| Show A B Bell BellI e 1 1 Jor C Ad anO L I 4 w Q b. b amr Jo JolIn n I H Hw erSey a- a w v N H u. u fv n C 2 L l TilE run STOUT STORY THUS FAR FAn The Amerl Amen can troop I roc pi arrived at Adano Adino with Major the Iho ho A in got In charge Sergeant north war wai In charge of e e curtly The Major was wag determined to hold the confidence of the people and to replace the town bell hell stolen by the Nazle Nails Despite orders Issued by General Mar Mar- vin barring cart carti from tho the city Major recalled the order to permit food and water to enter the tho city M. M Cacopardo came to the tho Major asking for permission to lee are General Marvin and deliver Information on Important German Ger German man troop movements He Ito was IVas git given en his hie pass and set out for the Generals General's head headquarters headquarters quarters lie was determined to aid the tho Americans against the tho Nazis CHAPTER TER XIII III I Oh said the sentry why didn't t you ou say you had a n pass Sure the i Generals General's here hero And he shouted The Old Mans Man's In In aint he he Buck Yeah I think Ills His Nibs came In about half holf an hour ago Yeah hes he's In the sentry said What you want to see him about Cacopardo pulled out the tissue paper I can tell you where are the Germans he said Right up there the sentry said pointing up the driveway to the main door of the villa Right In that there door I The jeep drove up to the main door There was another sentry there When Cacopardo tried to go goIn goin goIn In the sentry put his bayoneted rifle across the path pa tho Cacopardo Ca copa rdo Jumped back alarmed I am no enemies he said I have the paper to see General Marvin and he stretched out the pass Caco Cacopardo Cacopardo pardo learned quickly for a man his age The sentry took the pass Broth Brother er I doubt if you can see the Gen General t eral right now he said He dont don't like to see no one In the mornings You stand here a 8 minute The sentry called the corporal of the guard The corporal of the lIe guard came camel camet t l right back This way brother he said He led Cacopardo to a man at ata ata a desk Name the man said gloomily Cacopardo Is that a first name or a 8 last i name the sour man said That Is the name of my family Cacopardo said How you spell s pe 11 that tha t I Cacopardo spelled It out The man wrote laboriously I First name the unhappy man said Matteo You got to spell those Dago names Cacopardo spelled It and the man misspelled it Who you want to see General Marvin You haven't got a chance of see see- seeIng seeing Ing him the man said Theres a war going on Dago What you ou want to see the General about Cacopardo reached In his pocket for the tissue paper I can show you where are the Germans he said o have to talk with two G-two about that the man said and he her heI r I pointed with his pencil First door on the right where It says Colonel Henderson I Cacopardo went to the door marked Colonel Henderson and he knocked Walk in a voice shouted General Marvin Cacopardo asked Upstairs upstairs the Impatient impatient impatient tient voice which belonged to a full colonel said Cacopardo started out Say wait walt a minute Cacopardo turned around The Colonel said Who are you any anyway way Cacopardo Matteo I was sent to see General Marvin General Marvin doesn't like Ital lans ians the Colonel said ald What do doJ J you want to see him about You better not ask uk him for any favors hell he'll kick you out personally him self Cacopardo reached In his pocket for the tissue paper I can show you where are the Germans he said Youve got no business taking that kind of thing to General Mar S vin What do you think we have a two G-two section for tor around here You Youcan Youcan Youcan can just show that to me I was sent lent to see General Mar Mar- vin That 1 is II the one I am going to tee see After Alter an argument with Colonel Henderson Cacopardo was sent up up- upstairs upstairs upstairs stairs under guard was stopped and questioned by a sentry entry at the bead head of the stairs was wu sent lent downstairs because he did not Dot have a proper Division piss pass p ss was wai given a pass was taken upstairs again was ques queSt questioned questioned as to age religion re political beliefs and sex by a sergeant was wa Interviewed by a staff officer who doubted whether the General would be free tree to see him was referred to Colonel Middleton the Generals General's Chief of Staff was questioned by Colonel Middletons Middleton's secretary who thought this the Colonel was busy was finally admitted to Colonel Middle Middle- Middleton Middleton ton who after an argument agreed r to see whether the General would see Cacopardo which he doubted At the moment General Marvin was mumble peg mumble peg te-peg with Lieutenant Byrd his aide They had bad found that a certain mahogany table took the knife beautifully The General had bad just reached the double I flip dip off the forehead i Colonel Middleton walked In Just Justas 1 as the General let the knife go off his forehead The surprise of Colo Colo- Colonel I Inel nel net Middletons Middleton's entrance was just enough to throw the General off oft his aim and the knife knite clattered on the table and did not stick in This annoyed the General I told you to knock Mid Middleton Yes sir Theres There's an old Italian here wants to see you Middleton what's the matter with you Didn't I tell you I didn't want to see any more Italians Yes sir Cut But this one seems to toe tobe tobe be e above the average He lIe was sent sento to o you by one of our people He lie says he has some Information you would want Well show him In What are you standing there for Show him In And so Cacopardo was finally Anally brought Drought Into the presence of the General By Dy this tills time he was just justas as angry as the General and being some twenty years the Generals General's senior he considered It his privilege to vent his anger first He lIe found perfect expression for his ils anger In what he saw on the sur sur- surface face lace of the mahogany table You are a barbarian he said This was not a very good way for old Cacopardo to begin with Gen General General eral Marvin especially since he had two wo strikes es against him to begin with he had caught the General In Ina ina a bad mood and he was Italian ItalianA A A what the General bellowed in n his famous voice I said you are a barbarian How dare you chop and pick at the sur lur surface surface face of my friend table For the sake of argument it would have made no difference whatsoever JE JES JEI I S r You are a barbarian he said if it General Marvin had known that had been thirteen years dead The General could not pos pos- possibly possibly possibly sibly have been more outraged He bellowed at the walls who is this anyhow That table was made circa 1775 when your country had not even begun be be- begun begun gun to existed barbarian It was carved by dl di Lucca of Parma I cannot calculate the values of that table You are a pig to chop and pick at It The General shouted Take this crazy out of here Colonel Middleton and Lieutenant Byrd rushed into the room They grabbed old and started to push him out outWait outWait Wait the General roared Who sent that idiot here Middle- Middle Middleton Middleton ton I dont don't know sir lir It was some Major You dont don't know Its It's It your business busi busi- business business ness to know MOW Colonel Middleton asked Cacopardo do Who was it who sent you here My M friend Major who is 11 not a barbarian Colonel Middleton said What unit is this Major from Adano from Adano old Caco Caco- Cacopardo Cacopardo Cacopardo pardo said From my home Ada Ada- Adano no Adano the General shouted Theres something about that place What W at is lilt it about Adano Middleton Mid Middleton What Is it The cart General Colonel Mid Mid- Middleton Middleton Middleton said Colonel Middleton would never forget Adano as long lona as al he lived ved 11 The cart What cart Dont Don't talk in riddles Middleton What cart The cart that threw we off oU the road sir The mule we shot hot sir General Marvin remembered and the memory turned his face a shade hade darker So that that's the Major who sent you he roared What was that name again gain I want to remember ber bee that name Middleton said aId General Marvin shouted lo 10 Write that down Middleton re reo remember re- re remember member that name That Majors Major's a too I remember now hes he's he a himself isn't he be Middle- Middle Middleton ton ion In the Interests of Justice Colonel Middleton said laid I dont don't remember sir General Marvin shouted Well I 1 do Now throw this crazy Italian Hallan out of here hore and If you let any anymore anymore anymore more Italians In hl hero here Middleton Ill I'll break you back to a second lieu lieu- tenant Yes sir Colonel Middleton said As they started to run him out Cacopardo said But Dut I have lator motions I can tell you where are the Germans It Is Important The Tha Germans the Germans But the General was much too far gone gono in rage Cacopardo was taken out and sent home Ho lie couldn't get anyone not even the sentry at the front gate te to listen to a description of the German positions positions before Behind Major Majur back Captain Purvis was very critical of him hill To his face the Captain was cordial even friendly The two men now had besides their mere community of tongue another thing to draw them together er they both knew the same girls In a foreign land that Is enough to make mak Damon and Pythias out of two sworn sw rn enemies One day at lunch they talked about the girls They talked as American men do talk about girls I I when they are abroad The Captain said That younger one that Francesca she sure lure is nice Just a matter of taste the Ma Ma- Major Major jor said Yeah the Captain said Whet What W at do you say we go up there tonight and see em 1 Lets do that that the Major said That would be fun Then he won won- wondered wondered wondered dered why he had reacted so quick quick- quickly ly and so 80 happily to the Captains Captain's suggestion The Captains Captain's attitude toward these girls disgusted the Ma Ma- MaI Major I jor The Captain regarded the girls as trash he seemed to think of them as something to buy and sell like Italian watermelon and grapes and red wine The Major refused to I believe that he was falling into this way of thinking I And so It happened that the two dissimilar men went that evening to the house at 9 Via Vittorio Emanu Emanu- Emanuele I ele with very similar feelings felIngs of ex and anticipation Major and Captain Purvis caught the family of Tomasino by surprise that evening The fat Rosa was sitting on the living room floor plucking a chicken and there were feathers all over tho the room The radio was on and the two little tittle daughters of the sister who was in Rome were sitting by It also on the floor Francesca end and Tina were in brightly colored pajamas lying on the floor side by side reading to together to- to together together gether a cheap Italian romance called Un Cuore in Tre Toma Toma- Tomasino Tomasino Tomasino sino who opened the front door grimly led the two Americans Into the room without any advance no no- tice Everyone Jumped up the little girls squealing fat Rosa calling the name of the Lord in English and the big girls shouting greetings to the Americans The family of Tomasino and their guests spent the next five minutes on their hands and knees picking up the chicken feathers When that was done Rosa said to Tomasino Sad one put the girls to bed Tomasino led the little ones out without gentleness Rosa Hosa retired to the kitchen with the feathers and the bird to finish her job As soon as the two officers and the two girls In pajamas were left alone Tina said Mister Major I want to talk with you and she stretched out her hand for his hill and led him into her bedroom Captain Purvis's sober shouts followed them this time Hey dont don't desert me I cant can't talk to this lovely thing Where you going And he subsided and settled down for an evening of ot des du desperate sign language Tina sat down on her bed and the Major sat down on a chair by bya b a wooden dressing table I want to ask you something Mister Major Tina said Yes the Major said lit lIe did not know what to expect but he expected it would please him what what- whatever whatever ever it was How long do you think the tho war will last luU Here on Italian soil I mean Th The Major found that he was waa not pleased That a very serious question he said Lets Let not talk about war That's That all aU I have all aU allday aUday allday day long war war war But I have a special reason for wanting to know Tina said laid How Howlong Howlong Howlong long do you think it will last How should I know the Ma Ma- Major Major jor asked His voice was wai a little testy If It I knew that I would have to know a lot more about our plans for lot the campaign and If U I knew the plans plan I would know mill mili military tary secrets and I couldn't tell teU you 10 secrets secreta It U I knew them But you can guess Mister Ma Ma- jor All AU right I guess two more months And how bow long do you think it will willbe willbe be after atter those two months month before our Italian prisoners of war are re re- released released leased Major got the point very quickly and it did not please him himin in the least You have a sweet sweetheart t heart who has been captured I 1 TO BE SE CONTINUED |
