Evening star., 1939-04-23

ing his knife and fork he had forced
Stephanie Tscheskie to suicide; but
he was alive, cruelty, grossly alive, and
she could not do the simple act that
would reduce him to a bleeding mass
of matter. She was not God she was
not even the law. She could not kill
him.
His English was thick, but the tim
Der of his voice rang like bell:
Z" the organization OF every force
for those primal needs which my
country, like all countries that deserve
to survive
In her own mind it was quite clear
that her failure had nothing to do
with cowardice or with lndeClslon, 1t
came from her being woman. But
how could she ever right herself for
having sat IN the same room with this
man. If she did not kill him: Could
she tell the world that she had come to
kill and had stayed her hand through
the same sort of mercy that Hindu
feels for cobra? How weak climax.
Who would believe her Not Pons GER
tainlv; she could see HIM. quite un
shattered. staring with those glass
bubble eyes; not Horace, not even
Adele; no one would believe that she
had done anything but dream silly
dream and lose her nerve -.
Suddenly she heard Horace's pleas
ant American voice saying: We'll.
Lady Mary, do tell us whatever It was
you thought the King President ought
to hear about England. y
She rose slowly. laying her napkin
on the table Il have quite little
speech to make" she heard her own
voice saying Where shall stand
while make it? Here perhaps She
walked the length Of the room and
took up her position before the closed
door. The servants had lett the room.
She saw Adele and Horace looking
little surprised. little amused at her
formality Pons was leaning back with
one arm thrown over the back of his
chair, staring at her for the first time.
She spoke directly to him: Il think
it will interest your Excellcncy to
know" she began. that a woman left
England recently with all her plans
carefully laid to kill you"
Pons laughed without smiling: She
would have found some difficulty in
getting to me-
mo. Excelency, she found no dlf-
fculty at all 1t seems she sat next to
you through an entire dinner, with her
loaded revolver IN her lap; she could
have killed you so easily 49,
And yet she didn't"
Lady Mary saw tenseness gripping
her audience she knew she hadn't
much time now. mo. but not because
she was afraid. Excellency, not be
cause she found anything in you to
pity or admire 1t seemed to her that
you were not only the vilest. but the
most accidental of bullies -.
Both the Ambassadors sprang to
their feet: "Mary!" they shouted al
most together.
mo. don't move" she said: her
hand was hidden in her bag Il don't
mean to kill you now thought it was
my duty. thought woman ought to
have the glory of ridding the earth OF
you, but | found out l couldn't -
Just because am woman; we can't
do that work rk-we're too good for it.
We are preservers. not destroyers. At
the same time want to make it clear
that | loathe you! Paul - Horace,
Il want you to understand and tell
everyone else that though could not
kill. l simply will not live in a world
polluted by gross. cruel egotist like
him. So do this
She pressed the revolver to her
heart and fired.
At the sound of the shot the room
was instantly filled with purple guards