The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-04-04

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 Each night at dusk they return. A little slower, perhaps bit more tired. Again nod from officials, and once more they enter Mexico.
 He is man seeking country" 8 once-prosperous merchant exiled from Germany who, unable to gain immediate entrance to the United States, sought death because his feet could not walk upon the land that his eyes each day could see through the wire fence.
 She, his wife, became eligible un- der the immigration quota to pass through the customs gates that bar red him. But, ever-faithful, she stayed by him, hoping and waiting for the day when they would be able to walk side by side across the boundary into America.
 Their names and the strange story behind these daily walks across the border are known only to customs officials who have withheld their identity.
 Speak Broken English
 Months ago they had arrived in this dusty, hot capital of Lower California. Hope alone was their only salvation. They spoke no Spanish and only broken English.
 Each day they set out for the American consulate seeking that prized envelope that would tell them their names at last were in- cluded on the immigration quota list of those privileged to cross the border.
 They had never given up hope, for they had surmounted so many obstacles to get this far, surely their way would not be barred for long now that they were in sight of the land they had travelled so far to reach. But always the answer was Maybe tomorrow"
 At last one day officials at the consulate handed the wife her pre- cious envelope. His? They were very sorry, but he was not listed in this quota; perhaps the next one.
 Wife Declines Entry
 Although she was able to cross the border under the new quota, she refused to go until that time when he. too, could accompany her. So each day they continued their wis., its, and each day were met by the same reply: Not today; maybe la ter"
 Daily the small man would trudge to the steel grating and stand by the hour looking across at the people, the streets, stores, cars and land that he could not touch.
 He could stick his fingers through the fence and into the United States, but he could not enter.
 Sometimes dog would scurry past the guards and disappear up the streets of Calexico while he stood there and grasped the wire until his knuckles became white.
 Distinguished In Manner
 He presented an odd picture to the officials, standing with pince neg and carefully creased but shiny trousers amid the slovenly- -clad na- tives. He spoke to no one, for no one understood him; no one but his wife.
 At last the Illustration of his de- sire to take that one step into the country he had sought as a refuge drove him to attempt suicide.
 It was his wife who saved him. She found him dangling from a chandelier in their hotel room, bed sheet tightly wrapped around his neck. Aided by two hotel en- ployes, she cut him down and man. aged to revive him. It was then he explained how, maddened by the sight of the goal which he was un- able to achieve, he had given up hope and sought the only other es- cape he knew-death.
 Officials Relax Rules
 When the immigration officials learned of the suicide attempt and the reasons for the attempt, they broke precedent and granted the couple a request unusual in depart ment history.
 He was an alien and as such he could not reside in the United States, but until such time when he would be included in the quota, they allowed him to accompany his wife into Calexico for the day, pro- vided he returns to Mexico by nightfall.
 So each morning the pair make their way over the border, visit in Calexico, and at dusk return to Mexicai. Some day, when the long awaited number arrives, there will be no return trip at dusk.