Evening star., 1933-04-25
LUXURY
LINER
BY Gina Klaus
Copyright, 1888, BY Gina Kaus.)

slightest indication of bursting-you
see was prepared for it-what you
have done is perfect! Afmodel opera
tion!"
! Thomas wanted to say something,
but with his first attempt to utter
word his throat was choked with .
spasm of tears.
Have a smoke!" said Krieglacher'
lighting a cigar-the patient had al
ready been removed to the ward.
Have a light, and don't be ashamed
of your tears. I know the shudders
one feels at ones own presumption
after dangerous major operations. But,
believe me-you are born surgeon.
/ I wish I could have an assistant like
you"
Thomas took the cigar, but was still
unable to speak. The emotional strain
had been all-embracing, comprehend
ing not only the past few hours, but
also his whole life, past and future.
| II thank you-' he finally stam-
mered, but his words were directed not
so much at the man in the doctors s
coat with the emaciated face as at
some invisible, unknown being. Il
thank you'll"
Krieglacher took off his doctors coat.
Thomas accompanied him DO the cor
|
room Sister Martha sat beside the bed.
! The excitement of the past hour had
| flushed her face and made 1t attrac-
lively mobile.
| II knew it," she said and broke on
Her eyes were still darker than usual
! and cleaned with strength and conf
! dence They were filled with pure,
deep joy which perhaps was not wholly
due to the few extra hours OF LIE
granted to Mrs. Weber.
She drew a piece Of paper from her
pocket.
Look what I have found. It is
Franz's address-that is Mother Web
er's son. 1t occurred to me you might
send radiogram to the boy so that ne
can get aboard ship at Brooklyn. What
I mean is-perhaps she will be too weak
to land +"
"Of course, 1t will be tremendous
relief to her." said Thomas enthusiast
tically.
And until then she won't die on our
hands, she said.
This little word "our" created a deep
bond between them. Thomas took hold
Of her hands-those benign sisters
hands, which during the operation had
always been in the absolutely right
place With Unsuitable thirst he drank
Of the unveiled admiration that lay in
her eyes. A man, he was thinking can
accomplish an infinite amount when
he has beside him woman who Is
passionately devoted to the same things.
And he went on thinking that this,
after all, is the meaning Of a true mar
| riage-this common devotion to third
! thing, to something vital. And, for the
: first time, it occurred to him that his
own marriage had been a failure from
the very beginning. Then he slowly
went upstairs and back to the ball room.
It was past 2 o'clock and he knew
that the festivities had long since
ceased and that Sybil was elsewhere,
and that it wasn't on Sybil's account at
| all that he once more opened the door
| and looked into the empty, half-dark
hall
There was a dull pungent smell Of
cold cigar smoke, of the fumes of wine
there were bottles on the tables and
beneath the tables, empty and halt
empty glasses, paper streamerS across
the dance floor like dead, entangled
snakes This was the real foundation
of the festivities. For q long time he
stood in the doorway.
Its all over" he said to himself half
| aloud, but he hardly knew what he
meant by that-the festivities or some
thing which concerned only him.
The following morning. little after
8, Thomas went to give Stephanson his
insulin treatment but he was no longer
in his cabin.
Hes been on his feet since Z
o'clock" Miss Fielding reported. Her
face was tear-stained and she was in
despair.
Hasn't Mr.. Stephanson been feel
| ing well this morning?" asked Thomas
"Oh, doctor, I've never seen him like
this, and I've known him for is years.
And today-oh, doctor, the excitement
is bad for him. He Is sick man. Cant
you help him?'
Thomas replied that he did not know
the reason for Stephanson's excite
ment.
Fielding. Go and see this horrible
woman. Mr.. stephanson has been too
kind to her!"
Thomas stared at her uncomprehend-
ingly. And you are talking about
Baroness Mergentheim?'
Yes. You must know-Mr. Stephan
son-I don't know how to tell you.
During the festivities last night I
; worked here in this cabin. After mid
night Mr.. Stephanson arrived. heard
him walking backward and forward.
He was waiting
Thomas could see stephanson wait
ing for "his queen" What had hap
pened to Friederike?
"Afterward he probably lay down for
q while" Miss Fielding continued. But
apparently he could not sleep. He be-
gan to walk up and down again. Then
he lay down, leaped up again, and so
it went on all night long. Toward Z
there was knock at his door-it was
a boy I intercepted him later in the
corridor and asked him what he had
wanted. A lady, he said, had sent him
with letter to Mr.. Stephanson. VINO
the lady was he did not know. She had
given him the letter in the corridor"
Who could it have been If not
Friederike?" asked Thomas. you don't
Fielding. do you?"
mo. About quarter to knocked,
as usual, at Mr.. Stephansons door to
ask him If he needed anything. And
then" At the recollection she began
to weep again. And then he told me
to 60 to the devil. And how he looked!
20 years older! You will see him-a
sick, old man-doctor, please!" She
folded her hands and held them out
toward him beseechingly. Go and tell
her. tell her to have pity on him.
II Is Impossible lot me, ne SalQ,
Ito interfere in the private affairs OF
Baroness Mergentheim"
The American suite was empty. The
steward thought the men were having
breakfast in the sun parlor. All the
passengers were up there, for the yep
pelin. on its way to Lakehurst, was
expected to fly over the Columbia dur
ing the course of an hour or so.
do you know at what German Ship
ping. Ltd. closed in New York yester-
day?" asked the wide-awake liftboy.
who was taking Thomas to the upper
deck mo? Just imagine-210."
(To Be Continued Tomorrow