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Page 79 text:
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TRIAL ARK stood at the small harred window of his dingy cell inhaling the scent of fresh mown hay which hung over the plain in a motionless cloud for a short moment each morning when Nature seemed to wait hreathless for the dawn. His eyes were steady and his hands lay relaxed on the wide sill. They were going to lcill him, hut why should he he afraid? He had never heen afraid of anything. Had he not, as a child, dashed into a flaming ham to save a cat and her seven lcittens? He remembered how he had heen the hero of all the little girls for weelcs afterwards, and how he had loved it. Now was his chance to he an even greater hero. lnstead of a handful of lcittens he would save a hundred innocent Jewish children from the horrihle fate which awaited them if they remained in this race-conscious turmoil. For this his name would live in their hearts forever. Behind him Mark heard the sound of heavy lceys and he turned to face two .darlc figures waiting at attention to escort him to the court. Unfalteringly he moved for- ward, and as they trod down the passage, a confident smile crept over Marlcys young face. They moved out into the chill air of the crepuscle and forward to the high, roughly made scaffold. At the top of the narrow, uneven steps stood the lean sil- houette of the executioner. As Marlfs foot touched the first step it stopped- short. A deep voice beside him echoed the words he had so often read of in childhood, Have you any last word? H Of course he had. He lcnew he could even save his life if he wanted to. Had it not heen plainly stated in his sentence that, should he decide to reveal certain secret information concerning persons guilty of treason, his case would he recon- sidered? But he had chosen to he silent. Slowly he rose parallel to the executioner. As he straightened himself hefore the limp cord a sudden light struclc his pale fea- tures. The sun hurst into the world, the fields were flooded with light, and the hirds welcomed dawn with a dazzling chorus. His whole hody was suddenly warmed and he longed to rush out and fling himself down in the golden hay. It was only two years ago that he had done that very thing with his hoyhood companions. It seemed to him that he was then hut a carefree child and though he was now only nineteen years old he 'felt infinitely older. Why should two years malce such a difference? He wasnit really old yet. He was young, strong, an ahle mechanic with great pos- sihilities for success. They had no right to lcill him now. The darlc form of the executioner stepped forward and tool: hold of the noose. With a hlood-curdling shrielc, Marla crumpled up on the splintery platform and wailed for mercy. ln an hysterical daze he was yanlced to his feet and led away still sohhing out disconnected vows to tell all he lcnew. Late that afternoon, when the underside of the clouds was heginning to turn pinlc, a limp form staggered out over the muddy cohhles of the prison court. His eyes were hloodshot, and his hands clutched nervously at the edge of his wom coat. One could hardly recognize him to he the determined young Marlc who had marched erect over the same rough court just hefore sunrise. When he had passed the heavy iron gate he stopped to heave a long quivering sigh. He remained, for some time, leaning wealcly against the outer wall of the prison. At the sound of a truclc stop- ping in front of the gate he lifted his head wearily and opened his swollen eyes just 75
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Page 80 text:
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enough to see a rough guard shove an old man out of the truclc with the hutt of a long rifle. The guard did not seem to notice Mark as he hustled the wretched old man toward the gate, hut the latter stared for a moment into Marlfs eyes with a haggard, unhelieving expression which made the lad's lcnees tum to water and his head throh. The old man was his uncle, more than a father to him since his parents had died. The two had worlced together for six months helping Jewish children to get to America and smuggling money out for them. And now he lcnew full well that he had hetrayed his only friend, the only man who had always heen faithful to him. Marlc shuddered violently as he saw the hedraggled Figure disappear behind the cold gray walls. Slowly he turned down the road which ran along a deep, languid canal. ln the neighboring village a melancholy hell tolled the supper hour, and the sun hlinlced out behind a distant swell in the plain. He stopped and stared into the muddy water. As the light of the earth had gone out so had the light of his soul. He felt all hope leave him, staggered and slid silently into the dull depths of the canal. ' SUSAN KENNEDY OUR FAMILY TREE Billy, the Kid, was a handit hold, And we're his descendants, we are told. So after schools out, every day Daisy and I go out to play At heing peerless, wiclced, fearless, Shooting, hanging, looting, hanging. We've lcilled some meng we're only ten, And none of our friends are gentlemen. But Father says we're royalty From chivalrous lcings of Saxony, So alter school time yesterday Daisy and l went out to play At heing queenly, elegant, seemly, Crowned, stately, renowned greatly. We rule all men, though only ten, And all of our friends are nohlemen. But Mother says welre only one, For heing hoth Hjust canlt he clone. So down we went to the lihrary To Find the .lonesys family tree, And there we read the grandest things, Better far than handits and lcings. 'Emhezzled funds! Degenerate sons, Such words we never heard. The degenerate Jones, we cried in loud tones, And Uncle Franlc in that hig hanlclu We're famous men, though only ten, And all of our friends are great, great men OH? we rushed to tell the news, ln hright and happy colored hues Father was not as glad as we. 'KNOW donyt you forget we're royalty, For there's nothing at all in a family tree That shows the truth of a pedigreef' CHARLOTTE HUBBARD 76
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