Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1934-08-29
Crystal Star
By EARLE BOOK
@ by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate
WNU Service

LIS name was Crystal Star. X
\ very strange name, but l as
sure you the man was equally
strange.
had stopped for gasoline at
Ventura. on my way to Los An
geles from Santa Barbara. AS /
was preparing to leave the sta
ton, | was approached by a queer
looking individual. He was about
five feet two. topped with a weird
bushy shock of hair which seemed
to stand straight up. After his hair
you noticed his steely gray, pene-
trating eyes. set in a rugged face.
The face fooled you. You didn't
know whether 1t was a happy one,
or a sad one. 1t still has me fooled.
And his age; he might have been
twenty-five or forty-fve, but your
guess is as good as mine. His
clothes were very ordinary, but I'M
like most hitch-hikers, he carried
several books under his arm. |
knew what was coming, and pre-
pared myself for a refusal, when
he spoke.
IF it pleases you, sir, may | have
the pleasure of enjoying with you
the journey to Los Angeles?"
He had me there. / opened the
door, and started on my way with
my strange companion. 1t was
fully fifteen minutes before he
spoke.
MAY | introduce myself? My
name is Crystal STAR
l acknowledged the introduce
ton adding, But surely Crystal
Star is not your real name?"
THE only name | shall eve have.
am In a new world with a new
name"
You say you are in a new world?
| don't quite understand"
Il am a Russian; l have been in
this country only two years."
"Only two years." l asked, puz-
zled. But how do you speak Eng
lish so well?"
Il have studied; | have worked
very hard -. but there Is much
| must learn" His eyes were heav-
onward as he was speaking, his
jaw was firm. | was enjoying with
him his ~reverie. "They said in the
great lumber camps of your North
west that | was too small. But he
Is small only who Is small In mind.
They put me in your jails because
they said | had no visible means of
support; yet | have never begged
for one small crumb. When | told
them about my Russia, they said ]
was spreading propaganda, when l
was only trying to return my
knowledge for the knowledge they
had given me. They put me on a
rock pile to break my spirit, but
that only intensified 1t. / am of
the spirit of Lenin, who lives In
the hearts of thousands of my
countrymen !" His eyes lowered
and he turned to me. perhaps
you think the same about me. .
I'm sorry; | must be humble In
your hospitality"
ION the contrary, l am deeply
interested" l replied.
Another fifteen minutes elapsed,
and this time / spoke.
May | ask what are all those
books you carry under your arm?
You seem to treasure them dearly"
"These books are knowledge of
seven different languages. Al
ready read and speak them quite
well, but not well enough"
"But why all this knowledge Of
these many languagesT / asked.
ITO explain / must tell you a
story, but :"
"Please do" / cut In.
1T is many years ago when my
story begins, before the revolution.
We were very happy, my father,
my mother, and |. He worked very
hard, but he was strong, as all Rus
sian peasants r strong. Then
came the revolution" and as he
spoke the word revolution" his
eyes sparkled. MEN going to meet
ings under cover of the night f; quiet
whispering among the good wives
Of the peasants a shining light In
the heart Of every Russian worker.
"Then one day the Cossacks came
to u humble dwelling and tackled
a card on the door. I remember
my father ~consollng my mother, tell.
ing her not to worry, as nothing was
going to happen. But 1t did hap
pen, much sooner than we expected.
The Cossacks returned the follow
ing day and dragged my father off
to the town nearby. | followed with
my mother, and ut the government
building found him before the com
mandant. 1t was crowded and
we could not hear, but we could
see that my father was protesting.
But the commandant waved him
away. The Cossock guard seized
him and we followed. In the court.
yard they stood him up against a
wall they wanted to bllndfold him,
but he refused. They laughed. He
was looking at us, and smiling
only brave men smiled in those
days. Eight men fired. Some
women tainted, but not my mother.
"They told mother later that he