Page 20 (1/2)

"This is the other shoe, Mayor, and the otherfoot," said Willie, not even looking at the , some of them doubtful, others bewildered, so away, fearful

"You'll be sorry," said the mayor

"We'll have an election and get a new lanced off at the tohere up and down the streets signs were being hung, fresh-painted: LIMITED CLIENTELE:Right to serve custorinned and slapped his hands Lord! And streetcars were being halted and sections being painted white in back, to suggest their future inhabitants And theaters were being invaded and roped off by chucklingon the curbs and children were spanked into houses to be hid away from this awful time

"Are we all ready?" called Willie Johnson, the rope in his hands with the noose tied and neat

"Ready!" shouted half the crowd The other half htmare in which they wished no participation

"Here it comes!" called a small boy

Like , the heads of the crowd turned upward

Across the sky, very high and beautiful, a rocket burned on a sweep of orange fire It circled and ca the meadow afire here and there; the fire burned out, the rocket lay a reat door in the side of the vessel whispered out a breath of oxygen, the door slid back and an old man stepped out

"A white man, a white man, a white man" The words traveled back in the expectant crowd, the children speaking in each other's ears, whispering, butting each other, the wordsin ripples to where the crowd stopped and the streetcars stood in the windy sunlight, the s wore itself away and it was gone

No one moved

The white ht but a deep weariness was m his face He had not shaved this day, and his eyes were as old as the eyes of a man can be and still be alive His eyes were colorless; als he had seen in the passing years He was as thin as a winter bush His hands treainst the portway of the ship as he looked out over the crowd

He put out a hand and half smiled, but drew his hand back

No one moved

He looked down into their faces, and perhaps he saw but did not see the guns and the ropes, and perhaps he san to talk He started very quietly and slowly, expecting no int

erruptions, and receiving none, and his voice was very tired and old and pale