Evening star., 1932-03-27


rounded and beset by far too many
women this Summer. He was in love
with May. She flied him to the brin
with love and tenderness, and with de-
sire and passion. He often had the
feeling that an explosion threatened
him, that he would be rent from TOP
to bottom, that his strength was
strained to breaking point. Its all toe
much for me-" he groaned sometimes
meaning the catastrophe that threat
ened his too-aroused feelings. May
bracing ana vital as she was, had all
she could do to keep him calned down
But the other women whom the Sum-
re GAYS brought To- Frauensee did
their utmost to disquiet and upset poor
Martin He'll.
The day began with the hump
backed Resi-, who brought him milk
warm from the COW before he had left
his Procrustean bed. Her eager zeal
and devotion were at once ludicrous
Birndl gazing with all her eyes at Mar
tin in his bathing costume, at his
muscles and the line of his neck, which
was indeed admirable. She stood for
hours in tie blazing sun. lean
ing on the railing of the gangway. AS
for the adoring looks ana remarks of
the pupils who clustered about him,
he could scarcely keep count of them
all; from early morning the air seemed
TO simmer and flicker with them. Even
the deaf and dumb girl had turned
up-Stefanie Won Rrinckmann was her
name-to take lessons in swimming
and with great patience and kindlineSs
he gave them to her laboriouSly in
dumb show. VeSi Schwoisshackel too,
pretty as a picture with her blue eyes
beneath a crown Of plated black hair,
had most emphatic ways of showing her
regard. She never removed his plate
without pressing against him. Excuse
me, if I'm in your way" she would say,
pressing against his knees as she passed
along between the benches.
All this might have been tolerable
But there was Anika-Anikuschka-
and she, owing to the unforgetable
sweetness Of her caresses, was extremely
dangerous.
"Anika, you set me on fire. Anika
don't touch me. l shall go up in the
air" Martin implored her in anguish.
But Anika did not care.
And then what was to be said of
Carla Lyssenhop. who made her ap
pearance one evening in the shadow
below the terrace where he was accus-
toned to meet May, and threw herself
into his arms under the pretense OF
being May herself? Martin had re-
ceived her kiss with alarm and con-
fusion and had not said a word. Was
Carla to suppose for a monent that
he had not recognized her? What the
devil did they all want of him? Just
now he had had to console Puck. And
here he was in Bojan's bedroom in
order to accept So schillings.
He feared the Bojan more than any
of them. The Bojan knew only too
well how to make herself felt in the
most dangerous way Of all-she hypno
tized him. When he came to the castle
she did not behave like the other
women. She merely began to uncoil.
She gazed at his mouth. She gazed
at his neck. She gazed at his hands.
Then his n outh and neck and hands
started to burn. But the worst was
that she hypnotized him. In a shame
less and almost intolerable way she
hypnotized him with her red hair and
her too smooth skin and the Fierrot
costume that she wore in Lulu
TIE .Bcjan was lying in bed. But
IL was a bed such as Martin had never
seen. 1t was suspended from the cell
ing by golden cords like a swing-a
Cytherean gondola. On either side stood
q tall lamp that gave the effect of
stage setting The Bojan extended a
languid white arm, bare to the shoul-
der. Over her breast was little trans
parent lace. and lace fell in a cascade
from the gondola Martin had never
imagined that anything like this was
TO be seen except in film.
Il kiss your hand" he said with
constraint. as he advanced on tiptoe
toward the bed, taking care to leave
some distance between the Bojan and
himself He took her hand at arms
length and shook it twice very
cordially.
How DO you do. doctor" said the
Bojan in a subdued voice 1T is nice
to see you here again. Very nice :"
she repeated. and gazing at him she fell
into reflection
Il have taken the liberty-Puck told
me" Martin stammered.
"Oh, Of course. So he wants some
money, cur young friend whom we
hshed out of the lake. May l be so
vulgar as to ask what the money is
for? 1 confess I am very inquisitive.
You are man who makes women in
quisitivs. doctor Do you know that?"
Martin with parched throat mur-
INJURED negative. Not for anything in
the world was he going to favor her
with the story of his pawned dinner
jacket. "A liability-sudden embarrass-
ment-" he murmured He observed
on his white shoes the red stains of
Puck's currants. How painful it all
was. THE post is SO irregular in
Frauensee-" he added, and then said
no more.
The Bojan said nothing either.
This lasted for some minutes, and
these minutes seemed to hum and spin
through the air laden with a sharp
Martins head like something heavy
and frenzied and catastrophe, like an
express train or fire or a landslide
Absurd, he thought with throbbing
temples. 1 shall get through. l shall
get through If only I don't stir
He stood stock still in front of the
Bojan's bed and braced every muscle
He got through. 1t was a dangerous
moment, but he got through The
them, diSappointeoly withdrew her bare
arm and let it fall on her pillows
These Summers awav from the theater
were so vacant and so unbearably
tedious. Her head fell back. Her eyes
closed, and look Of pain came ever
her face
Go into nv dressing room and
look in the righthand side OF the cup
board. On the top shelf YOU will find
my handbag" she said wearily. Mar
tin followed the direction of her hand
and, passing through an atmosphere
heavy with srent. ceme to the cupboard
He found himself in a room that was
redolent of a fastidious women and
full of thousand alluring. mysterious
feminine objects. He felt about in he
enormous cupboard among the billowy
sr6 rust1ine disorder of the Bojan's
clothing At last he came upon the
handbag amidst her silk underclothes
His conscience smote him rs he t9ok
hold of 1t. for the whole situation
seemed false and unfair to Nav. He
laid the handbag at arms length on
the actresses bed
Please, take what you want" said
the Boian with a hooking air. She
watched him attentivelv as he took the
handbag from her bed again ana began
to rummage in it with trembling