Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1924-04-18
HIS GREAT DAY
By BRYANT WILSON
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(G 1928. Western Newspaper Union.)

NTHEN Giorgios came to the sur
w face and was hauled into the
! boat everybody could see that some
thing was wrong with him. No soon
er was his helmet removed than the
Greeks face was convulsed with
anger.
MY sponge bank" he shouted
Somebody has been fishing there, by
| gar! Three, four, five hoondred dol
lar worth of sponges gone. It's An
tonio!"
There had been bad blood for long
time between Antonio and Giorgios
But of late Giorgios had discovered a
bank of splendid sponges; and now,
contrary to all etiquette, Antonio had
gone there by stealth and robbed him
of his possessions.
The comrades of Giorgios endeav.
ored to point out to him that Antonio
had never been known to violate the
fishermen's unwritten law that, once
bank is discovered, 1t belongs to the
| discoverer, but without success. Gior-
| gios believed that Maria preferred An
tonic, and he was resolved to have his
| revenge
IF l catch him--look out" he NUT
tered, and that evening in the little
| town, passing Antonio, he lurched
| heavily against him and awaited his
enemy's onslaught with a scowl. But
Antonio had no mind to take up Gior-
| gios' quarrel. He eluded him with
laugh, and went his way.
"If he see Antonio he will kill him
now" whispered the youth Kratillis to
the other of the two boys whom Gior-
| gios hired to row him to the sponge
grounds.
II remember there was a man IN
Athens" began the other, and told
him story of similar case and how
it was cured. "There is only one
way"
Next day, instead of opposing Gior'
gios, the boys were full Of sympathy
for him.
Antonio follows your boat in the
dark because he knows you know
where the sponges are" said Kratillis.
"Ha! But I catch him." snorted
Giorgios. And when l do" He
thrust his knife upward.
He put on his helmet and weighted
shoes and descended over the side.
Slowly-for his weighted shoes make
progress slow-he moved from bank
to bank, cutting at the sponges and
thrusting them into the net which he
wore strapped to his diving suit.
All at once he stopped short There,
some ten PAGES distant, to his amaze
ment he saw the figure of q man
bending over the sponge bank.
Giorgios stared, and then his hands
twitched convulsively. 1t was his en-
emy. Here, in the depths Of the ocean,
where no man could intervene, An
tonic had deliberately challenged him
TO battle.
Giorgios orept toward Antonio. The
latter apparently remained Indifferent
to the death that was imminent-or
perhaps he was crouching to attack.
Giorgios made his way cautiously
toward him, half hidden behind the
clustering sponges-then he sprang at
him and drove his knife into Antonio's
body to the hilt. The other collapsed
and lay motionless upon the oozy
bottom of the sea. Giorgios bent over
him. The single blow had done its
work. And suddenly horror came over
the murderer.
He had slain his comrade, and all
the memories Of their years together
came back to him. They had been
boys In Greece, they had sailed for
America on the same boat, they had
been partners and friends until Maria,
with her dark hair and laughing eyes,
came between them. Gi0rgios had
even cherished secret hope In his
heart that some day their friendship
would be renewed. And now-this
was the end. And Maria? He dared
not think.
He must escape. Frantically he
tugged at the line, and In a moment
he had shot up through the blue sea
and was standing upon the steps Of
his boat. Then the helmet was re-
moved, and the fresh air beat upon
his hot forehead.
He looked around for Antonio's
boat 1t was nowhere to be seen. But
from the edge of the boat a second
line was hanging. Giorgios, amazed
and terrified, pulled at it,
Up through the blue water came the
body of the man he had slain, the
knife still sticking between his ribs.
10 %In 11v~po hn hnyY
fell from the head and there was re-
vealed-a dummy of straw
Giorgios looked round him in bewil-
derment. Then he saw the grin upon
the faces of Kratillis and his COM
panion. The reaction Overcame him.
He shouted and yelled for JOY and
then caught the boys in his arms.
"Ah, you little rascals, to play such
a trick upon a poor fisherman" he
said, and the tears gushed down his
eyes.
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