Evening journal., 1918-02-27

PARIS, Feb. 27.-There was a sudder
noise overhead which startled US 81
much as a bomb could have done. W.
looked at each other stupidity, and ther
with comprehension and delight. Now
we knew what we had been missing al
this time: now we knew the cause Of
our yague unrest: now we knew wha
was the matter with the luncheon anc
tea. and dinner places, with everything
NUSlCf That is, the lack Of IL
Somebody up there had opened
piano. and was wildly hammering ava,
at little snatches of everything hig-
gledy-piggledy, from Chopin to rag
time Work? II became suddenly i'm
possible. for we had made a great dis
covery. we had been as serious about
the war as the war Itself. which was
the same thins as trying to be as bis
rs the infinite
OF course. we all knew that the wai
Is no iokel A man who could find real
humor in this international insanity
could probably have the time Of his
life in a mOrgue. but there is we'll
known fable Of the frog which tried Ia
swell himself up 90 be as big as the
OK he wished 70 night and remember
ing his highly scattered fate, we ceased
Tor The time being. TO try TO attain. N
receptiveness at least tho dimensions oi
fhe cloud which hancs over Europe and
civilization. and started out 20 ind
amusement; not placid rigid, stin
amusement. like dining ont or a sym
phony concert or a lecture, but real
live amusement, such AS regular rest
less Americans know.
The movies The sign "Orchestre-
Cinema with its insidous promise, IN
fhe name, Of quenchins the fever
which burned IN our veins, settled the
question.
Il was much more like home than
anything. All dark in there, and an
usher with an inadequate flashlight 10
guide your stumbling footeiel and a
fs se-piece orchestra saving away a.
fhe latest musical comedy hits from
Broadway, Piccadll and the Boule-
wards; the same inefahla essence OF air
which has never felt sunlsht. and the
same bic woman with The fat knees.
who makes no more room for you to
pass wher she stands up than when
she's sitting.
We finally found our places. seats IN
dinky little pen for four which they
called ioSe In the donso blaclness
sllrrinc and a stumhliuc somehow.
nedame had been inserted into one OF
fhe two front seats, by % Frenchman
who. In his noliteness. nohly upheld the
TRADITIONS Of his race: ard monsieur,
fuding himself IN two feet OF unoccu-
pied snace. took a chance and sat. sue
Hlv.fa Nar nH
ont OF the darkness there came the
voice OF the fourth occupant OF the
loqe. a lady: she was whispering, rap
idlv. and she was whisperinS TO us;
but. while we have n very fair article
OF war French. we discovered that II
was OF positively no use In the dark
THE French which IS spoken 10 us
needs a face 10 make 10 Understandable,
so monsieur, with great shame, con-
fessed that he knew only American. Oh.
very welli monsieur spoke Amerlcaine
Great relief IN the voice OF the lady,
and he said. politely.
Will you sit?"
A blue funk seized upon monsieur's
intellect. as he exnlained, with edual
polit ness. that. while 10 might not he
apparent In the darkness, he was sit
tine
Psined silence for an instant, and p
slielt trace Of distress in the voice OF
the lady. as she inquired, more or less
plaintlvely:
"Wul you sit DOWN."
Monsieur who Is anxious to have his
countrymen we'll reputed for politeness
and accommodation. felt his ears purp-
ling and his tongue thiokening as he
arNN fu 10 y.
cuages, or at least % language and q
half, that he was not only sitting but
also down
He BEGAN 10 have doubt about his
physical structure. he began TO feel that
bis estimate OF his own sitting height
must always have been at fault. he be
gan to feel as iall as a house from the
chair no particularly when the lady,
now with much distress and muon
plaintiveness, requested.
Kindness, sirl VIII you please SIT
down."
At this uncomfortable point In the
proceedings, monsieur, feeling like a
brute. leaned forward TO madame, and
asked.
what on earth does she want? am
sitting down, aud I'm not sitting on a
ndl OF dINlllNA - tuHllAoNliett it
arose, IN order to sit freshly; and, at
each fresh request. he did it again, un-
til he felt like a jumping jack.
At this chaos ragged in that loge. for
the French gentleman and the French
lady held an animated conference. while
monsieur and madame agitatedly dis
cussed the impossible point at issue
Some half minute OF this-it seemed an
sternity-while the sorely tried audi
ence was saying ash ~ "Shr' Ssh r'-
when madame happened TO catch one
Ineligible word in all the rapid-flre
speech, and that word was "ici"
"Oh, icir she repeated eagerly. II
means here"
"Oui, iciw vigorously repeated the
French lady and gentleman. and they
bot~ stood up.
s.rRss AARE EFgnnnH