Nogales international. [volume] (Nogales, Ariz.) 1926-1979, 1932-03-30

full sunshine. you are SO beautiful
eyes. yes. but why did you come
here?"
IT couldn't help it. Out there, the
birds were singing. and there was q
softness Just like spring in the cir
and--and my heart was so juu OF
you had to come back and tell you
that / love you , and take you to
lunch
Very pretty, but it's almost two
and have an engagement"
This time her irritation became
apparent to Rosanoff. He had enough
penetration to know that she wasn't
being in the least coy. She simply
didn't want to see himl
Some OF the buoyancy went out Of
him.
But Mata you can break it. I
mast take you to lunch"
II told you have an appointment. ]"
For the life Of him, he could not
see what he had done to offend her.
Women were unaccountable, but even
so there was no reason. >. He de-
cided to be masterful.
And I told you to break it,
This was the everlasting straw.
Mata Hari sprang up.
"You are conceited fool"
"W-what?" he stammered.
you're the most conceited. idiotic
boy i've ever SEEM
1t wasn't possible! But it was.
''I can't imagine" she went on dis
passionately, what makes you think
I'VE given you the right to burst in
here and waste my time"
At last Rosanoff recovered himself
sufficiently to speak.
I'm sorry Last night you told
ne that you loved me-"
Did I? That was last night.
Today I'm very busy"
She rang for the maid.
At this Rosanoff could not restrain
an incredulous exclamation. She saw
by his face that he was shocked be-
You'd belief. not alone by the dis
| missal but by this ultimate rudeness
But now it was too late. She meant
to finish what she had begun.
Marietta. show the gentleman
out"
In quiet voice. Rosanof said,
You are quite right. haze been q
fool. won't make this mistake
again."
Nor did he commit the faux pas OF
| turning on his heel.
He bowed quite correctly. leaving
Mata Hari. II he had only known IL.
rather inclined to reinstate him in
| She had to admit that his exit had
been fully as insulting in It's dignit'
as her. rejection in its bluntness, be-
fore she forgot him wholly In the
absorbing affair Of making her
! toilette.
| For concentrated business 1t was
Ever since she had learned that
glamour could mean career, she
| had worked 'relentlessly to preserve
the spell now that it had been cast
Whatever made for the mystery sur
rounding her had been retained
whatever interfered with it. cast off
erased with such will that 1t was
impossible to decide where, In her
own recollection, truth left of and
fancy began.
| Was she really the daughter Of a
Dutch shopkeeper? No one had ever
learned this from her lips. To the
world, to her acquaintance, to her
intimates. perhaps even to herself
she chung to the account that she
had been born in Java, where her
parents, high-caste Brahmins had
dedicated her to the service Of a
temple. Her dances were part of the
| temple ritual. Her name, Mata Hari,
meant Eye Of the Morning. She had
| been in Java-that was certain. She
had studied the religions OF the
Orient. that, too, was evident. Peo-
pie who attempted to confuse her
with their questions were obliged to
admit as much.
Had she really been married to q
Scotch army officer and been beaten,
divorced, known hunger and every
privation, as was rumored? 1t was
| perhaps the most complete tribute to
her reticence that even her maid
could not obtain the slightest clue
that her past had differed IN any
way from which she chose to &C.
knowledge.
She had one regret which she
freely admitted. that she had not
based her life more on her consid-
cradle talent for the dance. Her
distractions had begun to pail ON
her; men she had begun to find
either troublesome or wearisome.
When she told Adriana that she had
become spy for the excitement, she
was not lying. 1t was the only game
left--a glorious game!
AT seven o'clock, returning from
another appointment, she dismissed
her car and took a taxi to Shubin's
quarters. He had had table set in
timately for two in the living room.
He came forward while the servant
was still announcing her and seized
her hands.
III I'm late. it's because my sleigh
was pursued by wolves
"Ah yes. those wolves! They took
you for Russian naturally in your
pretty costume"
She sat down at the table. throw
ing aside her loose wrap. "Brr!" she
said. II am frozen to death in your
Russia"
Shubin knew that 1t was only an
excuse for him to order fire so that
his man would have to leave the
room