Show r A tv i A B Bell e II or Ad ano t t a j frt John J 2 u. w N U. U rt ra a 9 THE TuE STORY STOUT THUS FAR FAH- The Amen Ameri American can ean troops arrived In Adano Adana with Ma rota Major Major jor Jar the Am ot officer In charge Sergeant north Berth was wu In charge char e of 01 ty The Major was determined to bold hold the confidence of 01 the people and to re reo replace replace place their bell stolen by the Nazis Nails De De- Despite spite spit orders orden Issued by General Marvin barring carts arts from Irom the city re reo recalled recalled called caned the orders to permit food and water to enter the city The people of the he city bad had arranged arran ed a party of appreciation elation for the Major TIle The bell arrived I as 1 s did also orders from General Marvin relieving the Major of command Un tin Unaware aware ware of the orders orden the Major continued his bit work lie He made arrangements to at at- attend attend tend his hll party that night CHAPTER Major was excited He called up Lieutenant Livingston and thanked him for his part In getting the bell Why hell he said It ought to be up this afternoon May Maybe Maybe be we can ring It for the party to to- flight Youre You're coming arent aren't you miss It Major Well see you there Captain Thanks a hell heU of ot a lot Dont mention It Say theres there's Just one thing Major that Im a a Lieutenant It takes a along along along long time to get to be a Captain In Inthe Inthe Inthe the Navy Is uIs that a fact tact the Major said Well you ought to be a Captain soon loon and he hung up Zito moved near to the desk while the Major read and when he was finished the usher said We have havea a new Dew bell Mister Major We have a new bell beD Zito Is the tone good enough I I hope so 80 Zito I 1 think so Is Ts there some tome history to it U Yes Zito Ill I'll tell you about It when the bell is up Do you think I ought to make a little speech ex explaining the bell to the people here Oh yes you should Mister Ma Ma- Major Major jor The people of Adano Adana will wID be curious about the bell Zito do you think they will un understand un- un understand all that the bell beD means I mean that tha t it stands for the things that I believe In Do you think I could explain that to them I think so Mister Major I un un- understand understand what you mean and Zito is not very clever A few minutes before eleven o'clock the funeral procession of the three fishermen who had been killed In the explosion went through the I Piazza Major J went went Ob onto the balcony to watch it At Atthe Atthe Atthe the head of the procession there were three carts The first two car car- carried carried ried red the bodies of Agnello and Mer- Mer endino Their coffins were small dinghies such as the fishermen used to get out to their boats with the tops planked over The third cart which was for tor carried a dinghy which was not planked over but was filled with flowers Long before eleven thirty Major was out on the sidewalk be be- beside beside beside side the crated bell beD waiting for the Engineers to come He lie poked and shoved at the crate affectionately us as if U there were something delicious to eat Inside It The gang from the Engineer bat bat- battalion battalion was surprisingly on time The Major explained the job pointing to the top of the clock tower How long do you think it will take he asked the old buck ser ser- sergeant sergeant geant in charge Well WeD the sergeant said some days the boys gets cramps in their stomachs and they claim they shouldn't ought to hurry when they has the cramps Other days they dont don't get no cramps It all aD de de- How long do you guess Well W D have it for you today or tomorrow It all depends Try to finish today will you It all aD depends the sergeant said gaid and he turned furiously on nil his men who slowly gathered them them- themselves themselves selves for work Major went to lunch at noon Sergeant Borth wa was already in the Albergo del dei when the Major arrived The Major sat down with Borth as he be often did in spite of at his rank He told Borth about the bell beD and his excitement about it gave Borth something to tease Youre worse than the first day we came here bere the Sergeant said How am I worse the Major said aid Youre so 80 damn sentimental Oh cut It out Borth Berths Berth's teasing cut a little deep No 1 o Im I'm serious he said There Theres Theresa a s war going on Fishermen get blown up in the harbor barbor here Chil Chil- Children Children dren then get run rum over in the streets There Theres one case of malaria in ev ev- every every ery cry six dx people And you cant can't think about anything but tinkling a ben bell Major said Im worried about those fishermen Borth I could get In trouble over that Do you think I was guilty of careless careless- carelessness ness about it You know bow I forced the Navy to let them go out Purely by way of teasing Borth said laid something he had cause to regret later Sure be he said you could catch hell beD for that You could Set get sent lent back to the States And Major said They wouldn't do that they couldn't Borth said Why couldn't they I heard about a fellow in airborne who got sent home bome just for tor getting drunk drum Major said They couldn't Borth theres there's so 80 much to todo todo do 40 here Think if U they got some some- body bad in this town Think If U they got a dope like that fellow up at Borth said SId You dont don't like your your- yourself yourself self much do you Major said Oh lay layoff oft of Borth sometimes you arent aren't fun tun funny ny fly ny At 12 1225 25 Zito came running down downto to lo the Albergo del dei to tell teU the Major that the bell was uncrated ed It looks nice he said The Major tried to get Borth to togo togo togo go up with him to look at the bell but Borth forth said This eggplant Is so good I dont don't see how I could leave it It So the Major went up with Zito On the way the usher said De Be Defore Detore Before fore tore I forget It it Mister Major the officials are very anxious to meet with you at four o'clock They said it was important A moment of worry showed Itself on the Majors Major's face Is It about the fishermen Zito Zito said I 1 am the usher Mis Mis- Mister Mister ter Major the officials do not tell me what is on their minds Then CG a 1 dt It W I 1 i II i We have a new bell Zito Zito seemed to think better of what wha he had said and he added No it is not about the fishermen The Major said Oh so the ush usher usher er has ways of ot finding out what is it on the officials' officials minds Zito just smiled There were quite a few people standing around watching the Engi Engl Engineers working on the bell One o of them was the ancient Cacopardo Because he had spoken to the Major about the bell on the very first day of the invasion he had appointed himself a kind of supervisor of the work although none of ot the Engi Engi- Engineers Engineers could speak Italian As soon as the Major came up Cacopardo said I have sent for Guzzo the ringer bell-ringer at the Church of San Angelo Angela He lie will be able to tell Just by looking at it whether it itIs itIs itis Is a good bell If It it is not you will of course have to send it back The bell beD stood on the sidewalk Just where the Navy men had put it down The crate had been peeled down from around Jt fit t. t It was bronze brame and the men of the Corelli had taken the trouble to pol pol- polish polish ish it so that it was waa like gold in the midday sun atm On one side there was this inscription US U SS S. S CORELLI America ed Italia When Cacopardo saw the Major reading the inscription he asked I Who is this man Corelli Corell end and nd how bow does he happen to get his name on the bell of Adano The Major said ald I will tell you later when the ben bell is hung Then he got a little stone out of the street and tapped it against the side but ot of course there was only a dead sound since the bell was sitting on wood I wonder bow how the tone i la ii the Major said Guzzo will know Cacopardo said In time the ringer bell-ringer came cache He Hewat was wat almost as 1 old as Cacopardo His hands hand and forearms forearm looked very strong but the rest of him looked at u if it it were long overdue Cacopardo called him to the cen cen- center center center ter of at the crowd and told him to examine ex ex- examine examine amine the bell The old ringer bell-ringer walked round and round the bell looking at it Then be he leaned over and ran the fiat of ot his hand band from top to bottom Then he stood up and seemed to read the inscription over and over He looked once up at the top of ot the clock tower where some engineers were rigging a hoist bolst He lie asked that the bell beD be turned over and when some of the engineers had turned it up on Ita U side be he looked I inside He stood up finally and shrugged I his shoulders shoulder and said uld It It is all i right I Cacopardo was delighted He said to the Major I 1 know old Guzzo I He does not exaggerate When he be says something Is fair he means II It itis is perfect The bell beD will bt be very good I. I Im glad the Mayor Major said li At a few minutes past one o'clock Major went ent homo home to his vil- vil vila vIlla villa la a to take n R nap He wanted to save e up some ome strength for the tho th party but but he also wanted to think a lit lit- litle tie tle le about his speech about the bell li He lay down dawn on his bed At first his ils thoughts were confused because he le was excited But gradually 1 the thoughts began to sort themselves out and find everything came very straight to Major He lie would say a few words he thought nought about the removal of the theold theold theold old bell Then he would tell te about how the people of at Adano Mann had interested In In- I him in trying to get pet a n new I Ione one Then a few words about Co Co- t and what hat he had done for Italians In the last war and thEn he the meaning today of the inscription InscrIption tion on the bell America Ed od Italia America and Italy and then per per- hops something about the Amen AmerI- AmerIcans AmerIcans' cans cans' Liberty Bell After talking about It that day the Major had bEEn seen curious about the Liberty Bell and he had written a letter back to headquarters Inquiring about It t and now he would be able to ex ex- explain explain explain plain the crack and he would tell the he people Eople of at Adano Adana the Inscription on that bell hell the words from Leviti Leviti- Leviticus cus Proclaim liberty throughout the land and to all aU the Inhabitants thereof thE And then everything was wonder- wonder wonderfully fully ully clear In the mind of Victor He lie knew exactly what he would say Words came to him which were beautiful and were the truth about the new bell and its meaning for Adano and about what he Victor wanted for the people of Adano The words were as clear as anything can be and as astrue true At about two o'clock the courier came by motorcycle from mare From his office Sergeant Borth forth saw him throw the t. t e pouch onto the sidewalk in front of the Palazzo zo zoo Mail Moil even official man mall was enough of an event so that Sergeant Borth got up and went across to I the Palazzo and up to Major Jop- Jop polo's office to see what there was There was nothing for Sergeant Borth but as long as Major Jop Sop polo was out Sergeant Borth Barth de decided de- de decided to rime riffle through what there was In time he came on B a paper ad ad- addressed addressed dressed to Major He lie read it I 1 You are authorized to pro- pro reed eed by first available it tlc n. n to A F H Q Algiers via port of ot y t 2 2 Reassignment ment of station will wID willbe willbe be made by A FH Q 3 3 Reason for this order Is that reference 1 did wilfully tully and with with- without out consultation countermand orders Issued by General Marvin Di DI- Division DIvision Division vision re entry of mule mue carts into town of Adano And the th order was signed by Gen Gen- General General eral Marvin Sergeant Borth folded the order put It In his pocket and left the building He went directly to the MP command post in the He said to Captain Purvis The Majors Major's been relieved Captain Purvis said What do you mean Just what I said hes he's been or or- ordered ordered dered back to Algiers for reassign reassign- reassignment ment What for forT Insubordination Countermand Countermand- CountermandIng Ing an order by Marvin about mule carts I guess it was after that af affair af- af affair fair of the mule the General shot outside town Captain Purvis had forgotten all about the report he had sent to Di Di- vision Now that he remembered he didn't have the courage to say any thing about it All AU he said was What a hell of a note Borth said taid Ill say The Majors Major's just begun to accomplish things in inthis Inthis inthis this town Captain Purvis said Yeah I Iguess Iguess guess he be has A suspicion crossed his mind mind- this fellow Borth had a away away away way of ot knowing too much How did you know he be was ordered out Borth said I saw taw the order up in ter the Majors Major's office Does the Major Maor know about It It then No the Majors Major out I 1 have the order in my pocket I took It Im I'm not going to tell teD him about it until after the party tonight The Major Maor got back to his hit office at about a 8 quarter to four tour He went I through the courier man mail and worked for B II few minutes on a report to Colonel Promptly at four Zito came in and said laid Will you I Isee see tee the officials now Yes Yet Zito I Now when the officials of came In in- in old Bellanca fist first at as usual then the others Gargano Saitta DArpa D' D Arpa Ro- Ro Rotondo Rotondo Rotondo Signora and Major Major could see by their cheerful expressions that there was to be no unpleasant unpleasantness ness in this Interview Old Bellanca spoke poke We have something we wish with to give the Mil Mis Milter ter Major DArpa D' D Arpa could not resist saying In his hit high voice We wish to give the Mister Major a Mister Major Maor The others snickered Bellanca said Please set ret It Zi Zi- Zi to Zito went out First the usher came back carry carrying ing tog an easel He went out again Then be he brought in Lojacono's Lojacono por par portrait trait of the Major TO BE DE CONTINUED |