Southern Oregon Miner, Thursday, May 17, 1945 A Bell Tô/jVhv J o h n H e r se tj T H E STORY THUS F A R : Tbo Amorl- raa troop« arrive« at Adano. a seaport In Italy , with M ajor Victor Joppolo. the Am«ot officer la charge. Sergeant Boris, an M P ., was In charge of secnrlty. The M ajor set out Imm ediately to « In the friendship and tonSdence ol the rltla e a i and vowed to replace the town hell, which the Germans had taken. He met the priest, attended mass and appointed Mercnrto Salvatore as town crier. Gar- gano. chlel of the Carabinieri, shoved his way to the head of the bakery line. When Carm elina, wife of the la iy F atta. objected, the Chief marched her off to the M ajor, who turned her free. He in formed the cltiiens that all were equal and must take their turn. CHAPTER V I VA N. U Jumper-Jacket for Summer Sports hems of Interest cnirtRl *° f^e Housewife IfA F IS T O » !» When using a screw-top can to Wash egg beaters w ith cold w a his forehead, though furrowed, was ter im m ediately lifter using. Wush suve old paints or varnish, sm ear the skin of j i tough young man. He hand soup on the threads und th« graters with hot w ater. jumped to his feet, twisting his cap —•— cap w ill not stick. The soap w ill in his strong hands, and he shouted: Iced coffee is a iy*al treat if n help m ake the closing air-tight. "Afronti Pietro. Mister M ajor.” - - • — dip of ice cream is udded to it Then he gave the Major a Fascist C ellar walls should be looked just before serving. salute. —•— ufter frequently to keep w u ter und "Speak softly here.” the Major Light blurs, grays and greens dampness from seeping in und said. " I am not deaf." He leaned w ill give an effect of coolness rotting out or underm ining the and spoke to the other two men. und space in a room. foundation o ' the house. "Are you deaf?' "No, Mister M ajor," they both said. "Then speak softly," he said to ' the strong-voiced man. "What do you desire?” "I desire," the old man said, t r y - ! ing to keep his voice quiet, "to i raise the question of the carts com -1 ing into the town of Adano. I de- - sire to tell you. Mister Major, that ‘ these carts are most dear to us. 1 ! wish to tell you about my cart. I t 1 has two wooden wheels. Mister M a -, jor—" " I have seen these carts. It Is , not necessary to describe the carts." j Afronti gave another Fascist sa- ' C la b b e r Girl's balanced double action makes if the natural choice for the lute. "One day last summer," he said in a louder voice. “ I drove my , modern recipe . . . for ¡usf the right action in the mixing bowl, plus that cart all the way to Gioia di Monti, final rise to light and fluffy flavor in the oven. and all the way the wheels sang a Sports O u tfit song which was also a prophecy. At j spectator sports the time none of my friends would A S U M M E R believe this song, would you. my * * outfit that w ill capture m any friends?" And he turned to the other a com pliment. The smoothly fit ting jacket is edged in bright ric two. The two nodded their heads, but rac to m atch the jaunty broad- the expression of their faces was shouldered ju m p er. • • • blank because they were thinking No. 8767 is designed (or sizes of the speeches they were about to ’ » . Pattern 14. 16. IS. 20: 40 and 42. Size 14, dress, make. requires .7 yards of 33 or 39 inch m aterial; Afronti's voice grew louder and | jacket, short sleeves, I s, yards. FOR QUICK RELIEF FROM louder, as if he were outdoors. "Do i Send your order to: you wish to hear this song. Mister SEW ING C IR C L E P A T T E R N D E P T . Major?’ US New Montgomery St. Major Joppolo said: "No, please ' San Franelsco, Calif. come to the point." Enclose 23 cents In coin* (or each tiff Joint« • Tired Muscles * Sprain« * Strain» * Bruiaes Afronti stepped back. He unbut pattern desired. toned his coat. He held his cap out Pattern No...........................Size............... at arm ’s length and he sang. It Name ....................................... .................. was not exactly a tune he sang, but his voice went up and down, very A d d res s ....................................................... loud. This is what he sang: "The Americans are coming here, Signor Afronti, The Americans are very Just men. Especially with regard to carts.” M ajor 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 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.” Afronti said very softly: "The mu sic has stopped, there is no more music, Mister Major. Thank you. Mister M ajor." And he sat down abruptly. The Major lifted his pen and point ed it at the next man. “And you,” he said, “your name." This was a man who seemed a 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 M ajor.” "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 assistance of Erba. "Tell 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 M ajor.” Here are the Famous "Yes?" Erba looked at the huge paint Treads that Give ing over the M ajor’s head. He stud ied many details of the painting. Longer Mileage: But he could not remember exactly what it was about the water carts that he wished to say. G E A R -G R IP The other of his friends said: “ De PASSENGER scribe your cart, Erba.” TR E A D Erba said: " It is big. Outside it Extra tread depth givee is dirty but inside it is clean. It extra traction and extra holds water. My friends drink the mileage. water.” After this sustained effort, Erba's face was covered with perspiration. At first- he looked proud and trium TRANSPORT phant, but then he could see an TRUCK TR E A D other hurdle coming. An advanced d.siga that Major Joppolo was frantic with means superior traction, impatience, but he said: “ Yes, my much longer mileage. friend, tell me some more about the water cart.” This was a quality in the Major that came out time and again: he was always gentle G R O U N D -G R IP with those who evoked impatience, A ll Firestone recapping Is done w ith the name TRACTOR and he was always impatient with painstaking care and time-tested methods th a t T R IA D those who begged for gentleness. Cleans as it rolls, assur your tires would get I f sent directly to Firestone "The thirst," said one of Erba’s ing maximum traction in factories. Your tires are recapped w ith a ll the all soil conditions. friends, “the great thirst." skill known to recapping science. Erba turned to the Major with an expression of delight which belied the seriousness of what he was to say. He was delighted because it was all coming back to him now. He I t is Impossible to predict when enough now tires w ill be said: "You will not let my cart built to supply the enormous demand. Transportation M U S T depend on recapping. L et your tires across the bridge. There is no wa get beyond the danger point and you’re In for real trouble I R ECAP N O W . ter in Adano without my cart and the other water carts. There is a thirst in Adano. Since yesterday morning at eleven o’clock there is a great thirst. Carmelina who is the wife of the lazy Fatta says that her daughter will die of the thirst. It is all because of the bridge . See Your N earb y Firestone Dealer Store or Firestone Store and the carts . . . and the—” 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. No 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 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 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. When they were ail in. Major Jop polo stood at his desk and said: "1 have promised to tell you every 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 ev eryone to know as much as possible about what is going on. "The American authorities have decided that because of military ne cessities it will no longer be possi ble for mule carts to come into-the streets of town.” Major Joppolo could see his audi ence suck in its collective breath. The cart groaned. The right wheel crumbled around the axle. The whole weight of the thing rolled slowly over into the ditch, and the shafts twisted and upset the mule, and the mule, which had always feared ditches on the right, screamed to find itself falling into what it had feared. Errante hit the earth hard. He woke up, but what with his dazed ness, his drunkenness, his surprise and his natural stupidity, he was un able to do anything except roar wordlessly. General Marvin was still roaring too. "Serve him right," he shout ed. "Holding up traffic. Trying to stop the invasion.” A new’ fury rushed up the Gen eral's cheeks. “ Middleton," he shouted, "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 said, do you think it is wise, sir?" Trying to reason with any man. and especially with this man at two 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? Do what I say.” So Colonel Middleton pulled out his Colt and fired three shots into the head of the screaming mule. All this was accomplished before Errante Gaetano was able to shape his roaring into words. He stood there in absolute amazement at the shooting. General Marvin shouted: "Let's go, can’t spend all day here.” The men got back into the a r mored car and the seep. As they started up. General Marvin said: "Got to teach these people a lesson. Take me to the mayor of this town, what is this town anyhow?" And they drove off. leaving E r rante sobbing on the flank of his mule, lying with his arms around the neck of the mule which bad had a sense of the middle but no sense 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 and burst into Major Joppolo's of fice. He interrupted the Major in the middle of a conversation with Gargano, the Chief of the Carabini eri. "General Marvin’s downstairs and wants to see you,” the Lieutenant said. "He's mad as hell, so you better hurry." "General Marvin," said Major Joppolo, and the tone of his voice General Marvin roared: “ One was not of delight. Though he had minute and twenty seconds!” never met the General, he had heard much about him. “I ’ll be right He said: “ I am not happy to have down.” to announce this decision. It is be Lieutenant Byrd turned and ran cause of military necessities. I am downstairs. Major Joppolo absent- sorry. That is all.” The 'officials of Adano, a comic mindedly arranged the papers on his desk in neat piles. Then he stood looking collection, turned sadly to up and walked out of his office. Half go. They did not protest. They way down the marble stairs he real had learned during the years of Fas ized that he was out of uniform. He cism how to swallow their protests. had heard stories of General M ar But Major Joppolo could tell that vin’s insistence on correct uniform. they were not with him, that for the Here he was in pink pants and first time in nine days they were khaki shirt, when he was supposed against him. to be in woolens. He was sud Before the first of them reached denly very frightened, and he turned the door. Major Joppolo said: ‘I and began walking up the stairs wish to tell you that I will do all again, trying to figure out what to that is in my power to have this un do, how to get into proper uniform. just order revoked.” Colonel Middleton ran to the foot And when the comic-looking offi of the marble stairs and shouted cials of Adano went out of the door up: "Hey, you, what do you mean of the M ajor’s office, they were still by keeping the General waiting?" sad but they were for him. “ Yes, sir,” Major Joppolo said. The Major worried all day about “ Be right down.” the order and wondered what he There was nothing to do. He ran could do about it. He slept very down the stairs. badly during the night, because of When Major Joppolo reached the his worry. armored car, the General was sit Early in the morning, Zito, the lit ting with his left arm raised in tle usher, came up to his desk and front of him, glaring at his wrist said: "Mister Major, there are three watch. men to see you about the carts." Major Joppolo saluted. General Because it worried him, the Ma Marvin roared: “One minute and jor snapped back angrily at Zito: twenty seconds. You've been keep "What do they want about the ing me waiting one minute arid carts?” • twenty seconds. Do you think 1 "That is something they wish to have all day to wait for you? Who tell you, Mister M ajor," Zito said. «re you, anyway?” “ It is something they did not tell "M ajor Joppolo, sir, senior civil me." affairs officer, town of Adano, sir.” "Well, show them in.” General Marvin remembered the The three Italians were evidently cart and was apparently too angry poor but respected men. There was even to notice Major Joppolo's uni a kind of democracy in their com form, “ Major, these Italian carts ing to see the Major: they were are holding up our whole invasion. the chosen delegates of all the cart- Keep them out of this town. Don’t men, to argue this thing out. you let another cart come across They all had old, clean coats on, that bridge back there into this and they all clutched cloth caps in town. What the hell is this town, their hands. Zito brought three anyway?” chairs forward, and they sat in a “Adano, sir, town of Adano.” half circle opposite the Major. "Adano. Keep the carts out of The Major pointed with a fountain this town, you hear me?” pen at one of the men and said in "Yes, sir, I ’ll take care of that Italian: "You. What is your name?” right away.” The man was about sixty. His The General shouted: “ Right hair was pure white but the skin of AROUND t h . HOUSE The Baking Powder w ith the BALANCED Double Action CLABBER GIRL MUSCULAR ACHES . W/taf ye« MEED L SLO AN’S L IN IM E N T J S la y S a fe r Play Safe . . . Get t h e ^ Finest Recapping Job That Money Can Buy T 'ir t $ t o n t FACTORY - METHOD RECAPPING W hat in Thin '’FACTO RY-M ETH O D”? E v ery C ar, T ru ck a n d Tracts«* O w n er S h ou ld K n o w T h e se F a cts: * ★ N O RATION CERTIFICATE NEEDED ★ ★ GUARANTEED MATERIALS A N D W ORKMANSHIP (TO B E C O N T IN U E D ! »