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
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