The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1942-08-08
NATIVE SON WIN !: !;
BOOK 2-INSTALLMENT x

nouse- VINO Nouiu DelleYe MN after
II was seen that he had lied bout
his not drinking and about Marys
going to school? II Jan tried 20
protect Mary, as he thought he
would. he would only succeed in
making case against himself
Bigger went to the window and
looked out at the white curtain OF
falling snow. He thought of the
kidnap note. Should he try 10 get
money from them now? Hell. yes.
after Jan had told his story He
should see Bessie tonight. And be
ought to pick out the pencil and
paper he would use. And he must
not forget TO use gloves when he
wrote the note so that no finger
prints would appear on the paper
He'd give that Britten something
to worry about, all right. Jus;
wait.
Because he could 90 now. run
off II he wanted to and leave IL
all behind. he felt certain sense
OF power, power born of a latent
capacity TO live. He was conscious
OF this quiet. warm. clean. rich
house. this room with this bed so
soft. the wealthy white people
moving in luxury TO all sides of
him. whites living in a smugnesF.
a security. certainty that he had
never known. The knowledge that
no had killed a white girl they
loved and regarded as their SYM
bol OF beauty made him feel the
equal Of them. like man who
had been somehow cheated. but
had now eyened the score
The more the sense OF Britten
seeped into him the more did he
feel the need TO face him once
again and let him try TO get some
thing from him. Next time he
would do better; he had let Brit
ten trap him on that Communist
business. Ho should have been on
the lookout for that but the lucky
thing was that he knew that Brit
ten had done all his tricks az once:
had shat his bolt. had played all
his cards. Now that the thing was
out In the open. he would know
how 10 act. And Furthermore.
Britten might want him as a wit
ness against Ian. Ho smiled while
he lay in the darkness. II that
happened. he would be safe IN
sending the ransom note. He cculd
send II lust when they thought
thew had pinned the disappearance
Of Mary upon Jan. That would
throw everything into confusion
and would make them want to re-
plv and give the money at once
and save the girl.
The warm room lulled his blood
and a deepening sense OF fatigue
druggcd him with sleep. He stretch
ed out more fully on the bed sigh
ed. turned on his back. swallowed.
and closed his eyes. Out OF the sur
silence and darkness came
the quiet ringing of distant
church bell. thin. faint. but clear.
~ tolled, soft. then loud. then still
louder. 50 loud that he wondered
whore Il was. Il sounded suddenly
above Mis- head and when
he looked II was not there but went
on tolling and with each passing
he felt an urgent need to
run and hide as though the bell
were sounding a warning and he
stood on street corner In red
glare Of light like that which came
from tho furnace and he had a big
package In his arms so wet and
slippery and heavy that he could
scarcely hold onto II and he wanted
10 know what was in the package
aud he stopped near an alley corner
aud unwrapped II and the paper
fell awav and he saw--it was his
own hcad--his own head lying with
black face and half-crossed eyes
and lips parted with white teeth
showing and hair wet with blood
and the red glare grew brighter
like light shining down from red
moon and red stars on a hot Sum-
mcr night and he was sweating and
hreathless from running and the
hell changed so loud that he could
hear The iron tongue clapping
against tho metal sides each time
II swung TO and fro and he was rum
ming over street paved with
black coal and his shoes kicked
tiny humps rafting against tin cans
and he knew that very soon he lad
TO find some place 10 hide hut there
was no place and in front Of him
white people were coming TO ask
about the head from which The
had fallen and which
was so slippery with blood in his
naked hands and he gave up and
stood in the middle OF the street In
the red darkness and cursed the
booming bell and the white people
and felt that he did not give
damn what happened 10 him aud
when the people closed in he hurl-
ed the bloody head souarely into
their faces dongdongdong
He opened his eyes and look
ed about him in the darkened room
hearing a bell ring. He sat up. The
bell sounded again. How long had
II been ringing? He got to his feet.
swaying from stiffness. trying To
shake OF sleep and that awful
dream.
"Yessum." he mumbled.
The bell rang again. insIstently.
lie fumbled in the dark for the ligh;
chain and pulled H. Excitement
quickened within him. Had some
thing happened? Was this the po-
lice?
"Bigger!" a muffled voice called.
"Yessuh."
He braced himself for whatever
was coming and stepped 10 the
door. As he opened II he felt II be.
ing pushed IN by someone who
seemed determined to get in IN a
hurry. Bigger backed away. blink
inR his eyes.