1940-03-30 — Page 13

Saturday,

HONGKONG TELEGRAPH

March 30, 1940.

-DAY-SERIAL

was a gala night at the Balalaika, one of the gayest restaurants in the gay of Neva which within ten years was e rechristened twice but in the early mer of 1914 was still St. Petersburg. To the patrons and the musicians it was irtant because the younger daughter of akov, beloved leader of the orchestra, was jake her debut as a singer. To Batoff, the rietor, it was important because he knew Cossacks, dushing young Prince Peter ngin at their head, were riding in from the and would spend many hours and many, y roubles at the Balalaika,

But within the orchestra there was a little up bitter and resentful,

4

Last time they came in from terrorising the ants, the party went on for five days and nights," wled a young man.

"Sure, Anton," said Leo. "Wasting the workers' bles."

"It makes me slek," sald Diraltri Marakov, "to

e my own sister singing for a bunch of drunken

"Careful, son," said Marakov gently. "I know w you feel. But we must live. Our real work it for many aucrifices. This is galling but it is nothing to what we niay have to bear some day. muat not arouse suspicion, Lydia must, appear night on the stage-yen. That is all. She will t join in their revelty,"

Lydia agreed with her father. But her beauty, r'singing, her neling was sa captivating that the Con- eks, watching from a private room, nimost forgot eir drinks ont quite forgot the pretty, expensively esred girls who lud joined them for their gay party. Batoff hurried back to Lydia's dressing-room and Id her the officers had commanded she join their

sty

"And don't try

110.

best off," 110

cak

"They

קו

aursh

200

111

we . they don't

.ve their

FC

way pice

not

ill be on their

de. That's

አድ.

=

BY LUCY HUFFAKER=A Adopted From The M.G.M. Film

skler the chances her beauty would bring her."

Peter was smiling, as he left the restaurant and went to his quar tera. lie ad learned more than He was he could have hoped for. Amiling more that night when he went to bed and when he awoke he began singing a gay song.

+

"Glad to see you in such fine form," came a volca from the door. "Father!" cried Peter. "I called on you about four this morning. Of course you weren't in. Evident- ly, you're in one form, yourself."

I can stay only a minute, Peter,

I just wanted to usk If you noticed ny unrest during manoeuvers. This isn't a routine question. This paper was found in the kit of Sergeant reads: Gregory Paviavitch, IL Pay 'Soldiers! You are the army! The Rise against Karu- army is gin, the

I don't like be-

ing called a butcher for doing my duty to the Czar, but personalities: don't count. This is trenson. Keep your eyes open and your ears.

"Of course, Father," sald Peter.

We found this and the m who had it. But we can't discover where this and other leaflets of Its kind are printed. These men, when caught, will stand anything. even death. But they will not talle"

about the fenflet The new caused more consternation in the

BALALAIKA

can

alt. You ver sing in St. Petersburg-in 1 Russia, ner you are in their ack books. If you refuse, 1 throw ju and your family-you're all

proud anyway--out and I'll tell

e world why."

Lydla was b110 who thought alckly and clearly.

"All right," she said quietly, "I'll The acting which she had done n, the stage was that of a runk mateur compared to the exhibi- 1on she gave at the party. She tas guy and seemed not only pleased with too obvious compli

She hents but eager for more. alowed herself to be lifted to a table, to be toasted by the ulcers and to toast them in return. Then

went on:

suddenly in the middle of a sen- tence she stopped and stared long and intently at one of the men.

"So!~Ils—gon!" The wartis seemed choke out rather than spoken. She drew herself up and

"'1 ask your pardon.. ladies and gentlemen. for intro- sombre note into your ducing 11 lovely party, but you will under- stand and know h

why. can not I tell you stay any longer when that though this man may have

Bittle forgotten my

Bister, I have not. While I live I will remember and grieve for my beloved Masha who died of a broken heart. I can not

be the death's head at the feast. Thank you-and qu revoir." Lydia's sobs were not the only ones to be heard as she ran from

* Isolationists

the

Marokav home

then it had in the palace of Prince Kurugin. Leo brought the story that after- late

There were two pianos In the

room. The old formula of room. Dimitri was playing on one,

in distress, whether real beauty or simulated, had worked again. Only Prince Peter Karogin, who had been in the back of the room seeing but unseen, was skeptical. He left the room and went directly to Bato. By adroit questioning he learned that Lydin hud never had a sister.

"I'm glad you liked her,” saitl Batoff, "She is charming. She has only two faults. She's too intellec- tual and she likes my lower class of patrons-lhe kind who buy one beer in an evening. And when she leaves here she'll be going to that dump of Slaski's where ar- tists ant students hang out. Nice girl-but queer, when you

The other gave out nu muste and never would. It contained a minia- Anton was ture printing press. working it. There was n sudden sllence in the room after Leo had spoken. He was the one lo' break it.

"We must do something," he said. Grabbing one of the leaflets which Anton had taken from the press he read in a mocking tone: Workers! Peasants! Soldiers! Or- Kanise for a bloodless revolution." We talk like that. But they talk with knouts and gallows and bul- lets. And they talk lust."

"We are not nihilists and mur- "We will derers," said Marakov.

be stolen not let our con-

just cause

from us by men of haired and violence."

Leo, pacing up and down the room, stopped suddenly by the

beckoned window. Hie others to look..

to

the

* "We're being watched," he said, Indicating a young man dressed ike ʼn student.

"Oh, we're safe from him," said Lydia, laughing. "Except he may try to graft. Last night he sat at my table at Slaski's and ordered champagne-sald it was his birth- day and his aunt always sent him money for a feast on that day. Then he discovered, of course, he'd left his money at home. I had

by paying for it and saying a few drunk one glass, so I shaned him sarcastic things. He's from the provinces-says he has a volce and wants to cultivate it."

"A plot!" declared Dimitri. "Somebody suspects us. He poses as a musleton to get in and spy on

Prince Peter Karogin started to cross the street.

"I tend to him," sald Lydia. “Go back all of you.”

She opened the door from the hall to the street.

"So you found where I live, Mr. Taranda," she said, "ond came un- invited."

"But of course," he said. "Please hold out your hand. I want to re- pay what you so kindly lent me last night."

At that moment Mr. Murakov opened the door and came into the hat Lydia presented "Mr. Taran- da" to him.

"I deem myself especially for- tunate in meeting you, Mr. Marn- kov," said Peter, "I want to take singing lessons. That 1s, I do it professionals say my voice is real- ly good. It is hard to get expert judgment in the country, Perhaps will be good enough to advise *+'

me."

"I am always glad to be of help to any young person interested in

Won't music," said Mr. Marakov. you come into the music room?" the Peter

introduced to was others. In the room. They seemed but n their politeness ensual in sharp observer would have seen they were observing him keenly. Eut when at Mr. Marakov's re-

quest he sang-he chose the Volga Boat Song-they relaxed a trifle. He had a magnificent voice!

Danchenoff stopped the rehear- sal when his secretary came to him on the phone. As the director of the Imperial Opera he was a tyrant to the artists and the en-

TONE

Quality

MAXIMUM RESULTS ARE ASSURED WHEN YOU

USE

SELO CHROME Poll &

made in England

Film

LIMITED

ILFORD LONDON

CROSSE & BLACKWELLS, Concentrated

ENGLISH SOUPS

Are the finest inne world HARD SOUP

It will tickle your palate

FAT ALL STORES-

semble but before the aristocrats he groveled because he could do thing else and hold his position, "For years have cluttered the Opera

with green-throats for that old roue of a father!" he niuttered as he went to his office. "And now In my declining years, the young one starts!"*

He listened to what Peter had to 813.

"Your Highness knows I would jump naked through hoops of fre to be of service to you," he said in a deferential tone. "But already we have sixty volces too many in the Opera all feminine and all

2430 CTS. PER 10 OZ.TIN..

friends of distinguished ́patrons, I don't see—"

"Make it sixty-one, Danchenoff," broke in Peler. "One more or less doesn't matter and anyway, this girl is different. She really has a volce and everything else it takes for operatic work."

ness.

They always have, Your High- But I draw my salary from the directors and they have sold they will have no more magpies among the Imperial nightingales. May I suggest that instead of a role you offer the young lady a small string of pearls or perhaps a tiara would be as...“

To Bo Continued

VIGNETTES OF LIFE

By KEMP STARRETT

HENRY CAN YOU OPEN

THIS JAR FOR ME

"POP, MY ENGINE WON'T RUN. C'N YOU FIX IT, WILL YA POP, HUK♪*

THE OPERA HOUSE ISOLATIONIST

GETS MIGHTY LITTLE CHANCE TO ENJOY IS SOLITUDE, THOUGH HE TRES HARD ENOUGH, GOODNESS

KNOWS

LISTEN TO THIS... ITS VERY CLEVER, IT SAVE

HERE

OH MOMMER! LOOK? SIS IS NECKIN" WITH FREDDIE

TOH, MOM --

Tan

A PAIR OF KOLATIONISTS WHO COULD, WITH ALMOST NO COAXING AT ALL, BECOME ENTHUSIASTIC ABOLITIONISTS......OF THE YOUNGEST GENERATION.

SOMEONE IS BOUND

TO SHOW UP JUST WHEN YOU COULD APPRECIATE ATEW MINUTES BY YOURSELF

NO ||SMOKING

VISIONS OF A REAL ISOLATION IN THE JUG. FOR INCOME-TAX EVASION. BEGIN TO TAKE ON AN ALMOST CHEERFUL ASPECT.

BUZZ

BUZZ

DOOD

000

WHEN THE WITE TAKES A NOTION TO READ "INTERESTING" LITTLE ITEMS ALOUD AT FREQUENT INTERVALS YOU MIGHT AS WELL SWAP OUT OF IT /

"THE INVOLUNTARY ISOLATIONIST.

WHEN THE OTHER SEVEN PARTIES ON TIE LINE GAB AND GAB WHILE YOU TRY TO PHONE YOUR DATE WHERE TO MEET YOU”“

THE BELOW-STAIRS 2 ISOLATIONIST...

LET 'EMERING / -