The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1942-10-24


\ the white portion OF the
and the white portion was
ling rapidly. He remembered
Ilhe paper had been printed
might That meant that the
norton was now much
b. than was shown here. He
his eyes. calculating; he
N Fiity-Third Street and the
| had started last night at
eenth Street. II they had gone
Eighteenth Street to Twenty
\ Street last night. then they
have gone from Twenty
Street to Thirty-eighth
since then. And by midnight
M they would he at Forty
Street. or right here.
wondered about empty flats.
ksper had not mentioned them.
pse Ne found a small. empty
tnette flat in a building where
people lived? That was by far
$ss;cst thing
went to the end OF the hall
Mashed the light on a dirty
q and saw a wooden stairway
be- 10 the roof lie climbed and
himself into a narrow pas
at the end OF which was a
He kicked at the door sew
hines, each kick making IL give
by until he saw snow, sun
and the oblcng strip OF sky.
wind came singing into his
snd he remembered how weak
hold be was. How long could
Keep going this way? He
zsd through and stood in the
4 on the roof. Before him was
e Of white. sun-drenched roof
crouched behind a chimney
looked down into the street.
e corner he saw the news
from which he had stolen the
the man who had shouted
Em Vac standing by II. Two
men stopped at the newsstand
bought paper, then walked
doorway. one Of them lean
agerly over the others
Der, Their lips moved and they
ID their black fingers at the
and shook their heads ar
talked. Two more men joined
and soon there was a small
IN them standing in the door
talking and pointing at the
They broke up abruptly and
away. Yes, they were talking
him. Maybe all OF the black
nd women were talking about
prs mo ming: maybe they were
= him for having brought this
upon them.
had crouched so long In the
that when he tried to move
'pad that his legs had lost all
q. A fear that he was freezing
4 him He kicked out his legs
flore circulation OF his blood.
erawled to the other side OF
POI Directly below him. one
away through a window
Pul shades. he saw a room in
\ we've two small iron beds
|Sneets dirty and crumpled. In
Ped SAT three naked black chill
looking across the room to
|'aeF bed on which lay a man
woman. both naked and black
4 sunlight There were quick,
NOV ments on the bad where
pan and woman lay and the
children were watching. II
amliar: he had seen things
Enal when he was a little boy
ing live in a room. Many
'lngs he had awakened and
Ia MS father and mother. He
"a away thinking: Five Of 'em
Ius IN one room and here's
la' empty building with just
I H. lie crawled back to the
Lsy, seeing before his eyes an
/ OF the room OF five people,
'hem biackly naked in the
sunlight. seen through a
" pane; the man and woman
Eg lerkily in tight embrace,
ne three children watching.
Ias,r came TO his stomach: an
Isnu reached down his throat
|'a'ehed his intestInes and tied
mo a cold. tight knot that
n, Inc memory OF the bottle
''s Bessie had heated for him
s'snt came back so strongly
y, " could almost taste It. II he
4al bottle OF milk now ne
make a fire out OF a news
snu hold the bottle over the
~ snul II was warm. He saw
|. lake the top off the white
= !, WIN some OF the warm milk
'I IS. over his black fingers, and
NJ, W. the bottle to his mouth
~. over his head and drink.
y '0Iach did a slow fllp-flop
~ heard II growl. He felt In
's saser a deep sense OF duty,
lID ...ul as the urge to breathe,
n, ~ as the beat OF his heart.
Il,,, IKE dropping to his knees
- Jug his face to the sky and
n I'm hungry" He wanted
,.a. Ou his clothes and roll in
'.ss until something nourish-
,or ,Ssu INTO his body through
', ''' on his skin. lie wanted TO
,,sOan.eIhing In his hands so
A. u would turn to food. But
/ ~ MUNGER left: soon he was
y . little easier: soon his
A V'e from the desperate call
~ ooay and concerned itself
h. h. Hanger that lurked about
y, ~ yen something hard at the
A. y NE lips and touched n
|, =" fingers; Il was frozen
'''l'd back through the