Show Bell I John JJohn Kersey w. w NU r STORY THUS T US FAR FAK TIle The Amen Amen- TAE HE arrived at Adano with Major can troops trOOP 5 Amt officer meer In charge th a Jo JOPP nt Borth erth Ras s la charge of Ser r ant determined to reT re- re was IJ Major aJor w ty T bell beD stolen tolen by the Nazis the e MW town n place plate to build confidence and d to In 0 otter ther Re wanted to start man among C the e lD M ople o out out a ago aln anI and arranged b the LIeu t. t U seal seala or naval om om- with waters to their boats boat He lIe the h a eer ea t COdo open the carts cuts toa to enter the tte city with a and water t despite orders from Gen Gen- food MarTin that the carts be kept out o of ofen en Penis reported to head bead Capt the Darters rs the tte cart cut orders given by the they Q off the delayed I letter etter by y sending uDdin dinS h to CO headquarters I CHAPTER X Y Xi Yr r f i At each meal there were also Idlers in the place but they tome tome some lust Just came in to listen to the noon broadcasts from end six thirty six thirty Rome On the day that Mayor Nasta came down from the hills Major and Captain Purvis had just finished their pasta and were talking talkIng talk- talk 1 Ing about the stuffy Navy fellow r Livingston when they hard an unusual un- un usual noise out in the street There were shouts shouts of anger and whistles But the noise outside grew and teemed to be coming up the street And soon several of the idlers who bad been listening to the radio in inthe inthe the restaurant ran out As the noise I pew grew still louder the two women picked up handfuls of fruit and ran put jut ut pursued by their guests Then the he owner of the place and his wife md Ind son ran out with their mouths I till ill of pasta and eggplant I Finally Major said Lets go see what it is So he heInd hend and Ind nd Captain Purvis ran out too ith their napkins in their hands I I This Ibis is what they saw Up the center of the street a forbin for- for bm bin orn looking man walked He was nery very short and rather heavy set His fils clothes were dirty and torn His shoes were covered with dust His lace was very sad and he walked lowly hanging his head There jas only one proud touch to his whole hole thole figure and that was a pair of nez place spectacles balanced on his big ig nose I I Behind the man keeping a safe as if there still might be tome me dynamite in him a large cowd walked shouting and whis whis- I Ung g its derision The derision was wasen wasen wasn en en n times louder than it would other- other se rise have been because this was wase I e first time the people of Adano ad ever been able to express their ill il elings toward this man Even bed bed be- be ind d their own closed doors they iad ad held their tongues about Mayor MayorI I asta in the past because he teemed to have ears In every house nd id his eyes peeked In every winlow win win- low ow and his punishments were But now they shouted what they ought ought Fascist Pig they shouted This as what they shouted most But they also shouted The mur- mur er always goes back to the scene his crime They also shouted Where Is Nastas Nasta's whip now o Curiously the two women shout- shout id d d. d and there was a kind of pride ine In Inbe be e way they shouted There was a priest in the crowd tad and he shouted Blasphemer There were some children in the tro crowd d and they ran along shout- shout tog ling P Pig g Pig Pig The anger of the mob bordered on en n violence When the unhappy Major or got opposite the Albergo del dei one of the women raised be her arm arm and threw a plum at him it t missed him and splashed in the street r I A boy of twelve threw a stone Then several brickbats flew and 11 1 the e shouts of long repressed hatred became shrieks of revenge Ca Captain in Purvis looked at Major fc ioppolo oP lo and Major said Jt itE We Ne ve it got to put a stop to this rid r Capt Captain Purvis was not a subtle American but he was a brave one y lie e rut ran out in the street between ii Mayor alor w N Nasta asta and the crowd He Hei Held I j 6 geld W ld up his hand and shouted i f slop top Stop you ignorant fools The crowd kept coming A stone flew w Past Captain Purvis toward c 5 Nasta asta Purvis Purvis pulled his pistol 1 J it t of his pocket That was enough f h The e ones s in front held back the oth oth- f N n nand and aad the mob halted in the thc thea a Captain Purvis went back 11 do tt the sidewalk I r Nas Nasta ta 1 seeing that he was red Ved ran Ian OVer to lo his nis Deliverers i ad d h he e stood t od In the gutter blubber blubber- g his th thanks Americans I Oh Y 1 frIends Wends Thank you for saving e e from these ungrateful people have ve served them for years and d sc 6 e how holy they behave I am all one on Americans I have have been in ine r hills S all alone for lor days No Noone one e stay with me All the oth rs ve ve ve tb themselves elves up I have thought f 1 over I wish to help P Y YAnd you c e can n n- And he rattled on b IdoA fI Jn s o voice fe going game higher and higher eone in the mob shouted aster Major aJor if U you help that man mannot si- si ar are not Dot our frIend lS J acted Quickly to a. a nl rf ye ve the a 4 situation n- n nHe He walked into I street Ink i and held up P his hand for foryl 10 nee flee u h he c e was careful or to make it itself self self- hando elf f I left ft hand hand- so that it would not S GO rn mistaken st J ken for a Fascist salute salute- lit home orne people I l will take taketa te re of f o ta this S man as he d deserves He under arrest And the Major said quickly to Captain Purvis In English Arrest him Purvis show this gang that youre you're arresting him This Us was the kind of thing Cap Cap- tam tam tain n Purvis enjoyed and as he be clapped his hand heavily on Mayor Nastas Nasta's shoulder he shouted I wish ish I understood This is wonderful It The rhe crowd broke up slowly mumbling mum mum- bling bung its protests at being deprived of revenge Purvis said Who is this little squirt anyway They sure ha hate te him dont don't they Major said Hes the theone theone theone one who used to be Mayor Oh he is Is he Well according to what Borth says they've got plenty plenty plenty plen plen- ty of reason to hate him And the Captain kicked Mayor Nasta in the scat of at the pants simply because he didn't know the Italian for Youre a little squirt Mayor Major Nasta whimpered In Italian Italian Italian Ital Ital- ian What arc you going to do with me If you are going to killme kill killme killme me please tell me first Dont Don't shoot me from behind What Major did with Mayor May May- or Nasta was to take him up to his office Everyone Everone even little Zito who had once worked for Mayor Nasta even DArpa the weasel-like weasel vice mayor who had once worked with him everyone made faces of disgust when they saw Mayor Nasta Nasta Nas Nas' ta and some made obscene remarks within his hearing When word passed around the Palazzo Palazzo Palazzo Pa Pa- lazzo that Mayor Maor Nasta was back I I i I 4 u up p S. S p pI 7 I y yM yI I M h L Captain Purvis pulled his pistol out of his pocket many people stuck their heads in inthe inthe inthe the door at the end of the Majors Major's office which had once been the Mayors Mayor's Mayors Mayor's Mayors Mayor's May May- ors or's office to have a look at him In his lis disheveled condition and to laugh at him to his face Major said to Zito and Giuseppe I want to have a talk with Mayor Nasta alone Go and tell the people in the other offices that I do not want to be disturbed not even by a cracking open of that door I do not even want to be disturbed disturbed disturbed dis dis- by the brushing of ears on the Jie keyhole Yes Mister Major Zito said No Mister Major Giuseppe said Major sat at the desk and said brusquely Sit down Mayor Nasta sat in one of the chairs In front of the desk Well Well what is it that y you u wish Major said Mayor Nasta brushed his hand along the wood of the desk pathetically pathetically pathetically cally and he said It seems strange to be sitting on the wrong side of this desk Major said It may seem stranger to sit on the wrong side of the bars of your municipal Jail What do you want Mayor Nasta rearranged the pince-nez pince on his nose but he did not look Major in the eye as he said I just want a chance Mister Major You want a chance Major Jop Jop- polo spoke angrily To whom did you ever give a chance I I have thought it over Mayor Nasta said I 1 have been all alone for days It was awful at night I 1 have thought it over Mister Major I want to help if I can How many years were you In office Nine Mister Major After nine years in office you have thought it all nil over have you After nine years of graft gratt and stealing stealing steal steal- stealing ing and keeping these people down youve you've thought it over you want to help do you You have other Fascists in office here I saw the face of DArpa a minute ago I saw who was my of Finance I saw Gargano of the If you could use these why not Nasta Nasta Nas Nas- ta the Mayor I have a new Mayor and a n better better better bet bet- ter one This hurt Who is this Mayor Bellanca the an honest man much more honest than the former Mayor And the thc former Mayor said Yes Bellanca is honest But surely you have something for Nasta to do 1 J I would accept something less than Mayor Nasta rubbed the wood of the desk wistfully There is not I much left of the old Nasta he saidI saidI saidI said I would accept something less than Mayor Major eyes grew angry an an- gry He stood up abruptly Oh you would would you Yes I have something for you to do You are arc areto areto to report every morning to Sergeant Sergeant Ser Ser- geant Borth of the American Army You will find him In the Fascio That is all you have to do each day But see that you do it it Nasta Nasta Nasta Nas Nas- ta or you will be put in jail You mean that Nasta has become become be be- come a common probationer Oh so Nasta is familiar with the practice of putting people on probation probation probation proba proba- tion That Is very genteel of you Nasta I thought all your punishments punishments punishments punish punish- ments were more ingenious than tha that t. t Please be generous with me Nasta said Please give me some work to do Generous Nasta what do you expect For the crimes you have committed against the people of Adano you deserve to be shot outright outright out out- right without a trial You certainly certain certain- ly never would give a fair trial Unless unless unless un un- less it brought you some kind of profit I am being more than gen gen- erous I am putting you oU on proba proba- tion See that you behave you Fas Fas- cis cist t. t Mayor Nasta was obsequious now Yes Mister Major he said What did you say was the name of the American officer to whom I must report His IDs name is Borth and he is not an officer He is a sergeant You are not worth an officer Nasta Nas Nas- ta Yes Mister Major This Is how it happened that Mayor May May- or Nasta reported once every morning morning morning morn morn- I ing to Sergeant Borth at the Fas Fas- cio Because four or five people I followed the Mayor everywhere he went out of curiosity and hatred there was a small audience on hand I the next morning when he reported I to Sergeant Borth for the first time The audience enjoyed what It saw I and heard for this kind of situation was meat for Sergeant Borth who thought the whole war was a joke The tattered Nasta stepped Into one of the MP offices rearranged bis his nez pince-nez and said Where will wilI willI I find the Sergeant Borth I am Borth I am Nasta Oho roared Sergeant Borth Hi Ht stood up rubbing his hands So you are the Mayor I understand I that you have come to Adano to repent repent repent re re- re- re pent your sins Is that right noble Mayor I was told that I was to report here each morning I 1 was to report report report re re- port not be humiliated Sergeant You will call me Mister Sergeant Ser Ser- geant Mayor Nasta snorted from his long habit of snorting Borth said sharply Listen Nasta Nasta Nasta Nas Nas- ta I know more about you OU than you know about yourself You be careful careful careful care care- ful how you behave here Now answer answer answer an an- my questions civilly Is it correct correct correct cor cor- that you came to Adano Adana to repent your sins Mayor Nasta was white with anger anger anger an an- ger but he said I suppose you might say so Thank you Borth said with exaggerated exaggerated exaggerated ex ex- ex- ex politeness In that case you will repent one sin each morning morning morning morn morn- ing when you report to Sergeant Borth Would you like to choose your own sins or would you like Sergeant Borth to choose them for you Mayor Nasta couldn't keep himself himself him him- self from snorting I see said Borth with his over- over politeness you would like Borth to choose Very well lets let's see This morning we will discuss the sin of your disgraceful running away from your post In the face of the American Ameri Amen can invasion What is this sin called caned Mayor Nasta What do you mean what is it called caned You are nrc at a loss for words Very well Borth will answer his own question It is called the sin of cowardice Mayor Nasta snorted No matter what side you were on no matter If you were on the side of the crooks it was a sin to torun torun run away was It not Mayor I Mayor Nasta rearranged his nig nez pince-nez with a trembling hand Answer my question did you or did you not give rifles to the Cara Cara- and grenades to the Finance Guards make them a beautiful speech about fighting to the last lastman lastman lastman man and then run to the hills I Mayor Nasta said with a trembling trem bling voice You tell me clever Sergeant Sergeant Borth shouted Answer me probationer Mayor Nasta said quietly I did Sergeant Mister Serge Sergeant anti I did Mister Sergeant Are you sorry for this disgraceful disgrace disgrace- ful sin Nasta Mayor Nasta could hear the people people peo pea pie snickering behind him He said meekly I am Mister Mistel Sergeant TO BE CONTINUED |