Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1918-11-14
THE BLUE TRIANGLE
AT BUSSlA'S FRONT

The Blue Triangle clubrOOMS IN
Petrog,ad were In half shadow. A
few scattered candles flung CLEANS as
persistent and us 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 Russlu. 1t was a
galh afternoon ten but It was dark
because the winter days end at three
o'clock and there Is a restriction on
the use of candles and kerosene az
well rs 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 mcrrier 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
lump Of sugar doled out carefully for
the party. The Y. W. G. "A. secre-
taries had been saving the sugar for
months-putting aside at eacl, meal
one of the two humps served with the
coffee in the restaurant, that there
might be 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 ut the fac
tory and the forewoman said she was
hungry"
"We're all hungry" vas the mo.
notonous reply. ut wasn't that"
Something stopped the laughter and
talk suddenly hut the hush that fell
In the dimly lit room was as joyous 40
the gaiety. One of Russia's greatest
singevs stood by the piano and lifted
up her glorious voice filled with the
tears and heartbreak that people at
peace call thrills.
They went away early when the
music was done-thcse sad-eyed, half
starved little guests Of the Blue Tri-
Gngle--for danger turks In the dark
Of Pelrograd streets. robberlcs and
murtlers-sharp little by-products Of
a nations chaos and world at war.
Sonyn 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.
"Will you give me q note to the
factory superintendent" she asked,
telling him I'm attending classes
here Mt night7" She spoke in French.
for she knew no English, and the sec.
rotary, no Russian.
"yes, If 1t will help YOU" The sec-
rotary was glad to give her such q
note but she was curious. "Tell me
why"
IF he knows the girls are going TO
night classes he won't put us OH the
night shift. He will let us work days
80 we Gun come. Yesterday I asked
for the night shift. Today I have
changed my mind"
The secretary wondered. Sonya
hid not been in any of the classes.
Had tile bright little party given her
an interest in the work of the associa-
ton? Had the friendliness Of the
American secretaries reached her7
Was 1t the music that had given her
I'M impetus to study toward something
beyond factory?
"What is 1t that interests your" the
secretary asked her. you are not In
any Of the classes now, are your What
is 1t you want to take up?"
"This morning looked out the fac
tory window" and Sonya's voice re-
minded the secretary of the call of a
night bird before u storm. "Down In
the courtyard was crowd and three
men were killed. Killed BY the po-
lice-tlle b0lsllevik police. while I
stood there and watched. They said
they were anarchists. One was my
brother. Another was my sweetheart.
came here tonight to forget. But I
cannot forget. Always I will remem-
Der. want nothing now but to car
~ on their work, and to do that must
study and Learnt must learn English
and many other things. want to 20
In all the classes. If the foreman 1t
the factory knows I 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 bewildered women and
young girls of Russia. It is offering
little Onsis In the midst of the
chaos where they may come and rest
and relax, play games. listen te
music, study English. French. stenog
raphy, bookkeeping, or music, and a.
one tired girl expressed 1t, forget fol
the moment that they nre In Petro
grad. Most OF the girls who gather
ut the sign Of the Blue Triangle arr
bookkeepers and stenographers, bu,
scattered among them are factor,
girls, domestics, and girls who nevel
have worked.
"1n Petrograa and elsewhere ii
Russia," says Miss Clarissa Spencer
world secretary Of the Y. w. G. A
who started the work in Russia, "girl,
formerly employed in government of
+ fees come tn NS vim hNvo at r1rrl