AMUSEMENTS

Otaki Mail, 22 December 1919, Page 3

AMUSEMENTS

WAR LECTURE. Miss Mack, the famous war correspondent, will give an address at Hanakau to-morrow night at 8 p.m., and a matinee at 3 p.m. tho same day. On Saturday Miss Mack will speak at Waikanac as advertised, and it is fully expected that at both places there will be large attendances. “THE SCARLET RUNNER.’' “The Scarlet Runner ” (a serin!) will be started at the Theatre to-mor-row night, and should be tho means of drawing a large crowd. Episodes Nos. 1,2, and 3 are ns follows: — No. I.—Christopher Race,/forced by his uncle to earn his own living for a change, buys Scarlet Runner, an exceptionally fine automobile. He at first tries hiring it out /to private parties, but meets with no success. Finally, after a warning from his uncle that he must '■ /-■ /& stated sum by tho end of the yc-., n- suffer disinheritance, he turns ’iiis car into public conveyance uni) tours the streets. Ho finds the sovereign of a foreign Power in a broken-fiown car and carries him to liis destination. By means of his car, and it., terrific speed, ho is able to thwart it plot, which nearly causes tho death of Martin Linden, who is a friend of Christopher's, and who is engaged to marry a relative of the latter's, Lady Ivr. He causes the destruction of the plotters and the happy reunion of the iovers. all by his red car and his ready wit. He earns the stated sum, and more, too, and then fares forth once more in search of further adventure. Ts'o. 2. —The second episode is called “The Nurcmburg Watch," and relates the manner in which Christopher is able to foil the attempt of a gang of ,nb throwers'to make away with his uncle's life. The latter is the King's Counsel for tho prosecution of the leader of the gang. Tho gang utilises Christopher to deliver a package to his undo which contains an old Nurcmburg watch, which the uncle presents to his fiancee. Later Christopher learns that it contains a deadly explosive tinted to go off at one o’clock. He sets off in pursuit of the fiancee and her mother, who have gone homo hunting in the country for the day, and after an exciting chase overtakes them just ab a member of tho gang is successful in stealing the watch. There Is an explosion, and the member of the gang is killed, but Christopher escapes with a slight injury.

No. 3.—Race is engaged to take in his Scarlet Runner Ponsonby Fitzgerald, an npcentric novelist, and a parly of friends to n ball. Tho affair as planned by Fitzgerald io Mo end in a great joke, whereby his party wn. be awarded the prize for the most sensational entrance to the ball. Christopher looks forward to the adventure as a lark. He receives quite a shock when a revolver is given to him by Miss Dauvray of the party, with instructions to use it if necessary. He begins to suspect that all is not as it should be, and that Fitzgerald and his friends arc after more than the prize. At a critical moment of the ball Christopher halts proceedings with a shot, and makes Fitzgerald return the jewels he has taken from tho dancers in hia act as a highwayman. Fitzgerald makes the best of the situation and the affair is passed off as a joke. Miss Dauvray afterwards thanks Christopher for what he has done and tells him something of her relations with Fitzgerald. Christopher becomes interested, whereupon the girl suddenly changes her manner and laughs, declaring the whole thing, after all., (o be a joke.

A special holiday programme is advertised elsewhere., and it is one that should be well patronised. To morrow ‘ ‘ Thais, ’ ’ a Goldwyn superfeature. will be the star, and will be supported by ‘‘The Scnrlet Runner,’' \j n the former piece Paphnutius, a wealthv Alexandrian, is about to cm- ; brace the new faith of Christianity., but t is persuaded by a friend to first see s Thais, the most notable courtesan of jj her time. He falls in love with her, " but is forced to kill a rival, and conscience again urges him towards the rew faith. He becomes a monk, but leaves the cloiser to return to Alexandria to seek to convert Thais. In this he succeeds and she joins the nunnery. He. however, has no seoner completely converted her than his own faith avers, and overcome by his long-re--‘cd desire for her he seeks the consent to persuade her hack to her old ife The position is thus reserved item what it was at m commencemeat. \ The closing scenes show thefuth aid new-won purity of Thais vietOJiOUSA