Evening star., 1941-11-09
THIS WEEK MAGAZINE

hinge.
We couldn't see much of the ma
chine itself, but we could see metal
cleaning. and something turning, and
a row of dials along one edge OF it.
The stranger was hunched over the
machine, turning the dials and talk
ing to the Wilczeks at the same time,
with his head tipped up like birds.
| didn't like his looks.
f1E's foreigner, too" muttered.
Jeff poked me to shut up.
What are we going to do?" l whis-
pered.
The dark man stopped talking, and
Mrs. Wilczek got up off the sofa.
She went upstairs. For a while the
stranger and Joe Wilczek just sat
there, talking in low tones We could
mt hear what they were saying. be-
cause they we're clear over the other
side of the room.
Viidt hS VIC Soiis " w.
whispered again. "We ought to do
something!'
Neither Jeff nor Wadrey answered,
because right then Mrs. Wilczek came
downstairs, and the little girl was
with her. The dark man stood up and
said something to Ella and shook
hands with her. and smiled. He had a
paper of some sort in his other hand.
You could see Ella had just got
out of bed, because she was wearing
pajamas. She was still sleepy and kept
rubbing her eyes as she looked at the
machine. The stranger spent a long
time showing her the machine. Then
he handed her the paper and she un-
folded it and read what was on it.
We could see her lips move and we
knew she was reading it aloud, but
we couldn't hear word.
The stranger listened and kept
nodding. When she got to the end of
the paper, he took her arm and led
her across the room He stood her
right close to the window. We could
hear him now. you just stand over
here. young lady. where the machine
won't make you nervous" he said,
land read it again. Read it just as
you did the first time. And talk into
this" he said. handing her something
on the end of wire. Ella waited for
him to 60 back to the machine Then
she began reading. and the Wilczeks
and the dark man sat very still, lis
tening. We listened, too.
why l am glad to be an Ameri-
can," Ella read. Il am glad to be an
American because this is free and
wonderful country. My grandfather
came here thirty-two years ago, to
escape oppression in the land where
he was born. He worked hard, and
saved enough money to buy some
land. This. he said then, is my home.
l have worked for it and now it is
mine. No one in this country will take
it away from me-
xHE first thing he did on his land
was to build a house. Then he planted
tree. 1t was not large tree, but to
him it was symbol. My father,
Joseph, was thirteen years old then.
and helped plant the tree.
Joseph my grandfather said,
this tree will grow, and you will grow
with it. This land will be yours, and
then your children's, and their chill
dren's. Long after l am gone, this
tree will be here. Take good care of it.
Never let anything happen to it.
1t is an everlasting symbol of your
allegiance to America. 1t means that
you belong herev
"The tree is still on our land, but
l am old enough now to know for my
self what it means, and my father,
Joseph, no longer has to tell me. 1t is a
beautiful tree. Its roots are deep and
strong. They are like the roots of
America. Its trunk is straight and
true, and has weathered every storm.
No doubt there will be other storms,
10 1y,l