The Washington times., 1931-11-16

uldUUCk VAIL GAAS AAA@s
must have stopped something,
surely, that time he was buried
last August. Willy, who is
quite floored, puts a hand to
his ear.-"I'm afraid I haven't
understood you properly. What
did you say you are going to
do on Saturday."
Ill At Ease
"Have a bath" says Tjaden
proudly. I'm getting engaged
next Saturday night"
Willy stares at him as If he
were some strange kind of par
rot, then gently he puts his
great paw on Tjaden's shoulder
and says in a fatherly tone,
"Say, Tjaden. do you some
times have a stabbing pain in
the back of the head? Or a
funny buzzing sort Of noise in
your ears?"
"Only when I'm half starved"
Tjaden treasures him; land
then I have a regular lombard
ment in my belly, too,-an
awful feeling that is, tell you!
But to come back to my fian-
Gee: she isn't beautiful, mind
you, but she makes up for it
with a heart, and then, you see,
her fathers a butcher"
A butcher! The light begins
to dawn.-Tjaden volunteers yet
more information. you'd be
surprised She's so crazy about
me. And, well. it's catch-as-
catch-can these days. Times
are bad. you know so a man
has to make some sacrifices.
But a butcher will be the last
man to starve. And anyway,
besides, engaged is after all
still a long way from married"
Willy listens with growing in
terest. "Tjaden," he begins,
"you know we have always been
good friends"
Certainly, Willy" interrupts
Tjaden, you may have a few
sausages. And chops, too, to go
with them, for mine. Come
around next Monday. We are
having a white sale on Mon
day."
white sale? What do :ou
mean?" I ask, mystified. Have
you a drapery business as well?"
mo, not that, but, you see,
we are killing a white horse"
We promise faithfully to be
there and go on our way.
Turnip Soup for Supper
Valentin turns in at the Alt
stadter Hof, where the artists
put up. A group of Lilliputians
are already sitting at supper as
we enter. There is a turnip
soup on the table and beside
each is piece Of bread.
Lets hope they at least can
get a square meal off their ra-
ton cards." groWls Willy.
They'll have smaller bellies, l
suppose, don't you think?"
Pasted on the walls there are
playbills and photographs vari-
colored patches, some of them
half torn, and pictures of weight
lifters and female lion-tamers
and clowns. They are old and
faded. The front line has been
the arena for weight-lifters,
crack riders and acrobats dur
ing the past few years, and
there they had no need Of
placards.
Valentin points to one of
them. THAT was me once" In
the picture is a fellow with a
pouter's chest turning a sommer.
Sault from a horizontal bar,
away up the dome of a circus.
But with the best will in the
world one could not recognize
Valentin in it any more.
The dancer with whom he
proposes to work is already
waiting. We pass on into the
little" hall at the back of the
restaurant. Some stage scenery
is leaning in a corner. It be-
longs to the farce, Fly, Little
Pineapple, a humorous piece
from the lives of our lads in
field-gray, with songs for all, -
which had a great run for over
two years.
Valentin sets a gramaphone
on a chair and takes out some
records. A hoarse melody is
sues croaking from the horn.
"Tangow Willy whispers to me,
with the air of an adept that
does betray the fact that he has
just read the inscription on the
record.
Valentin is wearing blue
pants and a shirt, the woman
is in tights. They practice an
Apache dance and a fancy
number where the girl finally
hangs by the legs about Valen.
tins neck.
Silent Rehearsal
The two rehearse in silence
with grim faces. Only oc.
casionally is a half-audible word
spoken. The dim light of the
lamp flickers. The gas Kisses
softly. The shadows of the
dancers move immense across
the SCENERY for the "Pineap.
ple." Willy ambles back and
forth like a bear, to wind up
the gramaphone.
Valentin finishes. Willy
clapS his applause. Valentin,
dissatisfied, makes a gesture to
desist. The girl changes with
out even noticing us.
Willy goes nosing around the
room. He discovers program
for the pineapple" On the
back are some advertisements.
A confectioner, for instance,
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