The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-03-03
80
a new
NOVEL
&io. Sasl.ir


The returns from California were
beginning to come in. "Radio VIZ
the Angel City Evening Howler,
Angel City, California" The an
nouncer had soft, caressing
voice, worth a thousand dollars a
month to him; it had a little
chuckle which caused the children
to adore him--he went by the
name of "Uncle Peter" and told
them bedtime stories. Now he
was applying his humor to the re-
turns. Rosario, California. Hello!
The home town of Bob Buchanan,
secretary to the Chamber Of Com
merce! Let's see what Bob's been
doing! Rosario, 81 precincts out
of 50 give LaFollette III, Davis
sc, Coolidge, $40. Well, well! If
Bob Buckman is listening on on
VIZ, congratulations from Uncle
Peter-you're great little booster
Bob!"
And then, startling the watchers
by the bedside-"Paradise, Cali
fornia. Now what do you think of
that. The location of the Ross
Junior oil field, owned by Bunny
Ross, our parlor Bolshevik! Bun
,ny's the boy that balls out the
political prisoners, as he calls
them; he publishes a little paper
to dye our college boys and girls
pink. Let's see what Little Bun
ny's town has to say to him. Para
disc, California, Ia precincts out of
% give LaFollette 217, Davis 90,
Coolidge SOB. Well, well, Bunny
you've got some more boring from
within to do"
The householder, shifted again.
"Radio QXJ, the Angel City Eve
ming Roarer, banjo solo by Bella
Blue, the Witch of Wicheta."
Plunkety-plunkety plunkety-
Observation-Disclosures!
Paurs lips were beginning to
move. There was a trace of sound,
and Ruth bent close to him. Hes
coming back to lifel Oh, call the
doctor!" The hospital doctor came,
and listened, and felt Paul's pulse;
but he shook his head. 1t was
merely a question of what areas
of the brain were affected; the
speech areas might be uninjured
The sounds were incoherent, and
the doctor said Paul didn't know
what he was saying. He might
stay that way for days, even for
a week or two.
But Ruth continued to listen, and
try to catch a word. Paul might
be there, somehow, trying to speak
to her, to convey some request.
She whispered, in an agony of
ID lg, paul, Paul, are you try
iik to talk to me?" The sounds
grew louder, and Rachel said, "It's
a foreign language" Bunny said,
at must be Russian"-the only
foreign language Paul knew. It
was strange, like a corpse talking
or wax doll; the sounds seemed
to come from deep in his throat.
'Da zdravstvooyet Reolutziya!"
over and over; and Bunny said,
That must mean revolution" And
then, "Vsya vlast Sovietaml"-
THAT must have something to do
with the Soviets!
For an hour that went on; until
suddenly Ruth exclaimed, Bunny
we ought to find out what he's
saying! Oh, surely we ought to-
just think, if he's asking for help"
Rachel tried to argue with her;
it was just a delirium. But Ruth
became more excited-she didn't
want Rachel to Interfere. Rachel
had saved her man, and what did
she know about suffering? "I
want to know what Paul's sayingl
Can't we find somebody that
knows Russian?" So Bunny got
Gregor Nikolaieff on the phone,
and ask him to jump on the car
and come down here.
When Bunny returned to the
room, Paul was talking louder
than ever, but still moving only
his lips. The Angel Jazz Choir
were shouting, "Honey-baby,
honey-baby, kiss me in the neck!"
And Paul was saying again and
again, ''Nie troodyashchiysia da
ME yest!"
ooh, Bunny" pleaded Ruth, eve
ought to write down what he says!
He might stop-and never speak
again. Bunny understood-R
had been brought up to believe in
revelations, in words Of awful inn
port spoken on special occasions,
in strange languages or other
unusual ways. The doctors might
call it delirium, but how could they
be sure? Things that were hid
den from the wise were revealed
to babes and sucklings. SO Bun
ny got out his notebook and foun-
tain-pen, and wrote down what
PauPs words sounded like, as near
as he could guess. "Hlieba, mira,
svobodyw And when Gregor came
in, an hour or so later, he was