The Washington times., 1931-11-14

Chere issues rare SIllen VI
pork.
The High Street is under a
wet, silvery, evening mist. The
street lamps have big yellow
courtyards of light about them
and the people are walking on
cotton wool. Shop windows
show up to right and left like
mysterious fires. Wolf swims
up through the fog and dives
into it again. The trees gleam
black and wet under the street
lamps.
With me is Valentin Laher.
He is not complaining exactly,
but he cannot forget the IA
nous acrobatic turn with which
he made such a hit in Paris
and Budapest. That's all fin
ished now, Ernst" he says.
MY joints creak like a stiff
shirt and I've got rheumatism,
too. I've rehearsed and re-
hearSed till I've dropped. It is
no use trying it any more"
A Pension Needed
What will you do then, Val
entin?" I ask. The State
should give you a pension
really, the same as it does re-
tired officers"
ZACH, the State!" answers
Valentin, contemptuouSly. "The
State only gives those anything
that open their mouths wide
enough. I'm working up a
couple of turns with a dancer
just now, a bit of a leg show,
you know. It promises well
enough as regards a public, but
it's not much-a decent artist
ought to be ashamed of doing
such a thing, really. But then,
what's a man to do? He must
live"
Valentin is going now for a
rehearsal, so I decide to accom-
pany him. At the corner of
Hamken Street, a black bowler
hat goes trunding past us in
the fog, and beneath it a ca
nary-yellow macintosh and a
portfolio-"Arthur!" I shout.
Ledderhose stops. my hat!"
exclaims Valentin. But you
have, got yourself up SWELL"
With the air of connoisseur
he fingers Arthur's tie, a hand
some affair in artificial silk
with lilac spots.
"Oh, yes, not so bad, not so
bad" says Ledderhose, flattered
and in haste.
And the lovely Sunday-go-to-
meeting lid, tool" says Valentin,
with renewed aStoniShment, ex-
amining the bowler.
Ledderhose is in a hurry. He
taps his portfolio. Business!
Business"
Don't you run the cigar
shop any more?" I ask.
Sure" he replied. But one
extends gradually. You don't
happen to know of any offices
to let. I suppose? I pay any
price"
Offices? Can't say we do"
says Valentin. I'VE haven't got
so far yet"
Arthur goes on.
Valentin laughs. How they
do change, eh, Ernst? What
miserable poor worm he was Up
the line, and now look, what a
swell business mani"
Things do seem to be going
bloody well with him, though"
say meditatively.
The Fog Lifts
We stroll on. The fog drifts
and Wolf plays with it. Faces
come and go. Suddenly in the
white-clear light I see a ylisten-
ing red patent-leather hat, and
beneath it a face softly bloomed
with the dampness that makes
the eyes shine the more
brightly.
I stand still. My heart is
beating fast. That was Adele!
Swiftly memories spring ur Of
other evenings when we 16-
year-olds would hide outside
the doors of the gymnasium,
waiting till the girls should
come out in their white
sweaters; and then we would
run after them down the
streets and overtake them,
only to stand before them,
breathing hard, silent. staring
at them-till they would break
away and the chase start all
over again.-And the after
moons when, if we happened to
meet them somewhere, we
would walk shyly and stolidly
after them, much too Cmbar-
raSsed to speak to them, and
only as they turned in ut some
house would we suddenly sum-
mon up all our courage and
shout after them. "See you
again." and run away.
Valentin looks around. II
have to go back for moment"
I say hastily. II want to
speak to Someone.-I'l be here
again in a minute" And run
off in search of the rcd hat,
the red glow in the mist, the
bright days Of my youth before
uniforms and trenches.
Adele"
She looks round. Ernst!
You back again."
(TO Be Continued Monday