Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1937-01-16

again. I don't exactly know why. Blu
in our time people, especially WomeE
are so restless that almost before
thing Is over a rushing away begins
Long pauses-we must fill them VI
somehow Surely that woman near 3
me wouldn't wait.
But only the cries from the Nil
family disturbed the silence; here ant
there a cry, up river, down river, ant
between the music Of silence.
And we waited for the afterglow
The waiting seemed to me very long
that evening so long that I remembei
having an absurd moment of doubt a!
to whether there was going to be an,
afterglow at all. Night seemed so near
! The Nile looked, thought, such faded
river holding an almost Steely aSpec
of age. And black were the craft upoL
! It, like appurtenances Of some cere-
mony of mourning. Only down river
against the sands of the opposite bank
a bar of yellow, a CLEAN that looked 8
foot long, showed that a dahabish hao
been lit up against the night.
! I was suddenly conscious OF sadness
| Melancholy invaded me. And fel'
sure that another, the hidden one
whose football had passed me by, was
drawing me into her melancholy.
The desire came upon me to see
what sort of q woman she was. But ]
! didn't move. sat there, feeling melan-
choly and cold Just then the first
flush of the afterglow began to give
life to the western sky and I fixed my
eyes on the river For think the
greatest beauty of the afterglow in
Egypt is seen on the bosom of the
Nile. Light and life seem born in the
water. The faded ripples begin to glin-
mer. The steely austerity is invaded by
the silvery green that is like a strange
almost morbid flush on the face OF
beauty, seen a moment before in ap-
parent abdication, but now reasSert-
Ing its power. The Nile glowS, but 1t
CLOVIS with a subtlety, an almost furtiVe-
ness, a suggestion Of holding back that
often has reminded me of the great
artists of the world, who in all that
they do seem to be concealing some
thing marvellous, something greater
than is that which they choose to give
out. 1t is as If they were compelled TO
keep back something for themselves,
something too precious to be shared
with anyone, the gift that is only for
their own souls.
The afterglow reflected on the bosom
of the Nile contains in its magic this
mysterious reticence.
That evening when at last 1t was
fading away and the approach OF night
was becoming manifest, emerged from
my concealing chair, and, turning,
looked to the left along the terrace.
Very near to me, but not close to me,
there was a woman leaning on the ball
ustrade gazing toward the west and
the Libyan mountains. Evidently she
heard my movement, for she moved
quickly, as If startled, and gazed in
my direction. And I saw there were /
I onrc running OVnr her face
She was definitely middle aged. IN /
deed, as I looked at her-for some
how I forgot all about politeneSs and
kept my eyes fixed on her-I realized
that she was probably verging on OLD
age. But there seemed to be intense
life in her large dark eyes, intense
meaning in her rather short but still
slight figure. Her hair-what I could
see of twas white. Her ravaged face
was extraordinarily individual, fun OF
power and yet full of usefulness.
Something of her-I didn't know
oddly familiar to me.
[ remember that I thought Just then,
Am I looking at some celebrated
woman whose photographs are all over
,he world?"
It seemed to me that we stood gazing
It one another for quite long time.
No doubt, really, it was only for an in
slant. Then realized that was star
ng at a woman whom didn't know
and that she was crying And turned
abruptly, gripped tight by the conven-
ions, and walked toward the great door
If the hotel In the center of the curve
# the terrace. A Nubian boy, with a
silver ring in the upper part OF his
eft ear busted my shoes, and passed
nto the hall Of the hotel.
On the left of the hall. where the
,and plays at teatime, the names OF
he visitors at the hotel are written
10. I went to look at them.
Lets see who is herel"
Mrs. Markby, M. and Nine. de Reg
der, Prince Abdul Ali and suite, Com
esse de Malverte and suite, Miss
Barnes, Mrs. Pike Launer flour rooms
gainD Mr.. and Mrs. Meyer, LORD
'mith, No. "a, and 35, Nine. nma Pa
adj.
Ali Now I knew why the face Of
he woman on the terrace had Seemed
amiliar to me. She was the great Sici-
an actress who had travelled all over
he world but who had now vanished
ithout any farewell" into complete
stirement. Irma Paradil I had seen
er on the stage and had almost wor-
hipped her art, so untheatrical, SO IN
iYiduaI, so apparently unStudied. Far
way in London / had a big photo
raph of her as "Magda." How old she
'oked now, that small, slight, white
aired woman, alone and weeping ST.
ntly by the Nilel
I felt someone was passing behind
e. looked around. Nine. Paradi was
ping toward the big corridor which
pens out on the left Of the hall Of the
Inter Palace. She walked slowly as
fatigued. She did not look at me.
AS she went by had an impression
intense loneliness, almost Of aban-
Jnment.
On the following day, when the hour
sunset drew near, felt unusually
Ipectant as I walked along the river
ank toward the steps leading up to my
rrace. Would Nine Paradi be there
yain? Was she staying long in Upper
gypt? Was there any chance Of my
.tting to know her? had always
card that she was an evasiYe being,
lough she had. knew, many ardent
devoted friends. One of them was an
squaintance of my own, an English
'etess. If only she had been here
light perhaps have been introduced to
me. Paradi.