TURGIS SEES HER 1Q5

The speaker on the right was being heckled by a
xvoman who looked rather like Mrs. Pelumpton. He
was an elderly man, dressed in an old-fashioned black
suit, and he was shaking a Bible almost in her face.
"Well, what do Ah do?" he cried, his eyes gleaming,
"Ah turn once mo-ore to the graa-aate boo-ook. Yes,
Ah've a babble text for tha-at." Turgis did not learn
what the text was, for there came a tremendous bellow
from this man's neighbour's, a dirty little fellow with a
broad flat nose and an indiarubber mouth, who looked
like a nasty compromise between Hoxton and Man-
churia. "What is thee yighest idee-al of thee yole
universe, my friends?" he was screaming, in a lather of
oratory. "Ill tell you. Thee yighest idee-al of thee
yole universe is Man—Man." - And he thumped him-
self on the chest. Turgis did not like the look of him at
all He also did not like the look of the Salvation Army
lasses who were conducting the service on the other side.
They were all so pimply. They looked as if they were
always eating things that disagreed with them.

Next to the Army was a bony, shabby chap, a Bolshie,
possibly one of Park's pals. Turgis had heard hiru
before, and only stayed long enough to make sure
that he was on the same tack. He was. "Noo where
did communism firrst appearr, ma frien's?" he was
asking. "Noat in Russia—oh no! Noat in England—
oh no! Noat in Frrance-oh no! Bu' in Grreece, ma
frien's, in ancient Grreece, where a mon called Playto
wrote a buik called The Repuiblic. Yes, Ah know that
this mon should rightly be called Plarto, but if Ah said
Plarto, Ah know everybody would be staring at it an*
wondering who this Plarto was, so Ah call him Playto.
An' he was the firrst communist." It was like listening