Tuesday,

HONGKONG TELEGRAPH.

March 19, 1940.

MAGAZINE PAGE

SHORT STORY

by NORAH WHITESTONE

(Hongkong's Own Author)

HE DID not want to be a soldier.

One of the many millions of China's sons intent upon the task of providing the nation's food on the tiny Kwangtung farm, Wong's life was penurious, it is true, but his family had always contrived through the alternations of good harvests and had to retain enough to fill their own rice-bowls, to clothe themselves decently and, above all, to command the respect and goodwill of their neighbours.

But It and to

be, and Wong- Kuk reluctantly marched off to the war, if by Biretch of the fancy the bent knees and te- surely, country- man's gait can bo so termed,

Nor can it truthfully be Haid that at the end of his milit- ars training his

aspect was strik- ingly

martial.

le loathed his

drill, was

dis-

trustful of his

rifle and resent-

THE EVOLUTION

OF WONG

ed the necesaltics of its toilet.

Land which found sanctuary across the border.

Indeed he had wilfully lagged in the rear hoping and seeking for an- other solution of the impasse. But, if isolated and friendless in occupied territory he well knew what fate awaited him...

Despondent and sullen, he ac- cepted internment.

Long days. longer weeks, and

GRIN AND BEAR IT

By Lichty

"Mr. Wattle thinks I'm very intelligent—I TOLD you I'd look a fright in this blue dress, Mother!"

interminable months of intolerable INTELLIGENGE TEST

boredom, of enforced idleness, of

wanton despoiling of life and pro- futile speculation, of sulky glaring

at the world beyond was now Wong's portion.

This unresponsive unit was by no perty, set Wong's brain afire. means "persona grata" with his

From that time onward no soldier Pergeant who himself u Norther-

Thon, news filtered in of the oc- ner-gave vent to lurk expressions enemy was more violent or virulent as to the shortcomings of the 1 his methods than he; all calm, cupation of his own village, which "Kwangtung Camel". But had this all penco, all distaste of belligerance, had in truth suffered little damage, the non-pugnacious habits but this Wong did not know. Now Hame sergeant been destined to All follow the fortunes of Wong's engendered by his quiet, home ex his brain seethed, his eyes glittered, martial future he might have istence, flew with the winds, and his speech was incoherent, but he mitigated his scathing verblagre. hideous was the end of an enemy strove to utter futile threats.

Before his flaming eyes the whose unlucky fate brought him

vision of that other desecrated within striking distance of Wong's

hamlet. WONG went on active service furlous enmity; his strength grew with the set-though unexpress- with the vehemence of his insensate ed-intention to do more than indignation, with his unremitting

determination to he was obliged.

hideous vision of the ravaged vili-

*

nge.

revenge

the

No patriotic fervour sustained him; no thought of the honour,

Despite the rigours of the can justice, glory, sacrifice or other quality popularly ascribed to war, paign Wong waxed in stature, in

girth and in manhood. spurred him on.

In his formerly penceful coun- tryside the villagers did not con- cern themselves with affairs be-

**

*

*

HE did not die a soldier's yond a few miles radius and death. The struggling Company Wong-Kuk knew nothing of the in the chaos of sudden retire- ment before the overwhelming martyrdom of his nation. He continued as an unsatisfactory numbers of a ruthless foc, cut and troublesome unit of the military off from all hope of aid, stag- machine until his Company occupied gered ahend.

a village Intely relinquished by the

opposing forces.

Distinctly against his ferocious

The traces-only ton evident-of will it was that Wong constituted a the excesses, the brutalities,-the-unit-of-the-ragged,-footsore, hungry.

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Author of "The Clolater and the Hearts 41-Shape

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By LANS MORRIS ————

ANSWER TO

PREVIOUS PUZZLE

56-Take hold of B-MAK HA 60-DITE DOL 41-One who employs 62-034 who reyolla

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NEAR the "witching hour of night" a figure crouching in the gloom Buddenly comes to vivid though stealthy life and races for the doubly encircling wires.

ARE YOU WEATHER

WISE?

Since we all talk about the weather, we might at least talk intelligently, Here are some common beliefs about the weather-many of them wrong, To test your weather wis- dom, check each, whether true or false, before turning to the answers. If you get as many as 19 right, your achievement is cyclonic.

1. The coldest winter weather usually comes when the days are shortest.

2. A ring around the moon is a A shout A atentorian "Halt!aign of coming rain or snow. or I fire!" affects the fugitive not at *all.

The agile form safely reaches and squirms beneath the cruel, ingred barbs tearing the palpitating flesh.

But freedom is not yet. Another and outer ring is to be surmounted if liberty is to be attained, and in feverish, haste he essays the climb.

3. A high baromeier is always a sign of fair weather ahead.

4. Snow is merely frozen rain. 5. Gardens in valleys and hof- lows

receive generally

autumna frosts before gardens on hilltops.

G. Open windows attract light- ning.

Now the threat to fire is proved no idle menace. A shut he never heard brought an end to Wang's | 7. "It isn't the heat, it's the ́nitempi ̄to" become once moreˇu" humidity" that makes certain days"

soldfer.

uncomfortable,

WAS

The unconscious figure -- to earth and life

unded by a acutral bullet.

And another tiny farm is short of a needed and lusty hand. The old father said ittle when he realized that his best-loved son must rest for ever long miles away. And when the few hours of hard- earned leisure arrive, the ageing couple sit silent, side by side, unon the doorstep and gaze upon the dis- tant, fading hills beyond which the first-born had for ever disappeared.

13. The average number of thunderstorms in progress through- out the world at any instant is nearer 2,000 than 200.

14. It is sometimes too cold to snow.

15. Summer is warmer than Winter because the earth is then nearer the sun.

16. Thunderstorms cause milk to sour.

sometimes

17. Radio static is more pro- nounced In summer than at any *other time.

-----18:~~ Rainbows may be seen "at"

night.

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A POPULAR ORCHESTRAL PROGRAMME

E11370 E10018

оп

PARLOPHONE

Serenade.

Valso Triste.

(Beethoven) (Haydn) (Schubert) Rosamunde.

(Gershwin)

(8ibellus) (Sibellus)

Blue Danube Waltz

Minuet..

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Tannhauser.

Overture

E10774

Finlandia

8.

Itali rarely falls during the

winter.

10. Thunder is absolutely harmi- less.

E10751

E11103

20. Frost is frozen dew.

E11160

21. Ils especially dangerous lo seek shelter from a thunderstorm under a solitary tree.

E10824

E11304

D. A change in the phase of the moon brings a change in the wea- ther.

10. No two snowflakes are iden- fleat in pattern.

11. It is correct to say the "dew falls at night."

12. Typhoons are restricted to the Far East.

22. A red sunset usually means stormy weather next day.

·

23. A heavy dew is a portent of clear weather.

-AND HERE ARE THE ANSWERS

1. Falac The shortest days are December 21, 22, and 23. Until Jate in January, the earth continues to give out more heat than it re- ceives from the sun, thus warming the atmosphere. The coldest wea- ther is usually experienced after the balance has been struck.

2. Truc. The halo around the moon results from the presence of high cirrus clouds, composed of minute snow crystals, In the path of the moonlight. There clouds generally presage unsettled wea- ther.

3. False. The significant thing is not whether the barometer is high or low, but whether it is rising or falling. A steadily falling buro- meter-even though it shows high pressures-almost invariably means bad weather approaching.

4. False. It's alect that is frozen rain. Snow falls directly DS snow from snow-clouds, the flakes being formed by the condensation of moisture nt temperature below

freezing,

5. True. The heavier cold air creeps into the lowlands, frequent- ly bringing temperatures 5 to 10 degrees below those on the hull-

tops.

0. False. There is no basis in fact for this bollet.

7. True. When the humidity is high, the alr, already saturated with water, cannot absorb body perspiration.

6. True. Hall nover forms un- less a thunderstorm is going on: and the conditions producing such a storm are rare in winter.

2. False. This is one of the com- monest of mistaken weather be- Hefs. All records

that show changes in barometric pressure— which bring changes få the weather go on regardless of the state of the moon.

10. True. Scientists have never round two snowflakes exactly alike.

11. False. Dew never falls, but forms where it is found. When moisture from. warm air is de- posted on something cold enough to condense it, dew is formed.

12. False. Typhoons aro cyclones.

13. True. Statistics indicate that during every instant an average of 1,800 thunderstorms are bellowing over the earth.

of

14. Falec. The extreme dryness very cold air renders the likell- hood of a heavy tell rather remote because of the lack of moisture to form thick snow clouds. But that's all there is to support this com- mon belief. 2-inch fall has been recorded while the thermomeler registered 24" below zero.

16.

False. We are nearest the sun on January 2nd. We fall to get full benent of its heat, how- ever, because the winter days aro shorter, the sun's rays slanting, and as much as 80 per cent, of the Heat may be reflected into space by snow lying on the ground,

18. False. Hot, humid waterin condition favouring thunderstorms likewise favours bacterial growth, which causes milk to sour. The thunderstorm is entirely innocent.

17. True. Static is caused by weather disturbances. Because thunderstorms are so frequent in summer, the annoying type of static caused by lightning is heard inore often then,

Ав

18. True. The Junior rainbow Was observed 05 for bock Aristotle, Generally speaking, rain- bows are formed by the passage of light rays through water-drops. Moonlight, which is only reflected Bunlight, will serve the purpose.

19. Truc. No records indicate anything to the contrary,

20. True. When objects upon which dew is deposited are so cold that they can freeze the liquid de- posit, frost is formed.

ireca struck by much 'moro often than trees in a group.

21. True.

Bro

22. False. A red sunset presnges

clear, dry weather, The dry, dusty.

atmosphere which is almost always associated with good weather tran- amits the red ray of the sun in greater me

mensure than the blue.

23. Truc. On cloudless nights the earth loses its heat more rapidly, and a heavier dew re- sults. Such clear

kics,

which make for a heavy dew, likewise mean no immediate rain. Similar ly, heavy frosts are generally fol- lowed by fine, clear weather.

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(Strauss) Meditation, "Thais"

Funeral march of a Marionette. Parade of the tin soldiers

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Moonlight on the Aliter.

Der Rosenkavaller Wallz. (Strauss)

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