THE JEWISH CHRONICLE

20

of democracy, of freedom, of oppor-
very helpless, hopeless thing. Her lips
tunity.
quivered piteously. She sighed, a heart-
"Danko; Gott," her aunt exclaimed one
broken sigh that struck at the very root
night, "they can't take Dave. Only
of her heart. He caught one little blue-
Pesach he was thirty-one already." And
veined hand in his and holding it very
Gerty, listening, dimly realized that they
tightly within his own, attempted to ex-
could take Harry, "her Harry," she
plain.
called him to herself. The ugly, "shock-
"The why's of this war," Harry be-
ing pain, almost forgotten, forced her
gan, "can be answered only by the gen-
into a chair.
erations of tomorrow. This is not a war
"1/ch iw nar!" her aunt cried out,
to avenge or punish, but to save from
"What is it the trouble? Like a sheet
extinction the most precious things that
you got."
were given to man—that liberty, that de-
"Nothing, Tunic, nothing," Gerty ans-
mocracy that you and I and thousands of
wered, "It's hot, and I'm tired."
our brothers and sisters came here to en-
"Maybe tonight," her aunt ventured
joy. Just as those who came here before
timidly, "you won't go to night-school?"
us made sacrifices that their children
"No, no, Tante," Gerty hastened to
might live in peace with honor, so it
answer. "There won't be any night-
seems we, of today, must lay our sacri-
school soon. I'll go tonight." Knowing
fices on the altar of freedom that the
the futility of argument, her aunt said
generations of tomorrow may live in
nothing.
honorable peace." Harry paused a mo-
For the first time Gerty paid little
ment. The voice of his father long since
attention to her lesson. She watched the
stilled, seemed to chant again the oft-
Who uses Overalls, Shop Coats, Aprons or Wipers!
teacher wistfully and hungrily as if to
repeated words :
photograph on her memory his every mo-
"* * * and great shall be the peace of
tion.
They
walked
longer
than
usual
that
thy
children. In righteousness shalt thou
For years we have been washing these things with the
night. Gerty was strangely quiet.. There
be established. Thou shalt be far from
was a dull ache in her heart that
least possible abuse.
oppression, for thou shalt not fear ; and
wouldn't be ousted, and a 1111111) in her
from terror, for it shall not come near
throat that begged indulgence. She kept
thee * * * whosoever shall stir up strife
We take just pride in the fact that those articles handled
very close to Harry, and when the ache
against thee shall fall because of thee
and lump threatened dire things, she
* * * No weapon that is formed against
continuously by ourselves give 50% MORE WEAR, and look
would clutch the edge of his cuff, sud-
thee shall prosper."
denly, passionately, as if to shield him
"Remember, too, Gerty," Harry con-
better.
from some unforeseen danger in the
tinued, his voice vibrant with new
crowded street. They reached a recre-
strength, "that we are now fighting side
Last but not least, our prices are right.
ation park with many "Please" signs, but
by side with our newly emancipated
very little recreation, now oddly desert-
brothers across the sea. Democracy is
ed, and sat down on a bench.
arrayed against autocracy. It is a grim,
Harry fumbled in his pocket. "There's
bloody, death struggle. Every blow is a
my registration card, Gerty," he said,
blow for liberty. I will be happy when
attempting to break the silence. Gerty
Yours for Service
my chance conies to serve this greatest
took the bit of blue pasteboard in her
of causes."
hand—America's receipt for a man and
Very pale, very quiet, the girl list-
a possible soldier—and eyed it fearfully.
ened. His voice sounded as if at a great
"Will they take you?" she asked dully.
distance. "Democracy," "Autocracy,"
"I don't know Gerty ; the wheel of
"Liberty," the words jumbled, became
chalice will tell." Then drawing her very
confused, were lost. What mattered all
JOHN EDELL, Prop.
close and turning her head until her eyes
else? Of what worth this glorious free-
looked into his, "Would it matter to you
dom if her Harry should be taken? Her
if they did?"
head fell wearily on his shoulder. Gerty
"Matter, Harry? Would it matter to
could not understand.
677 Wabash Avenue.
Grand 6796-M.
me, would it hurt me if they took my
Then followed a period of suspense
heart out and did this to it?" She
that left Gerty wan and haggard, with
clinched a tiny fist and squeezed an im-
deep, brooding eyes that dumbly asked
aginary heart to pulp. Harry kissed her
the ever unanswered question—"Why?"
very tenderly and thanked God that such
Her aunt's patience was nearing its
a girl cared.
limit. "Aril Gerty," she said, "you look
There was a moment of unutterable
terrible. What do you want from my
Jos. Vigneau, Sr.
L. A. Vigneau
bliss. Then Gerty drew away. The ugly
life? Stop already to work in a factory
premonition of evil seized her again.
Phone West 904
and get married like a ballebatische kind.
She twisted the blue card savagely in her
From all the boys who is so good like
hand.
Dave? Who wants you with your yellow
Western Cut Rate Carpet Cleaning Works
face and ausgeschparte eyes?"
"Why, oh why must it be?" she ques-
Jos. Vigneau & Son, Props.
tioned with a catch in her voice that
"Gerty," coming nearer, and putting a
made him long to take the little figure in
plump, well-meaning arm around the
SEWING, REFITTING AND LAYING
his arms then and there and calm her
girl's shoulder, "be a good girl. Make
220 Sixteenth St., Cor. Baker
a Tnoim Rosh Hashonah. My children's
DETROIT
fears. "Why, oh why?" she repeated. Her
voice rose in passionate protest. Then
children shouldn't get a worse boy."
the rebellious, revolting spirit became a
"Please, Tante," Gerty said absently,
"please don't talk about it now. Some
other time. My head hurts." Later her
aunt eased her own and Dave's mind
with the philosophy that "a girl is a girl
and they're all mischuge."
"Dave," she would say, "Wait another
week, two weeks, three weeks. You
should know what I have it in my heart
for you and Gerty." And Dave, believing
implicity in her wisdom, was satisfied to
wait.
Gerty was waiting too, waiting and
praying that her Harry might be spared.
And when at last it seemed that she
could no longer bear the agony of it,
the blindfolded man in the Senate Cham-
ber thrust his hand into the crystal of
numbered capsules and designated which
men should first offer their lives for their
Before
Protected While Painting
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country.
Gerty stared with unseeing eyes at the
maze of numbers before her on the
Any dingy, dark factory, warehouse, basement or stable may be
printed sheet. She knew her prayer had
given 60% more light by the application of MOR-LITE COLD
been denied. His name seemed written
WATER PAINT.
in letters of fire, whose flames, reaching
up, scorched and burned.
Unlike whitewash it will not chip, peal or brush off.
At her own heartbroken request, there
had
been no formal farewell.
Applied to any surface, brick, cement or wood, with equally good
"Sweetheart," he wrote, "hereafter
results.
your Harry is to be known as Private
Harry Kroner, Company H, 31st Regi-
If you have any factory or stable walls that are dark and you want
ment, at his country's service. I am
grateful for being able to serve the
MORE LIGHT, phone, write or call
country that has served me so willingly
and well. Do not worry, Gerty. God is
good and I will return as I went to the
most wonderful girl a soldier ever had."
And Gerty answered : "I'm not worry-
ing, Harry. I only pray day and night
COLD WATER PAINT CONTRACTORS
for your safe return, and God will not
deny my prayer."
Gerty seemed quite content now to
sit night after night on the bench in

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(Continued on Page 37)