next few days. Only one
thing remained-to procure the dinner
jacket come what might and at any
cost. Perhaps the letter with its mil
lions might still arrive before the day
of the assembly. 1t was possibility.
But no letter came that day. Some
AIrCrI0Nr CAIES rrIrrI1pE nAXS