in her eyes and she would say: "Come in, my son; your food is waiting for you." And he would come in panting, and kneel before her kissing her hand, and she would pass her hand over his hair, wanting to reach him, to touch the stirrings of his soul; but he would stiffen, then rise to his food and eat it in silence.

And one night, past midnight, there was a knocking at the door. She rose to open it, afraid; and when she saw him standing before her, his hair wild, his face yellow, she cleared his way, and he came in and went straight to the water to wash his hands. Then she saw the hateful red stains on his hands and his shirt, and she reeled, lifting her hand in the air as if to push away some fearful specter; then she ran at him, shaking him and screaming:

"Get out of here — get out! Never let me see your face again! You have become a killer — get out of my house!"..

And when he had fled she threw herself down, moaning and crying out to her Lord:

"Forgive me, O God, and take his hand Yourself; do not let them find him, and guide him to the right"..

She did not see him after that, nor hear anything of him. She prayed for him always and wept his ruin — that living dead man — every day! She would stretch her hands out to him, pleading, in the folds of the night, crying, asking:

"Why, my son? Why have you become a vagabond with no mother and no father? Why did you sell your soul to the devil?"

After that the days passed, one like another, treading on each other's heels, and before she knew it her daughter had become a beautiful young woman — her beloved daughter, third of the

three, and all that was left her of her children!

She was content with life beside her under a safe roof, sufficing herself with sewing, her daugh-ter helping her..

Then kindly fortune singled out her daughter for its favor: she married a gentle, well-mannered young man who cherished and honored her and insisted that she live with them to keep them company and to look after her grandchildren in time to come. So she lived with them, content with the safe roof over their heads — until this evening, when she learned that her son was a prisoner and was asking for her..

•

She stood behind the bars looking at him — at this poor stranger! She loved him, and wished the bars would vanish so she could rest his tired body on her breast and in her lap and let him lay his head on her shoulder! This criminal, this thief, at whose bedside she had once stood with his father, picturing him a great and famous man...

He searched her face and pressed her hands, whispering chokingly:

"Mother, I am tired, and all I want is your blessing.."

She raised his hands to her lips and wept: "You have it, my

son — now seek the blessing of God!"

The light danced in his eyes, and he drew himself up straight and said:

I will bear my punishment, Mother — but on condition that you let me come back to you, to work and bring you money.. honest money... I stole to give to you, and to satisfy my own soul, thirsty and hungry for everything I had been denied. I hated them, those rich people, Mother, and I hated them more after one of them killed my brother.. Forgive me, Mother..."

She looked at him long, and said quietly: "I shall wait for your return, my son, safe and sound; and I shall be wherever you are, eating of your honest money"!!..

He laughed, and went on smiling until she was out of sight...

She felt no weariness from the walk, and wished she could embrace the whole world!

And she said to her son-in-law, as though speaking to herself:

"They were three.. then they became one! And now they are three.. once more!

Blue Store

In summer with its heat, in winter with its cold, in autumn and spring

BLUE STORE — Blue Store

Proprietor: Issam Boulos

The only store ready to supply every article of clothing, underwear and outerwear — for men, for women, and for children — together with all kinds of toys, school supplies, toilet articles and perfumes, household wares, men's shoes, etc., etc.

Make your way there, and do not forget:

Blue Store — Abdel Aziz Street