Evening star., 1932-03-22
INSTALLMENT VIII.

NW1CE every udy tne postHa4
went past the bathing beach
and regretfully signalled with
l. empty and enormous hands in
response to the swimming in
structor's eXpectant eyes. Three or
even four times daily, little Matz was
sent running to the post office and
withdrawn for whole quarters of an
hour from his duties with the wet
towels Sadly from afar he raised his
small grubby paws: There's nothing,
Herr Doktor!' Martin himself hurried
to the post Office before seven o'clock.
for there was a post that arrived at
5.23, and at night before meeting May
he hastened there again. Nothing,
I'm afraid" said the girl at the post
office, as she gave him look of yearn-
ing sympathy. Martin pretended to
make light Of it, and whistled as he
went in his white trousers to join the
evening concourse down below on the
promenade.
Yes, Martin now possessed a pair of
white trousers. That was the latest.
They were the symbol of his love, for
he could hardly walk day by day and
evening by evening by the side of the
prettiest and smartest girl in Frauensee
wearing the baggy and rather too short
blue trousers of his one good suit, while
those counts and Bobbys and other
fine fellows passed by in all the splen-
dor of white hannels. So Martin had
taken his courage and nine schillings
eighty groschen in his hand and bought
a pair of white linen trousers that could
be washed by the humpbaeked Resi-,
along with all the bathing towels.
He had had his hair cut A corner
of his pocket handkerchief peeped out
correctly from the pocket of his blue
he 6pa nd
also the run on his swimming lessons,
Martin purposed to ruin himself COM
pletely by the purchase of pair of ten
mis- shoes. At present he could only
mutter vague and confused excuses
when May asked him to make up a
four at tennis after his hours on duty.
He would rather bite off his tongue, he
thought to himself, than tell her how
poor he was. For the moment ne pre-
tended to the girl he loved that he
gave swimming lessons merely for the
fun Of the thing. And May, good
hearted and sensible behind her worldly
manner, was tactful enough to let the
fiction pass.
II believe he's frightfully poor" she
said to Carla one evening She was
brushing her short hair, until each
separate hair became silky thread Of
gold. He's poorer than we can pos
L
him so much. I admire him for it,
don't you?"
Car1a - her mouth foaming with
oth-paste-stood in her pajamas by
the doorway between the two rooms
and gave a somewhat unintelligent
assent
"You see," May went on, twirling a
bedroom slipper on the tip of her toe,
''he has no one but himself to rely
upon. He hasn't father who's a
bank director. or an uncle in business,
like all these Bobbys and Dr. Kieins
and the rest Of them. He Is poor:
there's something out of the ordinary
Have you danced With him? Don't you
think he dances marvelously?"
"Divinely. I should think he could
have made lots of money as profess
sional Why does he bother to teach
clumsy girls and fat women to swin?"
Carla asked, sitting on the edge Of
Mays bed.
But how absurd! A professional
dancer Is nobody. What an ideal A
professional dancer!"
And LIS a swimming instructor any
body?" asked Carla spitefully.
In my eyes, yes. It's a sport, at
least. And If the Austria Swimming
Club has no objection to make"
But hasn't it? That's Just the
question
Well, he's swimming for them in
Berlin en- the fourth of September
the fifteen hundred meters so there.
Don't try and fuss me. Carla. please" 1"
II fuss you," said Carla Indignantly.
She got up and went to the balcony
The lake lay dark and still below. II
fuss you? I've been playing goose for
you the whole evening so that you and
he could do what you liked, and now
you say I fuss you. You disappear for
hours together while I have to func-
ton as May and next as Carla to pre-
vent Tat's noticing anything"