The Denver star., 1918-10-19
The BLUE TRIANGLE
AT RUSSIA'S FRONT

The Blue Triangle clubrooms in
Petrograd were in half shadow. A
few scattered candles fung CLEANS as
persistent and as vague as Russia's
hope Of liberty. A hundred Russian
girls and six young men were guests
of the first Young Women's Christian
association In all Russia. 1t was a
gala afternoon tea but 1t was dark
because the winter days end at three
o'clock and there is restriction on
the use of candles and kerosene as
well as of electricity.
The girls were making merry even
in the gloom of winter. the twilight
and the tragedy of war. One slender
white-faced girl with purple-shadowed
eyes was merrier than all the rest.
Her wit and ringing laugh were con.
tagious.
"Sonya is wonderful tonight" one
girl whispered to another as she
stirred gently into her tea the one
the party. The Y. w. c. A. secre-
taries had been saving the sugar for
months-putting aside ut each meal
one Of the two Jumps served with the
coffee in the restaurant, that there
might be n bit Of sweet for this first
party. There was no bread.
"Sonya is not drinking her tea,"
her pale little admirer went on, 'yet
she tainted this morning at the fac
tory and the forewoman said she was
hungry"
Were all hungry" was the mo-
notOnous reply. 1T wasn't that"
Something stopped the laughter and
talk suddenly but the hush that fell
in the dimly lit room was rs joyous as
the gaiety. One of Russia's greatest
singers stood by the piano and lifted
up her glorious voice filed with the
tears and heartbreak that people at
peace call thrills.
They went away early when the
music was done-these sad-eyed. half
starved little guests OF the Blue Tri-
cngle-fOr danger turks in the dark
of Petrograd streets, robberies and
murders-sharp little by-products of
n nations chaos and n world at war.
SOnya fingered after the others
were gone. She was standing close
by the secretary-hostess' chair when
she turned from saying goodnight to
the last one of the other girls. The
laughter had died out of the girls
eyes and the gaiety from her voice.
VIII you give me note to the
factory superintendent" she asked.
telling him I'm attending classes
here at night?" She spoke in French,
for she knew no English, and the Sec
retary, no Russian.
Yes, II it will help you" The seq
retary was glad to give her such
note but She was curious. Tell me
why"
III he knows the girls are going to
night classes he won't put us on the
night shift. He will let US work days
so we can come. Yesterday asked
for the night shift. Today l have
changed my mind
The secretary wondered. Sonya
had not been in any OF the classes.
Had the bright little party given her
an interest in the work of the aSsocia-
ton: Had the friondliness of the
American secretaries reached her?
Was 1t the music that had given her
beyond factory?
what is it that interests you:" the
secretary asked her. "You are not In
any OF the classes now. ere YOU? What
Is it you want TO take up?'
This morning I looked out the fac
tory window" and Sonya's voice re-
min6ed the secretary of the call of
night bird before a storm. Down in
the courtyard was crowd and three
men were killed. Killed by the po-
iice-the bolshevik police, while
stood there and watched. They said
they were anarchists. One was my
brother. Another was my sweetheart.
I came here tonight to forget. But
cannot forget. Always l will remem-
ber. want nothing now but to car
ry on their work, and TO do that must
study and learn-l must learn English
and many other things. l want to go
In all the classes. II the foreman at
the factory knows l do that. he will
help. He will let me work days"
In the dark, the hunger. the cold,
and the terror of Petrograd, the Blue
Triangle Is sending out its shining in
vitation to the bewil6ered women and
young girls of Russia. 1t is offering
a little oasis In the midst of the
chaos where they may come and rest
and relax. play games. listen to
music. study English, French. stenog-
raphy. bookkeeping. or music. and as
one tired girl expressed it, forget for
the moment that they are in Petro-
grad. Most of the girls who gather
at the sign of HE Blue Triangle are
bo0kkeepers AID stcnographerS, but