Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1937-10-02

'Ths East is fun Of bsRsars like
II wouldn't siU'
threw Boris bodily out of the Hotel
Superbe, without baggage and without
room played gaily, and the loungers
in the lobby looked on with interest,
or amusement, or compassion.
ALI that night he walked the streets.
He wasn't hungry, he wasn't cold. He
wanted a bath more than anything
else in the world. After that, he wanted
a walking stick, and chance at all
the porterS OF the Hotel Superbe, one
at time, and they to choose their
weapons.
At first, he couldn't ask for aims.
Heartbroken and hungry he walked
! the streets. his pride in the dust. When
the sun beat down, he'd seek shelter,
and find none, not knowing where TO
go. At night he'd crouch In doorway,
| or anywhere, and sleep the broken
sleep of the homeless, the sleep that
! for all its fitfulness is full of dreams
! After the second day he began to
beg. He wouldn't beg of women or he
might have done better. He'd stop q
man, or try to stop him, and 1t wasn't
so easy in Istanbul. 1t would be whole
blocks before he would ask another,
after rebuff.
One man he stopped, and the man
listened to him, fine, bluff. hearty
man, who looked like a British army
officer. Boris spoke to him in English:
please give me something he said.
I'm hungry" That was all he ever
said In French or English. But one
does not need words tos show that he
is begging.
The Englishman inspected him thor
oughly. Never encourage beggars," he
said "Beggars like you least Of all.
The remains Of a gentleman. He'll
Chaps like you are the worst OF the
lot. The east is full OF you. Won't
work. Rather beg. wouldn't give you
a farthing"
That afternoon, Boris tried to steal.
He followed a cart that was loaded
with melons, big, ripe, beautiful melons,
all piled high. For hours and hours he
Skulked along, keeping that cart IN
view, and watching the peddler to
observe his habits and his ways. AT
a quarter to five, he made his bid.
The carter had stopped in at a little
shop where he was talking to some
one.
With the grace and dizziness that
had made him a good man in ball
room or in charge, Boris made for the
cart and grabbed a melon. But the
peddIer turned, and gave horrible
veil, and Boris fled, but not being ac-
compliShed in the art, he dropped the
melon and heard it squash in the
street. He ran half mile before he
stopped. That night, he drank water,
great quantities of water.
The following day, he decided that
after all he'd go to see Maj. Ives
Carpenter and lay the facts before
him.
Yes. That was what he'd do.
That was what he tried to do.
They wanted to put him out Of MAJ.
Iyes-C Carpenters offices. He wouldn't
go. In the midst Of 1t, there was
heavy step, ponderous step, the step
of a major, nay, of a major general.
Boris turned quickly. There was
Mai Ives Carpenter himself. He was
florid, full-bodied, fine figure OF
retired British army officer. Boris had
met him the day before, and he had
said to Boris, Never encourage beg
gars. The east is full Of chaps ike
you"
Boris laughed. 1t was the first time
he had laughed IN several days. !
"Swinel" he said. "You swivel" Maj. |
Ives-C Carpenter stared at him. Out (
went Boris, still laughing, and his
head up, and his gait the swinging
route-step Of a captain of the Whlte
army. He went staggering past the
cafe, or at least he thought Of himself
as staggering, though he was swaying /
and stumbling as he went.
Some one hailed him. you, there
You! What are you laughing at?" He /
turned. Seated at a table in the cafe, |
was a fat, greasy-looking little man /
who was waving to him.
The greasy little man was quite
drunk His name was Peter Andropo-
lous, he came from Athens, and from
other places. Having finished hard I
nights work, he was catching few
drinks before going to bed with the +
noon-day sun. A hard nights work,
yes; Andropolous kept gambling CLUB
You'll have something, with meY
Andropolous cut him short. What WILL
you have, STRIP
fTIl have pressed duck" said Boris.
IN have pressed duck with oranges.
and a bottle of Chambertin. No. III
have fillet of sole bonnie femme, and
a pint of Chablis. No. III have riz de
veau and q quart Of Moulin-a-VenJ.
Monsieur sir, III have q piece OF
bread. On moroccan de pain, s'il vous
plat. Elm stuck Brot. Anybody would
give you bread. Anybody, IL he knew
what you wanted. Just keep asking,
somebody viii hear you. They don't
understand, that's an. They'll give
you a piece Of bread"
Why, you're Russianl" said An
dropolous. and began to speak to him
in very inferior Russian, Russian
which would be bad even in the
ukraine. You poor fellow Waiter