The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1942-06-06
NATIVE SON
Confined from page ~


saw the room and saw snow falling
past the window: but his mind
formed no image OF any OF these.
They simply existed, unrelated TO
each other: the snow and the day
light and the soft sound Of breath
ing cast a strange spell upon him,
spell that waited for the wand OF
fear 10 touch il and endow II with
reality and meaning. He lay in bed.
only a few seconds from deep
sleep. caught in a deadlock OF i'm
pulses, unable 10 rise 10 the land
OF the living.
Then. in answer to a foreboding
call from a dark part of his mind.
he leaped from bed and landed on
his bare feet in the middle OF the
room. His heart raced: his lips
parted his legs trembled. He
struggled to come fully awake. He
relaxed his taut muscles, feeling
fear, remembering that he had kill
ed Mary. had smothered her, had
cut her head of and put her body
IN the merry furnace.
This was sunday morning and he
had 10 take the trunk 10 the station.
He glanced about and saw Marys
shiny black purse lying atop his
trousers on chair Good God.
Though the air of the room was
cold. beads Of sweat broke onto his
forehead and his breath stopped.
Quickly. he looked around: his
mother and sister were etill sleep
ing Buddy slept in the bed from
which he had just arisen. Throw
the purse away. Maybe he had for
gotten other things? He searched
the pockets of his trousers and
with nervous fingers found the
klife he snapped It open and tip
toed to the window Dried ridges
OF black blood were on the blade;
He had TO get rid OF these at once.
He put the knife into the purse and
dressed hurriedly and silently.
Throw the knife and purse into a
garbage can. That's il. He put on
his coat and found stuffed in a poe
ket the pamphlets Jan had given
him. Throw these away, too, Or,
but =. Nav. He paused and grip
ped the pamphlets in his black FIN
gers as his mind filled with a cum
ming idea. Jan had given him these
pamphlets. and he would keep them
and show them 10 the police II he
were ever questioned. That's 1t.
II would take them TO his room at
Daltone and put them in a dresser
drawer. He would say that he had
not even opened them and had not
wanted 10. lie would say that he
had taken them only because Jan
had insisted He shufiled the PAM
phleis softly. SO that the paper
would not rustic. and read the IT,
ties Race Prejudice and Trial. The
Negro Question In the United
States. Black and While Unite and
Fight. But that did not seem TO
dangerous. he looked at the bottom
OF pamphlet and saw a black and
white picture OF a hammer and a
curying knife. Below it he read a
line that said Issued by the Com
munist Party Of the United States.
Now. hat did seem dangerous. He
looked further and saw a pen-and-
ink drawing Of white hand clasp
ing black hand in solidarity and
remembered the moment when Jan
had stood on the running board OF
the car and had shaken hands with
him. There had been an awful mo-
ment OF hate and shame. Yes, he
would tell them that he was afraid
OF Reds. that he had not wanted Ia
sit In the car with Jan and Mary
and he had not wanted 10 eat with
them. He would say that he had
done only because II had been his
job. He would tell them that Il was
the first he had ever sat al a table
with white people.
He stuffed the pamphlets into his
coat pocket and looked at his
watch. 1t was ten minutes until
seven. He had to hurry and pack
his clothes. He had TO take that
trunk 10 the station at eight-thir-
~.
Then fear rendered his legs like
water Suppose Mary had not burn.
ed? Suppose she was still there
exposed TO view? He wanted Il
drop everything and rush back ant
see. But maybe even something
worse had happened; maybe the,
had discovered that che was deaC
and maybe the police we're lookin,
for him? Should he not leave towI
right now7 Gripped by the sam,
impelling excitement that had ha,
hold OF him when he was carrying
Mary up the stairs; no one sus
pected that she was dead. He woulI
carry through and blame the thinl
upon Jan. He got his gun from be
meath the pillow and put II in hi
shirt.
He tlptoed from the room. look
ing over his shoulder at his mothei
and sister and brother sleeping. III
went down the steps to the yestibul
and into the street. II was whit
and cold. snow was falling ant
an icy wind blew. The streets wer'
empty. Tucklng the purse undo
his arm. he walked 10 an allel
where a garbage can stood covere'
with snow.
Confined next week.