The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1936-06-27
(By ALMA BEAN Lovingly

groes, took them out of their place.
Finally l made Joe stop working
for him. l always feared trouble
between them. That's why left
the South.
Into Jason's eyes appeared an in
teresting light.
Mother Clark looked at Jason.
Then Joe met Mable Larkin.
Mable was the prettiest girl in
Halsted." The dim eyes shone as il
she saw again the tall graceful fl
! cure Of the little school teacher,
dancing before her vision.
Unable was an orphan, lost her
parents just while before she met
Joe. Oh Mr.. Emory l wish you
could have seen Joe and Mable. My
Joe was a fine looking lad in those
days-until the war got him and
other troubles. They were crazy
about each other. Mable was per-
feet. No one could say a bad word
about her. A real lady and proud
OF it Mable made virtue glorious
thing. Joe worshipped Mable. l
wish l could picture that Joe to
you Mr.. Emory-they wouldn't say
he was useless.
Then the first rumbling of war.
Mable and Joe began to worry. We
spent sleepless nights and miser-
able days thinking about it.
Mable would often sit and stare
into space. The very thought
broke her heart.
"Oh mother what will l do il
they take Joe from me?'
Then Joe was drafted, and Ma
BILE was wild with grief.
What terrible days they were.
We just felt he would never return.
We could only hope and pray"
Mother Clark brushed away the
tears as she recounted those tur-
blent times.
Then just as his call came they
were married. They didn't look in
to the future; they wanted to live
for the present. Just few hours
of happiness. They had a little wed
ding-a cake and flowers. How
wonderful they looked that day.
White people brought a band.
Jason could see the little dingy
station. the crying and laughing
the flags and flying banners. He
had once been a part of it. Yet in
the end it was just a futile ges-
ture. War is always a failure.
Mother went on.
Jim Streeter was there. He
didn't mingle with the crowd Just
stood off with sneer on his face
when he saw Joe. Just as the train
pulled out Streeter walked over to
Joe and Mable. Joe had his arms
around Mable. They were crying.
Streeter nudged Mable and
winked.
Don't worry, Mable, I'll look
out for you" he said.
Mable and l had to hold Joe off
from Streater. The train whistle
blew and Joe had to leave. Joe
was almost crying with rage.
Before Jason left he had the
whole story of the injustice of the
South. Mother told i'm of Mable's
illness and her death. How the one
spot where she had a right to ex-
pect peace became a torment. She
tried to tell of Joes heart-broken
letters. The tragic sorrow.
Jason found his own eyes swim
ming in tears at the sordid pitt
/ full story.
How could a world be so unkind
to some poor souls.
When Jason left Mother Clarks
little cottage that evening, the
foundation up on which his de-
Tense would rest was laid.
That night a telegram was on
its way to Alabama.
The two weeks leading up to the
trial were busy ones for Jason, but
he did not mind the work. He well
coined it, for it took his mind off
Nancy. The longing to talk to her,
hear her voice, to hold her in his
arms, became almost unbearable at
times. But his pride forbade him
pleading for her favor. The first
move must come from her for she
had built the chasm and widened
the breach between them.
And so he became thin and dis
trait. He hardly touched his food
and his mother was frantic with
worry.
Jason you're working too hard"
she told him as she watched him
toy with his food, finally pushing
it away.
I'm sorry mother, I'm just not
in the mood for eating"
"But JASON" she said anxiously.
you'll be ill.
He kissed her quickly.
stop fretting, I'm all right, no.
thing to worry over, but plenty of
work. After the trial is over I'll
rest a bit" And he rushed from
the dining room and into his Ii
brary.
Mrs. Emory had sensed the
breech between Nancy and Jason,
but she forebore questioning him.
The days were anything but
pleasant for Nancy. She realized
now she had taken the wrong at
titude in approaching Jason. And
she was sorry for the things she
had said. If he would only show
some sign that he still cared, but