Nogales international., 1932-05-07

Dearest shall not be able to see
you or even to write TO you for some
time to come. But don't be alarmed.
| A sudden attack-nothing really seri-
ous-has caused me to be removed to
a sanitorium for treatment -
And she went on to say that she
had commissioned friend of hers. a
Monsieur Caron. to visit him with
news from time to time. that he must
not worry about her in the least, that
she was not in pain and thought of
him all the time and waited only for
the day when they could see each
other again.
It was long letter, but Rosanof
followed with absorption each and
every syllable of it. He would have
liked the nurse to read the periods
and commas. and when she was done
he begged the nurse. in some shame
for he was aware that she had
thousand tasks to perform. to repeat
it to him-"just once"
He liked especially the part where
she said that she was not in pain
II am not in pain. think of you
all the time. And wait for the day
when we can be reunited"
Not long afterwards he received the
expected visit from Maitre Caron, who
kissed him on both cheeks and called
him my SON." Mata was quite COM
Portable. The doctors thought that
she might need an operation. oh. a
very minor operation. but this was
not at all certain. They were hoping
that it could be avoided. If not, then
Maitre Caron had been instructed to
do everything possible to arrange for
Rosanoff to come to her beforehand.
Not that there is anything to fear"
the attorney fastened to assure him.
But it will be such a good excuse to
get the hospital authorities to let
you-visit- other" Maitre Caron
Somehow avoided the word, See
rather to Rosanoff's amusement. "You
understand. Mata thinks of you and
longs to-have you with her-all the
time"
Truly. in her prison room, there was
nothing the dancer so longed for or
had so much in her mind as the
blind soldier Not even the expected
reprieve. although Maitre Caron be-
came more and more confident that
he could obtain it. He had already
been able to get the date of execution
set weeks ahead. AS often as possible
the old lawyer would appear at the
prison. bearing gifts of fruits and
flowers and books. to report further
progress.
Everyone was very kind to her,
moved by her beauty and her stoic-
isn7-the two nuns and the warden
who had charge of her cell, the prison
doctor. the priest She read a good
deal. Sometimes she was quite CAV
and declared that she could not
understand why they insisted on
shooting people at dawn. Why not at
noon. after a good luncheon with
friends. and when the sun was shin
ing? 1t would be so much more
cheerful.
But as the weeks passed and it be.
came only question of days and still
Maitre Caron could bring her no
definite news the nuns noticed that
she sat more and more quietly on her
cot. no longer reading. but with her
hands folded, waiting. remembering
perhaps. If this grim compartment of
stone recalled to her other sad times
of waiting before she had come to
Paris to dance no one else knew. Only
once she told the nuns that she had
always believed that it was better to
lead on earth brief and intense ex-
istence than to drag oneself through
senescence barren Of beauty"
On the day before the one set for
the execution. the lawyer had an ap-
pointment with the President of the
Republic. 1t was last resort. The
warder and the nuns knew Of this and
were as tense with sympathy and sus-
pense as If the reprieve were to be
brought to them. Mata Hari. how
ever. busted herself with sorting her
possessions
At length she looked up from
suitcase with gesture of helpless
ness and said to the nuns. What can
give you? You don't want jewelry.
You can't use clothes"
The younger nun murmured,
There's nothing. We have every
thing we need
Everything you need" repeated
the dancer. rs that possible?"
I'VE serve God" the other nun said,
land are content"
Mata Hari looked from one to the
other wonderingly. The younger nun
was rather pretty and very gentle;
there were tears in her eyes for the
dancer. Could she have been like
that? If she had it to do all over
again-from the beginning?
NO" she said aloud. This is how
am. This is how I had to be- No.
1 must play my part as it is given me
to play 1t and-take care to make nv
last performance the best!"
The younger nun gave little sob.
Mata Hari went and put her white
hands on the nuns black shoulders.
There little sister that's
nothing to cry about You have
both been SO kind and tender to me
though in your eyes I am a great
sinner"
When the other sister went out into
the corridor to see if the lawyer might
have arrived. the warder pressed into
her hands flask of cognac-for the
lady-"in case the reprieve didn't
come" Smelling salts were no good.
This was the real stuff His grand
father had laid it down in Napoleons
time.