3 4

BLUEBELL M E A D O W T T T H E N she c m home in the

W W e v e n M 1 g f rom reading in the park that was a sort o l an is-

land) the sergeant was wa i t ing to ask her questions about the bullets. He had t w o oi them i n the cupped palm of his right hand, ho ld ing the h a n d low d o w n , secretively*. His left elbow was o n the edge i d the white-scrubbed kitchen table. T h e golden stripes on his blue-black s k e w w e r e as bright as the evening sunshine on the old t o w n outside. 11v was polite, a l m o s t apolo-getic, at f irst He said, .1 hate to bother yourself and your aunt a n d un-cle. B u t it w o u l d b> better for every-body's sake i f you told me where vou got these things. Peopl< aren't supposed to have them. Least of all girls in a c< m\ i n< sola M i l . "

T h e r e wen six of them. T h e eve-ning Lof t ) gave them to her, sh< h;;d looked at them for a whole hour, sit-t ing at that table, half reading a book, I ! r tncle and aunt wer< out at r :

cinema, Sh< spread the bullets on the table and moved them about, mak-i n g designs and shapes and patterns* wi th them, joining them bi imag inan l i n - s playing with them as il th \ w T< draugl r> or dominoes or pr< cious stones. It [ust wasn't possible that such

,t

harmless mute pieces of metal could be im el to ki l l people. T h e n she; had wearied of the m , h a d put them a w : n in an o l d earthenware jug on the mante l -piece, and after a while she had for-gotten all about tin I D . A S she wrote v me f r o m I >e r o . i t th i r t ) yt ars late r , t h \ were th oddest gifts, God knew, for a

T H I S is how the park w a s a son. of an island. T h e river came out of deep water, l ined and overhung b) tall beeches, ami round a right-angled h a n d to hurst over a waterfal l a n d a salmon h a p - ( ) n the right bank, a n d a bow th< fa l l , a sluice gate regu-lated th< (low of a mil l race. A hun-dred yards downst ream, the millrace was carried in aqueduct over a rough mountain stream that came d o w n to join the river. Between river a n d race a n d m o u n t a i n stream was a t r iangular park of five or six acres, w i t h seats h\ the watersides and swings for chi ldren. Her favorite seat was under a tall nib r a n d rlostr to the corner where the mounta in stream met th< river. Because blm k lis _ o w in the woods on the far side of the mil lrace, the plao was ailed B lu bell Meadow.

W h e n the riv< r was not in flood, a

4 T \

uVli till you why you can't plead not guilty. Because you have zuilt written all over your face!*3

peninsula oi gravel a n d bright sand guided the m o u n t a i n stream right out into the heart of the current , C h i l d r e n played on the s a n d , d igg ing holes, bui lding castles, sending flat pebbles sk imming a n d dancing like wagtails upstream over the smooth water . One d a w Lof ty was s u d d e n l y a m o n g the

child re n just as if be had come out of the river, which is exactly what he b i d d o n , . His long black waders still dripped water. T h e ftshing rod he held in his h ft hand, while he expertl] skimmed pebbles wi th the right, dipped and twidd led above h im l i k e an aerial. 1 he c a n v a s bag on his back was sod-

den a n d heavi , and had grass , to keep the fish fre sh, s t i c k i n g out of the mouth of i t . O n e of the s m a l l boys was doing rifle d r i l l w i t h the shaft of his net. Sh< had never spoken to L o f t ) , but she knew v. ho he w a s .

Whe n sh< tired of reading, she c o u l d look at the river a n d dream, g o i n g sailing w i th the wate r. O r simple close her ey- s. ( > r l< an back and look up i n t o

the tall conifer, its branches always restless, a n d mak ing sounds a n d going u a\ f r o m her hk< a complicated sort

oi Spiral stairway. She had been told that it was the easiest t n e in the w o r l d te; c l imb, but no tree is all that easy i f you're wear ing n leg splint. She was looking up into the tree, and wonder-ing, when Lof t ) sat beside her. H i s wade rs were now dry and rubberv to smell The rod , the ne t, and the bag were laid on the grass , the heads of t w o sad trout p r o t r u d i n g -still-life that had been alive th i s m o r n i n g . He r u n -cle, who kept greyhounds, argued that fishing is m u c h more cruel than cours-ing somewhere i n the happy river were t rou t thai were hooked and got away, hooks now festering in their h a h speckled bodies. S i r thought a lot a be tut things lik< that.

Lof ty sat for five minutes, almost, be fu r he sa id , " I ask, d A h a Q u i g l y to te 1! you I was asking for y o u . "

" H e told me . " " W h a t did \ ou say f " " D i d he not v 11 y o u ? " " H i said you said nothing, but I

didn ' t b< I k w h i m . " " W h y n o t : 7 1

" Y o u had to say someth ing ." u l i I said anyth ing , Aha- QuigL v

w o u l d tell th< w l eile t o w n . " "1 dare sa\ he w o u l d . " "He ' s the greatest gossip and clash-

bag f r o m hell to O m a g h ^ " I d idn ' t k n o w . " Y o u could have picked a more dis-

creet ambassador. 5

The w o r d s impressed h im . I k sa id , i k I t ' s a big name for Alec Quig ley , I

U A brilliant achievement . . . Unflinching . . . Writing at its most illuminating (hipping . . . Explosive . . . Long overdue . . . True vision . . . Plain sfeech

Proclaims the failure of our civilization as a whale?*

never thought oi him as an ambassa- first, then w a d i n g knee-deep across a P r o t e s t a n t s o u t of the way, and it t ha t d o n shallow bar of gravel , a n d w a l k i n g o n w o n ' t do, we ' l l cut them i n t w o , a n d

' W h a t , then? A go-between? A across a green hi l l toward the deeps send them to hel l w i t h their red-wlt t te-matchmaker? A gooseberry?" above t h e falls. She l iked his l o n g stride, and-blue."

t he ) w e n both laughing . L o f t y and the r o d dipping a n d t w i d d l i n g Nursery rhymes, was a blond, ta l l , freckled fe l low, w i th above h i m , a n d the laden, h a g even She sat facing h e r aunt in the t ra in , a pi asant l a u g h . He ask;-J her would though sir. knew it w a s full of d e a d , a n d her uncle sat beside her T h e y s i r I k e a t r o u t . gaping t rou t . She k n e w he was a pop- w a r e quiet, l o o k i n g at all the l o n g

I d love o n e . 1 u l a r fel low in the t o w n . Yet she d idn ' t beauty of L o u g h Erne , which has a n * l I can rol l it in g rass for you a n d tell h e r aunt a n d uncle who exactly it i s l a n d , wooded or p a s t o r a l , for ever)

get a hit of newspaper in McCaslan ' s w a s h a d m a d e h e r a gift of the t rout , da) in the year. 3 l e a - a u n t , a t i m i d l i t t le $1 op up at the water fa l l J > She said i t was an elder!) m a n a n d she w o m a n , said now a n d again, " G l o i y be

V* ho w i l l I 1.11 m \ a u n t a n d uncle wasn't quite su re

3 6

uK on the t r a in , ven b< laughing. , \

A n d th- young f< how s a \ $ back to h im, dead serious a n d a l l , *Naw, Father , but 1 was twice i n F in tona . ' "

T h e t r a i n dived th rough a t u n a - I of tall trees, T h e la ha vanished. Sunlight flashing through leaves made h e r close her i a es. E v e n bo her aunt, seeme man w a s saying, " F i n t o n a always had i hit oi a name for w i l d w o n a n . '

L o f t ) s mother sea l , "J was born th re myself, but i never noticed that it was - i l l that g o o d . Ne>bod) < \ er told me.**

S i 11;. epe ns her eyes, raid, the sunlight 8kke rs d o w n o n he r th rough th* spirall ing branche s of t h . great conife r. Lo f t ) is on the. ver i tip o f the peninsula o j sand and gravel , demonstra t ing i u casting to half a do/- , n e l d l d r e n w h o are tai lor-squat t ing art . a n d his feet. Sht i s aware that he's showing off to i m -press her, and the thought makes her w a r m and pleased, read) to laugh at any th ing . But to pretend that sheas un-impressed she leans back a n d l o o k s up

i t o the t r n which the sunlight s^ reall) alive, creeping round the great bolespots of light leaping tiki birds f rom one branch to another. She thinks oj the ombu tree that grows on the p a m p a s oi S o u t h Amer i ca . I t s t r u n k can be a m thing up to a hundred feet thick. Phe w o o d is so soft that when c u t it re t s like an overripe melon and is useless as firewood, d i e leaves a rc targe, glossy, a n d deep green, like laurel leaves and a lso bitter. But they give shade f rom the bare sun to n a m a n d beast, and m e n m a r k the \v

way o n the endless plains by r emem-bering l i a s o r that ombu tree. She has r a d about o m b u tre -s. Hi r o w n tre i is (or sun not one of t hem. She sits up straight u la u her b o o k ts lifted f r o m h r lap. Lof ty is si t t ing b) her side, T h * chi ldren are poinring and laugh-ing . He m u s t have crept up o n hands and knees, pre tending to be a w i l d ani -ma l - a wolf , a p r o w l i n g tiger. He's ve r\ good at capers oi that sort. His r o d and net lie by the s id , o f the b u r n .

I t w a s . A p r i l the first r i m e la sat be-

side her I t is n o w mid-June . He r school w i l l close s o o n for the holidays, and she w i l l no longer K compelled to w e a r the u n i f o r m black stock-

,1 c l r i if n r : blue g

stripes e blaze r w i t h scnooi crest rron o n breast pocket, blue here ck flat-heeled shoes. Even Jul iet , at was w r \ young, d idn ' t have to we

tchool u n i f o r m . I f she had, Rom* a d d i V ! have l o o k e d at h e r .

Not that thev are star-cross d h

R E B E C C A , 1 4

Squat, slant-e) . d , spe a king in phrase-book phrases, the messeng says h is yottr broth* r, and ttles d o w n on Ids heels to wait , muffled in flat, supp le s k i n , ropt over las shoulde r. Y o u wai t , i d a \ . t in u, forget. Years,

s ears, i a- m , sseng who sits e >n the nest whe brings home ot

. th< penguin id the one nest s edge in Ins beak,

one a t a t ime, a n d also l i k e the one

who is ly ing there, w a r m , w h o is going to b r e a k out soon:

be coming yourself: the messenger h g r o w i n g s t r i n g , tough feet for l a u d , a n d Strong w i n g s for the w a t e r , a n d long butter-yellow l e a t h e r eyebrows f o r l o o k s . A n d will , speak, ca lmly, words you already k n o w : ' thread , ' ' is land, '

'must : N o w , s l o w l y , just while you lie on your cot t h e r e , h a l f -

dozing, not reading, watching the trees, a s u n u n r, and a summer w r i t i n g l o n g pages , tear ing them up

ly ing the re under the close A u g u s t w i n d o w , while at your back tia. wa te r - l i t , d o t t e d lines of home s t a r t color ing i n .

- J E A N V A L E N T I N E

Romeo. T h e i hav< n ' t flash of trucks, the gun ven crossed the millrace to wa lk i n t i

bluebell woods, as couples of all age brass b u t t o n s a n d pipe-clayed belts. I n those davs, it was o n l i the w i l d ones

>l them, t a e s '

customarily do. S i r i s n ' t sb\ of w e a k - who went w i t h the soldiers, i n g s lowl) because3 of th* leg splint, but " T h e y ' r e hell for so ld ie r s , she k n o w s that L o f t ) hasn't asked bet "Betwee n the t h because he t h i n k s she might he*. T h a t take o n the Germans . " makes h e r feel for him as she m i g h t L o f t ) himself reads a lot of mi l i ta r j feel for a witless younger brother who books- campaigns and generals, N a -was a w k w a r d . A n d a bit w i l d lot of L o f t i w o r h

i poleon and LudendorfT, all the w \ \ go w i t h the f r o m Blenheim to the Dardanel l

Wh n he doodles, as he often does . most!) M o t h e r o f G* d b l u e . W h a t thi the w r i t i n g pad s i r a l w a y s carries wi t l i S : . i r ron is for, ccept v a r i e u o f a sort, her to make notes o n b< r r e a d i n g , u she can't guess. Lof ty ' s r a t t l i n g , rest- transcribe favorit* poems-he doodles less t a l k wou ld l i f t M o t h , r Teresa out uniforms, w i t h * v e n d. tail exact .Yet h< d her froze n black rigidity. iste us' to h i r wla n she n ads

,o i ty , w i t i i H1 humor , n n - the splen >t a volume of sele C t -,-rs the saffron stripes and savs that, in >h-e of e v e r y t h i n g , she's a we*, hit of

t g l i s h -. ssa\ s f r o m C a v t o n t o Be l l o

i n us, ne saw Orange w o m a n . T h e y hold hands " T h e y h a w us surrounded, enfiladed,

r gular ly . Lof ty can re ad palm variant reading e v e r y t ime. ' I hey

bouched, and c t rcumnavi " W e ' l l tell M a n a n n ,

rs , is

A P R I L t 4 , 197 5

That's the Hi ht'cuiti\v.! hov.st\ t\:o lovely rmldrfii. ig, and a laugh ira<

afl i r l and pa r l t keeper. The rough f e l - to be teetotallers, hut her u n c i said rws bad I n . e n using, bruta l ly , one of that that was not always so. On* of

aded d-faced, red-J t h i swings meant for small chi ldren rive blue nr. n, so brutally that the i ron stays that sup- fe l low, was teetering, and migh t have ported it wen rising out of the g round , fallen if la h a d n ' t been hold ing on to M r . ItfcCastan had mentioned tin. one of the poles that supported a ban-m a t t r to them. T h e y had been of len- ner. sive a n d even threatening to th old T h e drums d r u m m e d , thi banners rheumatic man, so h hobbled back to bellied in ths breeze, the pipes and tabs i i is s h o p a id sent t h< boxer dog d o w n and brass and accordions played: as his deputy, T h e pair t o o k o f f as i f all hell w e n behind them. I t was funny, I t is old but i t is beautiful because tin dog d i d n ' t bark or g r o w l

lust loped along wt tn

And its colors they a r t fi n e. ( t was worn at Derry, Aughr im, Enniskillen, and the Boyne. M\ father wore i t in his youth, I n bygone days of yore, And on the T w e l f t h 111 always

\\ ear The sash im tat her wore.

i r tain i r ot quiet determinat ion and w o u l d n ' t

[as far as she k n e w ) savage nybody. But he was a big dog, < ven \ r a box< r , and the retreat oi the miscreants was faster than th. Keystone C o p s . Sac Th< name of the black man who sat laughed so m u c h that the book fe l l on beside her was Samuel M c C l i n t o c k , t h - grass. T h . black man picked it up a n d he was a butcher. I t was said about a n d sat d o w n beside her. S i r thought h im for laughs that d the market ran o f h im ..s a b l . u k n a m n o t becaus* h< out of meat tla t o w n could live f o r a w a s a Negro but because he r u n c l e week on M c C l i n t o c k ' s a p r o n : blue, had told l a r that he was a n a mbcr of w i t h white s t r ipes . T h a t August day tie B l a c k Preceptor)' , which w a s a a n d in the p u b l i c p a r k , he naturally special branch of t h Orange O r d e r , wasn't wearing t l u apron. He had a She had seen h i m w a l k i n g last T w e l f t h b l a c k mustache, a heavy blue chin, a of [ l i ly in the big parade in m e m o n checked cleth cap, thick-soled boots, of tla Battle of the Boyne. I K had thick wool len stockings, and whipcord w o r n tla b l a c k sash, w i t h shining m - k i a h n e e h e s . I K s a i d , " T h t . dog g a v e t a l l i c esoteric insignia attached, as had those ruffians the run.*' the other o w n w h o marched beside T l u way h e said it t o o k t l a fun out h im T h e contingent that fol lowed of i t . Sia said, "Yes , M r . M c -wor t blue sashes and were supposed C l i n t o c k . '

Slu wished h im elsewhere. She half look, d at hi r hook. She was too we II reared to pick it up f rom he r lap and ostentatiously g o on reading. T h e river was in a b rown fresh that elay, t in peninsula of sand a n d g r a v e l n o t to be se ;n , nor L o f t y , n o r the chi ldren. T h e black m . m sa id , " P I nty water in the r i v e r today."

$h agree d wi th h im . It w. s a pub-lit park in a free-and-eas) t o w n , and

ceryone had .. r ight to sit where he pleased. Ye t this was her o w n seat

tinder the tall tree- almost exclusively hers, except when L o f t ) was there. The b l a c k m a n sa id , " T h e ScotchicS

haw f saying (ha t t ie s a l m o n ' s her an when t l a n ' s water but she's oors whe n it's oot . , J I K explained, " T h a t me*ans that o f t e n they're easier to catch w h e n th< w a t e r ' s low.*'

II filled his pip< a n d lit i t . T h smell of tobacco w a s v... Icome. Ir might have been her imaginat ion , but unt i l he p u l l e d and puffed and sent the t o b a c c o smell out around them she had thought that the resinous air u n d e r the tree: was pollute d b) the o d o r s of the butcher's - s h o p , He said that th< salmon were a sight to see l e a p i n g th : falls when they went r u n n i n g upstream. She said that sh< had o f t e n watched them,

" F i n told you're v r\ fr iendly wi th a w e l l - k n o w n young fisherman of m> p. r s u a s t o u . "

" W h o , h >r instance f " " Y o u k n o w w e l l . T h a t ' s what I

want t o t a l k to ) ou a b o u t . I t ' s a s* rious ma t t e r . "

" B e i n g friend!) w i t h a fisherman:" " D o n ' t play the smartv w i t h me,

young lassie. Even i f v o n d o go to the convent secondary school. Y

A pli n o w get mors good for them. Lot

mg p o o -UCatlOn t ban ' s

at o u academ) a n d you at the convent hay no call to he c h u m m i n g i t up before, the whole t o v e l a "

" W i n n o t ? " But it occurred to i n r that the)

hadn't been c h u m m i n g i t up or a n a -thing >. Isi before the whoh t o w n . W h a t eyes could have s p u d on them on this e ne hante d island f

" H i s uncle's a tyler, that's w h y . " " I never k n e w he had an m a i , " k k I ! i s m o t h e r ' s brother is a tyler and

\ t i y strie t . " " W h a t ' s a t y l e r ? " l i shouldn' t r epea t i t , lassie. But 1

w i l l , t o impress on you how serious i t ts. A tyler ht is and a s t r i c t one. Wasn ' t i t h im spoke u p to have L o f t ) h t into the B-Speciafs?"

" D o n ' t ask me. I never knew ha was a B-Spe rial."

B u t one dav (of a joke, she ta m m -

THE NEW YORKER 3 9

bered, he had given her that handful of bullets.

i he nuns wouldn ' t tell vou this at this t o w n / '

s i n e school, but the B-Specials were set up by Sir Basil Brooke to hold Ulstet against the Pope and the Republic of voice . But n o w he shouted, " L a s s i e , I r e l a n d . " ' T i l mafe y o u c a w . T h e B-Specials

1 be nuns for sure hadn't told her any th ing o( the sort- - M o t h e r Teresa, w h o was very s t r o n g on pari ty and b e i n g a lad) and no t s i t t i n g l i b a m a n , w i t h your leg- c rossed , had never once mentioned t ie . defensive hero-i sms of the B-Specials, w h o , out in

" F o r a l l I r a r e l a c a n tile t h , rexjfs to help the pol ice to defend th. thron< and f loo r s and w a l l s of ever)* house in a n d t i n Protestant re l ig ion?"

W h a t was it to h( r i f S i r Soma hotly-t r -Other spent all his l i b up a tree at

any win re else r T h e l i e i l ea ! c l i m b d h e r t r ee

oinie as a monkey u p a stick. T h e b l ack m a n calmed himself. * V o u r o w n clerg) a re (had set a g a i n s t mixed marriages," la s a id .

"\\ i weren ' t th ink ing o i marr iage ." *What of, then? Silliness and n o n -

sense. T h e young haw no w i t . W h a t

big man hadn't moved much sat d o w n , had never raised his Colebrt>ok

Lancashire and beJ n

ata sworn to uphold Protestant l i l * t\ and beat d o w n the Fenians and I L R . A . "

" I ' m not a F< m a n nor an L R . A . " " Y o u h a . a R o m a n C a t h o l i c , aren't

v o u ; A n d there i s n ' t a m other Sort . Sir

Basil Brooke says that R o m a n Catholics w o u l d M o t h e i I country places, went a b o u t at night are ninety-ntnt per cent disloyal and you we v.it 1 i g u n s and in black uniforms, h o l d tng up Cathe>lic neighbors and ask-ing t h e m their names a n d addresses winch the)' knew ver) well to begin w i t h , d d i e Levft) s h e knew in da \ l igh t tt b) this l augh ing river didn ' t s em hi cut out fe>r sucl n o c t u r n a l cap- rs.

" I t i t s unci k m w that the t w o of v o i : , and you a Catholic g i r l , we re r a m tng i n, the re a! he 11 up< in . a r t h . "

" B u t we *r< not carr) -ing o n . "

"Speak wi th respect, j oung lassie A tvh r, a l -though f shouldn' t tell \ i m the se cr. t, is a big m a n i n th Orange O r -de r at d. t c t ing i n t r u d -

rs. H i s obligation i - this: ' ] do s o l mn l ) d. clan that I w i l l o faithful w the duu< s of m \ o t f k , and I w i l l u< et admit an] person into th< Lexlge w i t h o t i t h a v i n g first bHind htm to !a in pos-session of tla. financial password ot wi thou t th sanction ol tin W o r -shipful A last-- r ol tl Lodge . ' "

T h e n , after a pause , hi said w i t h gravity, " A n d f ' m the \ \ nrshjp-ful Mast r . "

He w a s the onl) one < a the kind she I ad ev< r m et or cer was t< me i , a n d she did her best, a l -though it was a l l ven strange the re by the r i v -er and t h . remgh stre am and und r the big tree, to a pp.. a r i m p n sse d, yet all she c o u l d th ink i a sa) ing w a s " B u t I V n not int< r-fer ing wi th his t y l i n g . "

f hen she \% as angr) and close to tears, a l -though it was also funny.

that he w o u l d n ' t have one of them about l i e boost . '

"Sir W h o V I t r " " N o cheek, lassie. D i d n ' t he sit up a

t Cede brooki all night long wi th

P

sa sa) if she h e a r d

c o m p a n y w i t h a

Protestant: " W h o w o u l d te l l h " I might . For yoi

for L o f t y . " Ht knock*

a ne!

ai t

th < ) i

Phe O r reekled, lovaM, H a l f was a 11A

t t o think i f v i a k m u yot

s ton Is wasn't possible to cont

I liv< bullets

arn a p a r nt* cci t ing. l a k e th sings.

nad h,e n captut In ta. Kaiser war . I n t lodge nu t, and it w a s a

that no man could becoi unt i l he rod a bra k goat

H i g h on its i W i l l i a m

t i e gre 'e n e ansae

rom t he ( ] mean* , L o f t ) ular iok

tie gtg-J . s. W h a t , in the hoi) name of ( h a h w o u l d M o t h e r Teresa th ink i f t h e ser-geant and t i e Worsh ipfu l M a s t e r de-scended on her simultaneous!* ? W h a t would she sax r H o w wou ld she look? Keeping live bullets in a jug m u s t b o i l . e a the f. w tilings that she reel ma w a n a rl j r r girls against.

ro com* a v e u n

n ce ii v en wno was ; \ . c lergyman was black

Roman Ca-tholi i . T h e g r e a t tree

voce t h e m . T h e

led on t o w a r d t l a " Y o u see what

t d he

! h stairs. Si an-, t i n : >, in J he a w n i n g s bands played thunderousl) in there, practM ing {>r the da) in I a h win n

e child) n they marched out, banners flying. I t was er, / \ to think that a man on a

a Protes- white horse, r id ing across a river mor

- t i l l l i v i n g , n o v. ride between herself a n a 1 .>an. ulsion fot O r , for that mat ter al though M o t h i

j \ r sa would have a fit if sir thought that a punil of he rs could think of such things -another m a n on a chair or something being carried shoulder-high in th city of R o m e .

A l l this she meant to mention to L o r n the. next time he came to the seat

" Y o u ' l l haw. t o rnewu ,L

m m i a r barracks wi th me, I ' l l walk ahead and w ; n s up \ o u f o l l o w , just in rase the peop l e are

passing i marks. T b a might think ana \ <

to make a

tion i n mar ryu

k. d its branch >wn w a t e r t u t

%l( h h, I ' d just like tatcment. I t ' s not a c i i m . to have bul-. t>. Not f o r a young h a h like you, vvhe. wouldn't h, like ly a* ht u s i n g th, m . But

w have a duty to find out w in re trn \ ana f rom. M) son Re ggu sp* aks higl -\ o f \ o u Reggrh tla. footballer, \ on

he kne w . I t w a

s* i g* ant ca >uldn

r gK . w t < i pan.

was grateful . H w

11. went

bet btugh] h SlK. i t o i i . \ , ant

a i m vvaIrani

im mat i nine he should

ound to s a v i n g was " L o f t y , what's

J h had no r o d e n d n I a n d w a

i , not tor hshtng, in a n w navy- mat blu sun.. The childre n calle d f i V M Y l r h , . , n - , v , i k i l l k r . a . j n

u r n

e j ,

- a row. n ! aa tnat t speak to anybody i thout mentioning i his hair up the

d d k , wor loud scarves, and played >thal] v e n w e l l . I t w a s r h ar t h a t "the

gt ant thought that to b< thought wel l h) R t g g i e was a sp* e ia l distinction. O l d l ow w h i t house - hue th hil l

p f rom the b r o o k and the cu-rative ci ana. ry t o the ce l i t e r i f t lu

St, he pre t , ranis da ad of skt d I im again. * 1 qua t, His

i n h< ta >re mm I ana right anc high as M t . h r

ngai , to re ol ' . tV an

h l e a w is the i nd - > that. T i n n it is w in te r . One whol* week, the p a r k is flooded. Sir. couldn ' t xactl) r t -, mher w i n n it was that Lof t ) h a d \ a In i" the huh- tS.

If u T

na -uin sp. ra t t rap a. t o match. A Worsh ip fu l M a s t .

A lost Worsh ip fu l Re * n n r, and neva r, or seldom, th

r, G

i rue , ge kou-natun if a r u m

p r o w , a n d a dozen boyfriends oi a creeds a n d classes. N o t h i n g sectaria a b o u t Gladys, w h o w a s one of his o w k i n d and th daughter of a W nrshif fnl Master . Somebod) should tell t l ryh r to k e e p an eye on h e r B u t sl

w a s t o o clever to h< caught too fa o n h e r feet, too fast on h e r feet.

As she walked s lowh past t l O r a n g Hal l on the way home, sl

ulv> bod) w i t h a h a d V ' k n u ,

w a s also ( ra7\ to t r ank rh tt .oft) 's laughing m a r e r could have m a n comes in am a h r who went about spying on t w o of t h e m . " a a n d nosing the m out. \ \ r ha t e \ e s Her o w n set' $pi< d i en I ^ oft. e n d he l"s; I f on t l ant. d islandr W h a t nMj neigl tad tolel somebeod) who told some

who told the s, rgv ant that sl

. I ne t o w n is \ r\ the r belt creaks and

strains to Isold h im together. ' I he butt ol his pistol, his black baton case shine.

Mack to the w a l l in the dayroom, Lof ty sits, pah and nervous, on a creaking cam. chair. Sir has never no-ticed before that he has a Stutter. A n -o t h e r sergeant sits behind i desk and make, s notes. Tv%o y oung constable s ar< Laughing in t in back- round . T h e black

ys, " I warned the

at savs, " T h e r e

at w i l l ta- aw kwarc , V\ h it would M >tin r i i r. sa

^ i a .

h e

v a s n t una i harm in i t . ' " N t n for the g i r l , " says the n

bind the desk. " B u t fot him a bre disdpl ine ."

L o f t ) has surel) n e v e r sti

" 1 hd you i 11 th m 1 gave \ bulb IS * '

" 0 e a r G o d , it wasn't a crime i m bullets."

M ] ) id \ ou t 11 them f M

" I d i d not "

4 1

*ubs his mustache. Th< other & rgeant "Sacred Heart h a v e m e r c y , " says h< r luct* a) s, "Cast closed." a u n t .

T h e n her unc i , walks i n , and so " W h a t d id t h other black men do, topping mad t n a t n, seems to hav< a nou th fu l of gold te< th . He talks for a ong t ime, and the) listen respectfully,

U n c l e ? " " T h e ) t o o k off f o r home, and small

blami to t l a i n . He was a cool one, that

anions man tot Keeping r uolrie, a n d d a m n ,

ant y o u n g soldier? f rom the N o r t h of England cities doing their n a t i o n a l s< rvice. R e p a i r w o r k had he en p l a n n e d , but then the bombings and murders o gan.

N o laughing Lancashire, bo) i n B r i t -s h o t . Here, ish u n i f o r m w i l l ever again c l imb th tall

tnd h I . 1 h says over and ove r again, ' Y o u make a helluva fuss about a f< w HtUets."

' A breach of disi ip l ine , " s a w t h nan behind the desk. A helluva fuss.

" D a m n nonsens* ! " says her unci . A n d r p< ats it man) time s as t h . \

walk b o n a together.

m brand) in this place, they m a l a a h e l l u v a fuss t r e e . For one thi hi t r ee iS Lrn.

I a r a tew bullets. J told tl). m sea'

OFTV earn, m ver again to the tall

r o r another, tla soldi, rs go about in bands, guns at the ready, in trucks and armored ears. There ana burned-oui

t n a. T i n y o r t a f< w times on the buildings in the main stia ets, and har-treet and spoke a few words. She left ricades and checkpoints at t in ends of

thi t own art< while , and went to tla. t o w n . As a woman said to w o r k in L o n d o n . O n a , bona on boh- "Nowadays , w e days, sia met L o f t y , and he asked her t o w n . " Soi l , otli r towns art wors

" H u t , all the s; me, they ' l l put him to go to the pictures, a n d she meant to Strabane, which w a s on the a i t

la ta

tla Specials," A n d I but never d i d . T l u H i t l e r w a r cam* on. east >nii) , is a n a n a u - o u t wr he shouldn't have been t o o l i n g Sin. m a r r i e d a n Amer i can , and went to a n d N e w r y , where t i n people h. d h

j i w n o a was g o v e r n m e n t ss- live in , of a l l places, D e t r o i t . H e r un- neeoetl ships a id factories, a n d not

i t i m

cle and aunt and VV rorshipful Mas t t

: sergeant and the r u i n s . A n d D e r r y is like Dresden on a i d tla. tyler a n d , da) a f t e r .

n a policeman in De- I suppose, Lof ty ' s moi r a n d o l d M c -C a s l a n a n d his d o g d i e d .

Remember ing her, I walked , the t o w n , t o n . u s t t e o n a

:roit : Some Negro trouble then, am his rookie policeman f r o m ( >klahom. was on patrol w i t h a trained m a n . T h e last time 1 was rookii has n o g u m So they're ru sh , d by Bluebell M e a d o w . T h e bridge over the , \ w ma black n a n , and ih< first t e a k m i l l r a c e was broken d o w n to *an tin o w n clobbe rs the trained n a m u n - plank. R a n k grass g r e w a f o o t high

W h e n T wrote to her about this, she. aid, among o t h e r t h i n g s , that she had lever f o u n d out the nam. , of that t a l l

- - B E N E D I C T K I E L I

ma he over n t o s t k h stoops d o w i ther maids holster, and shoots aie sand kills six black men one , t

hulh I . " gone , smashed s o m e time before \ n* re- pudg ) .