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Show WfABellAdaaolll John Herseu sTORf THUS FAR: The Amcrl-TllB Amcrl-TllB ' Mvcd at Aclano. a icaport U'lai Major Victor Joppolo,- the ,U m-or in charco. Serf-ant Borth. m!' in charce security. The n IP-' , out immediately to win the M)"r " d conlldenco ol the cltlrcm t:leal d to replace the town hell, wa J!h. Germans had taken. He met , , attended mass and appointed p' .' salvatore a. town crier. Gar-hlel Gar-hlel ol the Carabtnlert, ahoved l u, the head ol the bakery line. "wroeUna. wile ol the lazy FatU, """I Chiel marched her off to Ma or who turned her Iree. He In- , th, clUzem that all were equal P turn. CHAPTER VI n,. cart groaned. The right wheel tiled around the axle. The X,b weight of the" thing rolled 5& over into the ditch and the SSu twisted and upset the mule, S the mule, which had always red ditches on the right, "earned to find itself falling Into kat It had feared, "we hit the earth hard. He .nke up, but what with his dazed-.ss dazed-.ss Us drunkenness, his surprise Lois natural stupidity, he was un-Jue un-Jue to do anything except roar wordlessly. -W. N away? That's not soon enough for me." "Sir, I'll go right up and call the M.P.'s and tell them about it." "That's not soon enough. I want action. N9 more carts. Adano's the name of this town, remember that, Middleton, Adano. No more carts at all, Major, do you understand? What are you standing there gawking gawk-ing about? Action. Let's get going, let's get out of here, do you think I have all day?" And before Major Joppolo could even salute, the armored car had roared away. By the time he reached his desk again. Major Joppolo realized what the consequences of keeping the carts out of town would be. He knew very well how essential they were to the life of the place. With a heavy heart he cranked his field telephone, asked for Row-boat Row-boat Blue Forward, got the ear of Captain Purvis, head of the M.P.'s In Adano, and ordered him in the name of General Marvin, to keep all carts out of Adano, to stop them at the bridge on the east and at the sulphur refinery on the west. Then he called for Zito, his usher, and asked him to assemble all the officials of the town in his office. . u. rtMumi iy-a -"Tns-.' - his forehead, though furrowed, was the skin of a tough young man. He Jumped to his feet, twisting his cap in his strong hands, and he shouted: "Afronti Pietro, Mister Major." Then he gave the Major a Fascist salute. "Speak softly here," the Major said. "I am not deaf." He leaned and spoke to the other two men. "Are you deaf?" "No, Mister Major," they both said. "Then speak softly," he said to the strong-voiced man. "What do you desire?" "I desire," the old man said, trying try-ing to keep his voice quiet, "to raise the question of the carts coming com-ing into the town of Adano. I desire de-sire to tell you, Mister Major, that these carts are most dear to us. I wish to tell you about my cart. It has two wooden wheels, Mister Major-" "I have seen these carts. It is not necessary to describe the carts." Afronti gave another Fascist salute. sa-lute. "One day last summer," he said in a louder voice, "I drove my cart all the way to Gioia di Monti, and all the way the wheels sang a song which was also a prophecy. At the time none of my friends would vvueu uiey were au in, major joppolo jop-polo stood at his desk and said: "I have promised to tell you every Important Im-portant thing which the American authorities decide to do In this town. I do not want this to be a town of mysteries. In a democracy one of the most important things is for everyone ev-eryone to know as much as possible about what is going on. "The American authorities have decided that because of military necessities ne-cessities it will no longer be possible possi-ble for mule carts to come into the streets of town." Major Joppolo could see his audience audi-ence suck in its collective breath. General Marvin was slut ..serve him right." he shouted.' shout-ed.' "Holding up traffic. Trying to ,top the Invasion." A new fury rushed up the General', Gen-eral', cheeks. "Middleton." he .touted, "shoot that mule." Colonel Middleton' s blood froze. He shouted back: "Do you think It's wise, sir?" The General shouted: What s that? What's that?" Colonel Middleton knew' it was hopeless but he shouted again: "I Mid, do you think it is wise, sir?" Trying to reason with any man, and especially with this man at two hundred hun-dred feet and the top of one's lungs was not rewarding work. The General shouted: "Middleton, you trying to stop the Invasion too? . Bo what I say." So Colonel Middleton pulled out his Colt tnd fired three shots Into the bead of the screaming mule. All this was accomplished before Errante Gaetano was able to shape hli roaring into words. He stood there In absolute amazement at the shooting. General Marvin shouted: 'Let's jo, can't spend all day here." The men got back Into the armored ar-mored car and the seep. As they started up, General Marvin said: Deueve mis song, wouia you, mj friends?" And he turned to the other two. The two nodded their heads, but the expression of- their faces was blank because they were thinking of the speeches they were about to make. Afronti' s voice grew louder and louder, as If he were outdoors. "Do you wish to hear this song, Mister Major?' Major Joppolo said: "No, please come to the point." Afronti stepped back. He Unbuttoned Unbut-toned his coat. He held his cap out at arm's length and he sang. It was not exactly a tune he sang, but his voice went up and down, very loud. This is what he sang: "The Americans are coming here, Signor Afronti, The Americans are very just men. Especially with regard to carts." Major Joppolo said: "Do not joke with me, old man. We have no time for humor this morning. I want to help you If you have something some-thing reasonable to ask of me. Come to the point." Afronti shouted: "The music has stopped. There is no more music." The Major said: "Please do not shout here. You seem to think that Americans are deaf men. We are not deaf. Do not shout." UUt W icom w.tj. j,...- Take me to the mayor of this town, what is this town anyhow?" And they drove off, leaving Errante Er-rante sobbing on the flank of his mule, lying with his arms around the neck of the mule which had had a sense of the middle but no tense of urgency. The General's armored car pulled up In front of the Palazzo di Citta. Lieutenant Byrd ran across the wide sidewalk and up the marble stairs nd burst Into Major Joppolo's office. of-fice. He interrupted the Major in the middle of a conversation with Gargano, the Chief of the Carabinl-ri. Carabinl-ri. "General Marvin's downstairs and wants to see you," the Lieutenant laid. "He's mad as hell so you better hurry." "General Marvin," said Major Joppolo, and the tone of his voice wai not of delight. Though he had never met the General, he had heard much about him. "I'll be right I down." Lieutenant Byrd turned and ran downstairs Mnlnr Jnnnnlo absent- Afronti said very softly: "ine music mu-sic has stopped, there is no more music, Mister Major. Thank you, Mister Major." And he sat down abruptly. The Major lifted his pen and pointed point-ed it at the next man. "And you," he said, "your name." This was a man who seemed a little lit-tle backward. He was timid in the way he stood up and he did not twist his cap with any enthusiasm, as the others did. His voice was slow and he had to think a long time before he could say his own name. Finally it came out: "Erba Carlo, Mister Major." "And you desire?" Erba stopped and thought. His eyes wandered. He looked at the Saint of the Telephone. He looked at the Red Cross badge on the breast of Princess Marie Jose. He thought and thought, but he could not think what it was he desired. He had forgotten his speech entirely. After an embarrassing pause, the other two left off thinking about their own speeches and came to the of Wrha. General Marvin roared: "One minute and twenty seconds!" He said: "I am not happy to have to announce this decision. It Is because be-cause ol military necessities. I am sorry. That Is all." ffiindedly arranged the papers on his desk in neat piles. Then he stood up and walked out of his office. Half way down the marble stairs he realized real-ized that he was out of uniform. He had heard stories of General Marvin's Mar-vin's Insistence on correct uniform. Here he was in pink pants and khaki shirt, when he was supposed to be In woolens. He was suddenly sud-denly very frightened, and he turned nd began walking up the stairs gain, trying to figure out what to do, how to get into proper uniform. Colonel Middleton ran to the foot ol the marble stairs and shouted up: "Hey, you, what do you mean by keeping the General waiting?" "Yes, sir," Major Joppolo said. "Be right down." There was nothing to do. He ran down the stairs. When Major Joppolo reached the armored car, the General was sitting sit-ting with his left arm raised in front of him, glaring at his wrist watch. Major Joppolo saluted. General Marvin roared: "One minute and twenty seconds. You've been keep- The officials ol Aciano, a , looking collection, turned sadly to go They did not protest. They had learned during the years of Fascism Fas-cism how to swallow their protests But Major Joppolo could teU that they were not with him, that for the first time in nine days they were against him. Before the first of them reached the door, Major Joppolo said: I wish to tell you that I will do all that is in my power to have this unjust un-just order revoked." And when the comic-looking officials offi-cials of Adano went out of the door of the Major's office, they were still sad but they were for him. The Major worried all day about the order and wondered what he could do about it. He slept very badly during the night, because of WEaT the morning, Zito. the lit-tie lit-tie usher, came up to his desk and said- "Mister Major, there are three men' to see you about the carts. Because it worried him, the Ma-ior Ma-ior snapped back angrily at Zito. ! J.What do they want about the "TeU him," one of them said, "about the water carts." A look of vast relief came over the face of Erba. "It is about the water carts. Mister Major." "Yes?" Erba looked at the huge painting paint-ing over the Major's head. He studied stud-ied many details of the painting. But he could not remember exactly what it was about the water carts that he wished to say. The other of his fnendssaid. Ve-crribe Ve-crribe your cart, Erba." SCEr?a said: "It is big. Outside t Is dirty but inside it is clean. It holds water. My friends drmk the Waifeter this sustained effort, Erba'i face was covered with perspiration. At first he looked proud and triumphant, trium-phant, but then he could see an-other an-other hurdle coming. Major Joppolo was frantic with impa ience, but he said: "Yes, my Mend, tell me some more about toe water cart." This was a quality ta the Major that came out tame and again: he was always gentle "th those who evoked impatience g me waiting one minute and twenty seconds. Do you think I have all day to wait for you? Who re you, anyway?" "Major Joppolo, sir, senior civil affairs officer, town et Adano, sir." General Marvin remembered the Cart and was apparently too angry ven to notice Major Joppolo's uniform. uni-form. "Major, these Italian carts re holding up our whole invasion, i Reep them out of this town. Don't ! you let another cart come across that bridge back there into this town. What the hell is this town. i anyway?" "Adano, sir, town of Adano." j "Adano. Keep the carts out of town, you hear me?" "Yes, sir, I'll take care of that ri6ht away." , The General shouted: "Right "That is something they wish to teU you, Mister Major." Zito said :? fs something they did not teU m"Well, show them in." Te three Italians were evident ?n to see the Major: they were chosen delegates of all the cart-n cart-n to argue this thing out. mey aU had old, clean coats on Thev all clutched cloth caps in f hand" Zito brought three X'irs forward, and they sat in a 1 u rircle opposite the Major. baThe Major pointed with a fountain .. one of the men and said in pe"-8 . You What is your name?" "Cman was about sixty His Jr wa'pure white but the skin of and be was aiwaja - fhose who begged for gentleness The thirst," said one of Erba's friends, "the great thirst." Erba turned to the Major with an expression of delight which belied toe seriousness of what he was to v He was delighted because it was all coming back to him now. He TaW "You will not let my cart across the bridge. There is no water wa-ter in Adano without my cart and Z other water carts. There is mfrst in Adano. Since yesterday V at eleven o'clock there is rg" thVs, Carmelina who is fh. wife of the lazy Fstta says that t "daughter will die of the thirst U s all because of the , bridge , raris . . and the and continued) . |
