come crowding to me
every second. But first--"

"What?" Naida asked softly.

"The temple. Naida, we will reach the plateau sometime to-morrow. All of
the girls who kept watch there will be waiting for us, and it will be a
time of happiness. May we not, then, go to the temple? There will be no
priests. But we will make our pledges without them. Tell me, may I hope
that it will be so--to-morrow?"

Naida did not answer at once. She did not even nod. But presently her
shoulder, still fragrant with faint perfume, brushed his. She clasped
his hand then, and as they walked on in silence, Kirby knew.

The Reader's Corner

[Illustration: The Readers' Corner

A Meeting Place for Readers of
Astounding Stories]

"Literature"

Dear Editor:

After comparison with various other magazines which specialize in the
publication of Science Fiction, we--The Scientific Fiction Library
Ass'n, of 1457 First Ave., New York City--have found that your magazine,
Amazing Stories, publishes stories to which the term "literature" may be
applied in its real sense. A fine example of this is the story "Murder
Madness," by Murray Leinster. Others of the finer novels are: "The
Beetle Horde," by Victor Rousseau, and, up to the present installment,
"Earth, the Marauder," by Arthur J. Burks. "Brigands of the Moon," by
Ray Cummings, was interesting and well-written, but it was not
literature (not a story which you will remember and read over again). Of
the shorter stories, the novelettes, the best are: "Spawn of the Stars,"
by Charles W. Diffin, "Monsters of Moyen," by Arthur J. Burks, and "The
Atom Smasher," by Victor Rousseau.

Since the magazine started, there are only three stories that did not
belong in the magazine, and were not even interesting. These are: "The
Corpse on the Grating," by Hugh B. Cave; "The Stolen Mind," by M.
Staley, and the last (I wonder that the editors who used such good sense
in picking the other finer stories, let it pass), "Vampires of Venus,"
by Anthony Pelcher. May you keep up the high standard of fiction you are
publishing at present.--Nathan Greenfeld, 873 Whitlock Ave., New York
City.

You See--It Didn't!

Dear Editor:

Firstly, let me say that I am sending a year's subscription to
Astounding Stories, which will tell you that they are good.

On the average, the stories are of good literary merit and plot.
However, there is one thing that seems to be getting rather pushed
into the background and