| Show ajsa TO del R n for at AJ daiy robn aa Z A bohin herseth t eisei aff jajoo FEATURES THE STORY THUS T PAR FAR A T m the Ar amerl can troops arrived at adano with major coppolo Jop polo the anicot aagot officer in charge sergeant borth was in charge ol of security the major was determined to replace the town bell stolen by the nazis nazi and in other ways to build confidence among the people ne ile wanted to start the fishermen out again and arranged with livingston senior naval officer to open the waters to their boats lie he allowed the carts to enter the city with food and water despite orders from general marvin that the carts be kept out ot of the city capt purvis reported to head quarters the cart orders given by the major by sending off the delayed letter to headquarters CHAPTER X 1 on the day that mayor nasta came down from the hills major coppolo and captain purvis had just finished their pasta and were talking about the stuffy navy fellow livingston when they heard an unusual noise out in the street there were shouts of anger and whistles but the noise outside grew and seemed to be coming up the street and soon several of the idlers who had been listening to the radio in the restaurant ran out As the noise grew still louder the two women picked up handfuls of fruit and ran out pursued by their guests then the owner of the place and his wife and son ran out with their mouths full of pasta and eggplant Final finally lyo major coppolo said lets go see what it is so he and captain purvis ran out too with their napkins in their hands this is what they saw up the center of the street a forlorn looking man walked he was very short and rather heavyset heavy set his clothes were dirty and torn his shoes were covered with dust his face was very sad and he walked slowly hanging his head there was only one proud touch to his whole figure and that was a pair of pince nez spectacles balanced on his big nose behind the man keeping a safe distance as if there still might be some dynamite in him a large crowd walked shouting and whistling its derision the derision was ten times louder than it would otherwise have been because this was the first time the people of adano had ever been able to express their feelings toward this man even behind their own closed doors they had bad held their tongues about mayor nasta in the past because he seemed to have ears in every house and his eyes peeked in every win window and his punishments were sadistic but now they shouted what they thought fascist pig they shouted this was what they shouted most but they also shouted the murderer always goes back to the scene of his crime they also shouted where is mayor nastas whip now curiously the two women shouted and there was a kind of pride in the way they shouted there was a priest in the crowd and he shouted blasphemer 1 I there were some children in t the e crowd and they ran along shou shouting pig pig pig the anger of the mob bordered on violence when the unhappy mayor got opposite the albergo dei one of the women raised her arm and threw a plum at him it missed him and splashed in the street A boy of twelve threw a stone then several brickbats brick bats flew and the shouts of long repressed hatred became shrieks of revenge captain purvis looked at major coppolo and major coppolo said weve got to put a stop to this captain purvis was not a subtle am american but he was a brave one ile he ran out in the street between mayor nasta and the crowd he held up his hand and shouted stop stop you ignorant fools the crowd kept coming A stone flew past captain purvis toward mayor nasta captain purvis pulled his pistol out of his pocket that was enough the ones in front held bac back k the others and the mob halted in the street captain purvis went back to the sidewalk mayor nasta seeing that he was saved ran ra nover lover to his deliverers and he stood in the gutter blubbering his thanks americans American sl 1 cho oh tny my friends thank you for saving me from these ungrateful people I 1 have served them for years and see how they behave I 1 am all alone americans I 1 have been in the hills all alone for days no one would stay with me all the others gave themselves thom themselves selves up I 1 have thought everything over I 1 wish to help you if I 1 can and he rattled on I 1 his voice going higher and higher someone in the mob shouted mister major if you help that man you are not our friend major coppolo acted quickly to save the situation he walked into the street and held up his hand for silence he was careful to make it his left hand so that it would not be mistaken for a fascist salute go home people I 1 will take care of this man as he deserves he is under arrest and the major said quickly to captain purvis ih english arrest him purvis show this gang that youre arresting him this was the kind of thing captain purvis enjoyed and as he clapped his hand heavily on mayor nastas shoulder he shouted 1 I wish I 1 understood Eye this is wonderful the crowd broke up slowly mumbling its protests at being deprived of revenge purvis said who is this little squirt anyway they sure hate him dont they major coppolo said hes the one who used to be mayor oh he is is lie he well according to what borth says got plenty of reason to hate him and the captain kicked mayor nasta in the seat of the pants simply because he know the italian for youre a little squirt mayor nasta whimpered in italian what are you going to do with me if you are going to kill I 1 I 1 captain purvis pulled his pistol out of his pocket me please tell me first dont shoot me from behind what major coppolo did with mayor nasta Na was to take him up to his office everyone even little zito who had once worked for mayor nasta even darpa the weasel like vice mayor who had once worked with him everyone made faces of disgust when they saw mayor nasta tat and some made obscene remarks within w his hearing when word passed around the palazzo that mayor nasta was back many people stuck their heads in in the door at the end of the majors office which had once been the mayors I 1 look at him in or s office to have a his his disheveled condition and to laugh at him to his face well what is it that you wish major coppolo said mayor nas nasta ta brushed his hand along the wood of the desk pathetically ca illy and he said it seems strange to be si sitting on the w wrong rong side of this desk major coppolo said it may seem stranger to sit on the wrong side of the bars of your in municipal uni cipal jail what do you want mayor nasta rearranged the pince nez on his n ose nose but he did not look major coppolo in the eye as he said 1 I just w want ant a chance mister major of ayou YOU want a chance I 1 major jop polo I 1 spoke angrily to whom did Y you u ever give a c hance chance III 1 I have thong thought lit it over mayor nasta said 1 I have been all alone for days it was awful at night I 1 have thought it over mister major I 1 want to help if I 1 can I how many years were you in office it I 1 nine mister maor major dafter after mine nine years in in 0 office you thought it all over hi have ave you have of graft and stealing after nine years and keeping t these hese people down youve thought though it over you want to help do you you have other fascists in office hero here I 1 saw the face of darpa a minute ago I 1 saw who was my Marescia Mare Ilo of finance I 1 saw gargano of the carabiniero Carabi if you could use these why not nasta tat the mayor 1 I have a new mayor and a better one this hurt who is this mayor bellanca BeU anca the an honest man much more honest than the former mayor and the former mayor said yes bellanca is honest but surely you have something for nasta to do I 1 would accept something less than mayor nasta rubbed the wood of the desk wistfully there is not much left of the old nasta he said he said 1 I would accept something less than mayor major Jop eyes grew angry he stood up tip abruptly oh you would would you yes I 1 have something for you to do you are to report every morning to sergeant borth of the american arm army you will find him in the fascia fascio 0 that is all you have to do each day but see that you do it nasta tat or you will be put in jail you mean that nasta has become a common probationer oh so nasta is familiar with the practice of putting people on probation that is very genteel of you nasta I 1 thought all your punishments were more ingenious than that 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 without a trial you certainly never would give a fair trial unless it brought you some kind of profit I 1 am being more than generous I 1 am putting you on probation see that you behave you fascist mayor nasta was obsequious now yes mister major he said what did you say was the name of the american officer to whom 1 I must report his name is borth and he is no not t an officer he is a sergeant you are not worth an officer nasta 11 yes mister major this is how it happened that mayor nasta reported once every morning to sergeant borth at the fascio CIO because four or five people followed the mayor everywhere he went out of curiosity and hatred there was a small audience on hand the next morning when he reported to sergeant borth for the first time the audience enjoyed what it saw 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 his pince nez and said where will I 1 find the sergeant borth 1 I am borth 1 I am nasta oho roared sergeant borth he stood up rubbing his hands so you are the mayor I 1 understand that you have come to adano to repent your sins Is that right noble mayor 1 I was told that I 1 was to report here each morning I 1 was to report not be humiliated sergeant you will call me mister sergeant mayor nasta snorted from his long habit of snorting borth said sharply listen nasta tat I 1 know more about you than you know about yourself you be careful how you behave here now answer my questions civilly Is it correct that you came to adano to repent your sins mayor nasta was white with anger but he said 1 I suppose you might say so thank you borth said with exaggerated ag politeness in that case you will repent one sin each morning when you report to sergeant borth would you like to choose your own sins or would you like sergeant borth to choose them for to you mayor nasta keep himself from snorting 1 I see said borth with his over politeness you would like borth to choose very well lets see this morning we will discuss the sin of your disgraceful running away from your post in the face of the american invasion what is this sin called mayor nasta what do you mean what is it called 9 N you are at a loss for words very well borth will answer his own question it is called the sin of cowardice mayor nasta snorted TO BE CONTINUED |
