Memphis World
Memphis World Publishing Co.
1954-05-18
Mrs. Rosa Brown Bracy

MEMPHIS WORLD
America'S Standard Race Journal
The South's Oldest and Leading Colored Semi-Weekly Newspaper
Published by MEMPHIS WORLD PUBLISHING CO.
Every TUESDAY and FRIDAY at 164 BEALE—Phone 8-4030
Entered in the Post Office at Memphis, Tenn., as second-class mail
under the Act of Congress, March 1, 1870
Member of SCOTT NEWSPAPER SYNDICATE
W. A. Scott, II, Founder: C. A. Scott, General Manager
Mrs. Rosa, Brown Bracy
Acting Editor
The MEMPHIS WORLD is an independent newspaper—non-sectarian
and non-partisan, printing news unbiased and supporting those things
it believe to the interest to its readers and opposing those things against
the interest of its readers.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
Year $5.00 — 6 Months $3.00 — 3 Months $1.50
(In Advance)

The Public Vs. McCarthy
"He struts and frets his hour on the stage" is the term in
which Shakespeare referred to man — and this goes to McCarthy
and McCarthysm at large. It will be noted that the great bard
of Avon places a limitation to this strut — (his hour) and that also
applies to the Napoleonic lock person whose hour apparently car
ried with it a monopoly on the daily headlines.
At first one finds himself thinking of the American Republic
and those early pioneers who sought a land of freedom and who
were later on to face the crisis contingent to separation completely 
from the mother country.
After the struggle for freedom under their own vine and
figtree, the American people set about to keep their country free.
For many years the oceans served as barriers to those who
would intrude on the province and freedom-loving sentiment that
were to make this country great and prosperous.
After the shrinkage of the world and the bringing into closer
proximity the nations, it became necessary that precautions be
taken to the end of keeping out enemies and dangerous persons
and their spurious doctrines. The country of necessity had to gird
herself with implements of defense in an effort to keep the people 
free.
So came the days of the Dies committee and eventually McCarthy. 

McCarthy's hour has been a long one; somewhat like the
cold wars with which we all are unpleasantly acquainted.
Apparently this is the stalemate in which those on the sidelines 
are now engulfed. A listening public grows weary and the
act, which might be a good play, somehow lags.
The President of the United States has set a laudable precedent 
and has gained added stature, in that he has thus far,
refused to interfere with the work of a Senate investigating committee. 
Despite the fact that he shows fatigue and native disgust, 
he has bemeaned himself with both patience and caution.
All in all the public, much itself of the mood of the President,
grows weary of a laudable act it feels has been misplayed.
Surely a man would not find comfort in the misplaying of a
great act. Those who attend a show are the best judges after all
and know when they are tired.
McCarthy a man of keen intellect, youth, vigor and native
ability and the desire to serve his people and country, might look
over his audience, take their pulse beats and temper his acts
accordingly.
The President shows fatigue; the people at large are of the
same mood.
Old merchants used to operate under a principle — "the customer 
is always right."

Another Step Forward

The United States Supreme Court decision reversing the conviction 
of a Texan of Mexican descent on the ground that all persons 
of Mexican ancestry had been barred from jury duty for more
than twenty-five years demonstrates the manner in which NAACP
civil rights victories redound to the sommon good.
The NAACP blazed the trail in this area of the law with a
long series of victories in cases in which southern states had excluded 
Negroes from juries. The Court held that exclusion of Negroes 
from either grand or trial juries violated the guarantees of
the Fourteenth Amendment.
Texas argued that the case of Negroes and jury duty was a
special one and that since persons of Mexican extraction are classified 
as "white" in the census the Amendment was complied with
by placing white psrons on juries.
Chief Justice Warren led the Court in looking through this
fiction and held in effect that wherever a distinct class of people
exists the state must not discriminate against that class.
Everybody who lives in California or who has lived in the
Southwest knows very well that persons of Mexican descent are
subjected to a wide variety of discrimination in almost every phase
of their lives. He knows that they are treated as a distinct "class",
in the words of the Court decision.
We hope that this victory will encourage members of other
minorities to look around for other ways in which NAACP civil
rights victories can be utilized to root out discriminatory practices.

A Bold Lift For Democracy In Education
The discovery that segregation is a contributory germ-moth
in the garments of Democracy at work, is bearing fruit in a gradual 
process all over the nation. That segregation will eventually
fall apart of its own rot, is generally conceded among thinking
groups and they see no reason why legal fiat should have the
credit of its destruction when that same grace should be borne by
tolerant groups working in Christian harmony to obtain such ends.
It is well that such a beginning should be in the confines of
education. So it comes from the state of Louisiana that at Louisiana
State University at Baton Rouge, Negroes are already attending
the graduate school, with one undergraduate attending the regular 
college courses.
The Tulane University student newspaper, "The Hullabaloo"
came out editorially urging the immediate integration of Negro
students into the University's graduate school.
According to the editorial, a resolution has been made by the
faculty of the graduate school, urging that Negroes be admitted
as soon as possible.
Thus resolution was sent to President Rufus B. Harris of Tulane,
who can either submit the resolutions to the Board of Admissions,
or can drop the matter without submitting it.
Whether the president takes favorable actions, remains to
be seen. At any rate the students through their official organ,
have made the first round. They have risen to the occasion demanding 
that tolerance is one of the grave answers to world
problems, and a mighty weapon on the scene of determining that
Democracy begins at home "and spreads abroad."
It will be remembered that a few months ago, the student
periodical at the University of Georgia took somewhat a similar
position, to recant when certain political pressure, allegedly came
upon the scene.
We are somewhat reminded of another era in which it is
reported that Benjamin (Pitchfork) Tillman of South Carolina said
that a Negro could not learn Greek, when William S. Scarborough, 
a graduate of Atlanta University, and a native of Macon,
Georgia, answered this with the writing of a Greek Grammar
which white folks studied!
Thusly it is shown that intolerance, through segregation, like
the terrible diseases, we spend so much time and money for re, 
takes its own toll.

REVIEWING
THE NEWS
BY WILLIAM GORDON
Managing Editor, Atlanta Daily World
The element of complacency has always reaped its damaging
effects on human society, the implications of which are very-profound. 

The youngster who sat in class complaining about his reading 
habits was merely pointing up what is characteristic in our
culture today.
"I just don't seem to be able to force myself to read," he
said. "The difficulty is," he went on, "is that I either fall asleep, or
let something else take, away my interest."
The youngster finally ended up saying that there are many
things he wants to do in life and that necessary reading will
enable him to accomplish his goal. However, the many outside
attractions, the so-called secondary aspects of everyday life, force
him to lay away the serious and go for the light and "fancy
free." But the young student, it seems, is not alone in this situation. 

Complacency seemed to be a disease of the human family
and it emerges in almost every situation involving every aspect
of our culture.
The thought brings to mind a question asked a woman educator 
by an official of an educational fund.
"Why is it, that few Negroes rise to the level of Marian
Anderson and Mattiwilda Dobbs in the field of music?" Before
the woman educator could answer him, he went into other categories 
of music and art as well. His feeling was that Negroes,
basically gifted with music, should easily rise above the ordinary
levels.
I am not clear as to what answer she gave him, but it seems
that in many respects, the disease of complacency fits the pattern
here. I realize that other barriers, economic, social and otherwise,
are to be considered. But basically the element of complacency
plays no ordinary role in our pathway to success.
I have been told by many young musicians that economics
was a factor. Many of them, gifted with music, didn't want to
work or sacrifice the long hours, days and years speculating on
success. Consequently, many of them would fall by the wayside.
They became satisfied with a little training and a little success.
They limited their reading and serious study, consequently cutting
the knowledge of the world about them. This is evident in many
other professions as well. Instead of hard work and initiative,
we blind ourselves to the outside world and are content to survive 
in a circumscribed atmosphere. This limits professional
growth.
By contrast, there is the man who forces himself to read at
least threes books a week. Unable to travel frequently, he forces
himself to know his world through books and association.
The real fact is, we no longer live in a circumscribed era,
where everyone fights to survive in his own little backyard. The
world and ideas have grown to such proportion that man cannot 
expect to survive on provincialism. Competition is no longer
a regional or national factor. If man must survive in one region
he must compete on a world basis. We might run, but we can't
hide from our shortcomings. If complacency is a disease, only the
proper training and knowledge of the world about us can be the
thing to stem it. What we can't do on natural interest, we must
force ourselves to do. Complacency is a millstone about the neck
of progress.

Complacency, A Millstone About
The Neck Of Human Progress
BY WILLIAM GORDON
Managing Editor, Atlanta Daily World
The element of complacency has always reaped its damaging
effects on human society, the implications of which are very-profound. 

The youngster who sat in class complaining about his reading 
habits was merely pointing up what is characteristic in our
culture today.
"I just don't seem to be able to force myself to read," he
said. "The difficulty is," he went on, "is that I either fall asleep, or
let something else take, away my interest."
The youngster finally ended up saying that there are many
things he wants to do in life and that necessary reading will
enable him to accomplish his goal. However, the many outside
attractions, the so-called secondary aspects of everyday life, force
him to lay away the serious and go for the light and "fancy
free." But the young student, it seems, is not alone in this situation. 

Complacency seemed to be a disease of the human family
and it emerges in almost every situation involving every aspect
of our culture.
The thought brings to mind a question asked a woman educator 
by an official of an educational fund.
"Why is it, that few Negroes rise to the level of Marian
Anderson and Mattiwilda Dobbs in the field of music?" Before
the woman educator could answer him, he went into other categories 
of music and art as well. His feeling was that Negroes,
basically gifted with music, should easily rise above the ordinary
levels.
I am not clear as to what answer she gave him, but it seems
that in many respects, the disease of complacency fits the pattern
here. I realize that other barriers, economic, social and otherwise,
are to be considered. But basically the element of complacency
plays no ordinary role in our pathway to success.
I have been told by many young musicians that economics
was a factor. Many of them, gifted with music, didn't want to
work or sacrifice the long hours, days and years speculating on
success. Consequently, many of them would fall by the wayside.
They became satisfied with a little training and a little success.
They limited their reading and serious study, consequently cutting
the knowledge of the world about them. This is evident in many
other professions as well. Instead of hard work and initiative,
we blind ourselves to the outside world and are content to survive 
in a circumscribed atmosphere. This limits professional
growth.
By contrast, there is the man who forces himself to read at
least threes books a week. Unable to travel frequently, he forces
himself to know his world through books and association.
The real fact is, we no longer live in a circumscribed era,
where everyone fights to survive in his own little backyard. The
world and ideas have grown to such proportion that man cannot 
expect to survive on provincialism. Competition is no longer
a regional or national factor. If man must survive in one region
he must compete on a world basis. We might run, but we can't
hide from our shortcomings. If complacency is a disease, only the
proper training and knowledge of the world about us can be the
thing to stem it. What we can't do on natural interest, we must
force ourselves to do. Complacency is a millstone about the neck
of progress.

Letter's To The Editor
Up to the time of Henry the VIII,
in the sixteenth century, the Catholic 
church was expelled as the
church of state for England. Before
then and especialy after great controversal 
questions had arisen as to
whether the church and state should
be separated entirely and whether
each should render the state separate 
services.
The incident of expulsion tended
to make the advocates of separate
church and state think that their
actions were upheld by the king.
Church and state act separately in
most nations of the world and Spain
is one of the few exceptions where
state religion exists. It is not generally 
thought that having a state
religion is a distinctive advantage
for Spain or any other nation.
The church follows the ruling
class blindly and ignores everything
if a conflict with the class can't
be avoided. The church through
the ages sanctioned the status quo
and thus made religion a big business. 
Hence, the general public
especially in America, had to suffer. 

If the church had continued its
original stand that one could not
be a slave owner and a good Christian, 
maybe slavery would not have
lasted as long as it did.
Immediately after the freedom of
slavery had the church done its
duty as it was organized to do, all
freedom could have been integrated
into one church. The nation would
be free from international embarrassment 
on its color prejudice policy. 

Let us look at the state, that is
the Federal Government.. If the
Federal Government had not tolerated 
all those unconstitutional
acts of legislature by the various
states, segregation as it is now
would not exist.
All that bad judgment which had
been used previously by church and
state is just so much water over the
dam.
This is the twentieth century,
church and state could do much to
end segregation, which no one enjoys 
or benefits by.
The government is ending segregation 
in the Armed Forces, the
churches are making a very meek
effort to realisticaly end segregation. 
The church with the state
could do the job if it would but
discontinue to follow custom.
It is time now for our Government 
to become more realistic and
face domestic and world problems
as they are.
The Secretary of State, Dulles
could do more at home in his
present state of confusion than flying 
all over the world spreading
the fact of this confusion.
America is now helping an old
time colonial group of European nations 
who wish to continue the colonial 
system which is not only out
of date but unnecesary.
The European nations along with
America has for years spread the

idea of white supremacy throughput
the world, and along with that idea
went many injustices and now the
white nations of the world are paying 
for it. "The unspeakable Turk",
"The Dirty Chinaman," and many
other such phases were coined and
spread around the world by the
white supremist about Asians. To
the Asiastic mind with strife and
conflict now existing is not between
democracy and communism, but
between white supremacy and the
colored people of the world. The
communist take advantage of the
existing colonialism and are discrediting 
democracy.
We all know that democracy did
not ever exist and it does not now
exist. If every communist would
vanish the difficulties in Asia would
continue to exist as they are now.
In conclusion, the church and
state could solve the local problems
if they had the independence,
strength, courage and conviction
that it will take a new, job.
CHAS H. FISHER, JR.
To the World Editor:
We greatly appreciate the generous 
space and prominent headline 
given to the work of our agency
in the Memphis World last week.
The article will help many more
people in need of our counselling to
know where to find it. In this way
you have made a fine contribution
to the promotion of wholesome family 
life in our city.
Many thanks for this splendid
help.
LEORA L. CONNER
Executive Secretary, Family Service 
of Memphis.

CHURCH AND STATE
Up to the time of Henry the VIII,
in the sixteenth century, the Catholic 
church was expelled as the
church of state for England. Before
then and especialy after great controversal 
questions had arisen as to
whether the church and state should
be separated entirely and whether
each should render the state separate 
services.
The incident of expulsion tended
to make the advocates of separate
church and state think that their
actions were upheld by the king.
Church and state act separately in
most nations of the world and Spain
is one of the few exceptions where
state religion exists. It is not generally 
thought that having a state
religion is a distinctive advantage
for Spain or any other nation.
The church follows the ruling
class blindly and ignores everything
if a conflict with the class can't
be avoided. The church through
the ages sanctioned the status quo
and thus made religion a big business. 
Hence, the general public
especially in America, had to suffer. 

If the church had continued its
original stand that one could not
be a slave owner and a good Christian, 
maybe slavery would not have
lasted as long as it did.
Immediately after the freedom of
slavery had the church done its
duty as it was organized to do, all
freedom could have been integrated
into one church. The nation would
be free from international embarrassment 
on its color prejudice policy. 

Let us look at the state, that is
the Federal Government.. If the
Federal Government had not tolerated 
all those unconstitutional
acts of legislature by the various
states, segregation as it is now
would not exist.
All that bad judgment which had
been used previously by church and
state is just so much water over the
dam.
This is the twentieth century,
church and state could do much to
end segregation, which no one enjoys 
or benefits by.
The government is ending segregation 
in the Armed Forces, the
churches are making a very meek
effort to realisticaly end segregation. 
The church with the state
could do the job if it would but
discontinue to follow custom.
It is time now for our Government 
to become more realistic and
face domestic and world problems
as they are.
The Secretary of State, Dulles
could do more at home in his
present state of confusion than flying 
all over the world spreading
the fact of this confusion.
America is now helping an old
time colonial group of European nations 
who wish to continue the colonial 
system which is not only out
of date but unnecesary.
The European nations along with
America has for years spread the

idea of white supremacy throughput
the world, and along with that idea
went many injustices and now the
white nations of the world are paying 
for it. "The unspeakable Turk",
"The Dirty Chinaman," and many
other such phases were coined and
spread around the world by the
white supremist about Asians. To
the Asiastic mind with strife and
conflict now existing is not between
democracy and communism, but
between white supremacy and the
colored people of the world. The
communist take advantage of the
existing colonialism and are discrediting 
democracy.
We all know that democracy did
not ever exist and it does not now
exist. If every communist would
vanish the difficulties in Asia would
continue to exist as they are now.
In conclusion, the church and
state could solve the local problems
if they had the independence,
strength, courage and conviction
that it will take a new, job.
CHAS H. FISHER, JR.
To the World Editor:
We greatly appreciate the generous 
space and prominent headline 
given to the work of our agency
in the Memphis World last week.
The article will help many more
people in need of our counselling to
know where to find it. In this way
you have made a fine contribution
to the promotion of wholesome family 
life in our city.
Many thanks for this splendid
help.
LEORA L. CONNER
Executive Secretary, Family Service 
of Memphis.

Veterans Corner
Here are authoritative answers
from the Veterans Administration to
four questions of interest to former
servicemen and their families:
Q. How do I go about applying
for institutional on-farm training
under the Korean GI Bill?
A. Obtain an application blank
at any VA office. Fill it out completely. 
Send it to your nearest VA
regional office along with the following 
attachments: (1) Photostat
or certified copy of your separation
paper; (2) Detailed outline of your
program as set up by your school;
(3) Certification from the school
stating that the program meets all
standards of the law, and (4) Evidence 
that you have control of the
farm and that the training will occupy 
your full time.
Q. Would I be allowed to take
institutional on-farm training under 
the Korean GI Bill in a dairy
processing plant?
A. No. Under the law, on-farm
training must be given on a "farm
or other agricultural establishment"
owned or managed by the veteran. A
dairy processing plant does not fit
in with this definition. You may,
however, take on-the-job training —

as opposed to on-farm training —
in the plant under the Korean GI
Bill, providing the plant gets state
approval for the training.
Q. I'm entitled to the maximum
of 36 months of training under the
Korean GI Bill. Could I use all that
time taking institutional on-farm

training?
A. You could use all that time
for farm training only if you needed
it to reach your goal. Farm training

programs are tailored to the individual 
veterans; so if you could
reach your objective in a shorter
period of time, as a result of prior
experience, you would not need the
full 36 months to complete your
course.
Q. How much classroom instruction 
is required of veterans taking
institutional on-farm training under 
the Korean GI Bill?
A. Under the law, a total of at
least 200 hours per year of classroom 
instruction is required. Not
less than eight hours of it must be
given in any one month.

The Quest
by ELSIE MACK
Copyright 1953 by Elsie Mack
Distributed by King Features Syndicates
DALE flung herself down beside
her grandfather, her face on his
knees, suddenly and deeply
ashamed of the weeks of withdrawal. 

His gnarled hand stroking her
hair was forgiveness and a benediction. 
"Had to fight it through
yourself, didn't you?" he murmured. 

Yes, everyone did. Nothing is
more profusely given than advice,
and nothing so difficult to accept.
Grandy, Phil, Aggie—they could
have talked themselves blue in the
face, Dale thought.' I had to see
it for myself. The final decision,
to make me a person in my own
right, had to be my own, Otherwise, 
I'd never nave been reconciled 
to Grandy's "Go!" I'd never
have quite stopped fighting him.
Without lifting her face, she
said, "I saw Armorel. I went into
her house."
The stroking rhythm of his hand
was momentarily broken, and then
soothingly resumed. Dale knew be
wouldn't ask what she'd found
there. He knew about Armorel's
shadow world. He said, "Have you
had your supper?"
She shook her head. "I forgot
to eat."
"We had chicken," he said.
"Could be there's a leg in the refrigerator. 
Company we expected
didn't come."
Dale's head came up sharply.
"Company?"
His answer was elaborately
casual. "That young man of yours
—Parrish? We're goin' fishing tomorrow." 

"But you've never liked to fish!"
"'Tisn't that I don't like it,
rightly," he explained. "It's just,
in seventy-odd years, I've seen
everything that swims and swishes
fished out of this lake. But folks
keep on trying. I've seen 'em sit
for hours, trolling out there. Go
home at night with no fish, but
happy. There's something about a
spell of fishin' that's good for a
man's soul."
She jumped up. "Phil's coming
—tonight?"
He nodded. "Said he'd be here
in time for supper. Must've been
detained, somewhere—but he'll get
here."
By midnight her grandparents
had given up expecting Phil before 
morning, but Dale, as she lay
in bed, continued listening with

drowsy eagerness for his coming.
Through the upper pane of the
window she could see an impudent
pink star between the horns of the
new moon. The night was still,
save for the bark of a dog somewhere, 
and the faint nostalgic tinkle 
of a cowbell. She heard a car
coming toward the lake from the
village, waited in suspended excitement—and 
then sighed, as the
car went on without making the
right-hand turn. Soon she thought,
it would be too cold for lovers to
drive out on the dock and park on
moonlit nights.
She lay quite still, warmed with
the thought that her own lonely
nights would soon be over.
Clangor cut the thread of her
thoughts, and split the night's
peace. Bells; a tuneless carillon
of urgency. Every bell in the village 
was ringing. The school, both
churches, without rhythm or harmony. 
It meant only one thing, at
this time of night. Fire, Dale sat
up. Until the up-to-date equipment
arrived from town, fire in Swanscombe 
was fought by a voluntary
bucket brigade, summoned by the
bells.
The night was overflowing, now,
with the stridency of sound.
Grandy, an ex-member of the
bucket brigade, was downstairs on
the telephone. Dale heard the
outer door slam. Surely Grandy,
at his age, wasn't going; He'd
only be to the way of the ablebodied 
workers—
Dale was belting her robe and
fumbling for her slippers when her
grandmother came into the room.
Other sounds undertoned the
bells, now. Near by, and confused.
A steady oncoming roll of car
tires on gravel. Voices; shoots...
"Grandmother," Dale cried, "where
is the fire?"
But she knew. Even before she
ran to the window and looked out,
Dale knew. She clung dazedly to
the window sill. If she let go, if
she moved, she'd fall—
Smoke engulfed the cottage
rose above it pinkly in a thick
cloud pierced with flame-spears.
Above the crackling rose the
shouts of men, who darted back
and forth, grimly, stubbornly fighting. 
And futilely. For it was
hopeless, Dale saw. Their efforts
were Lilliputian.
Tears streamed down her face
She turned at last, her voice gray
with bleakness. "I can't do anything 
at all, can I?"
Grandmother's arms held her,
"Hush, dear."
Dale mopped at her eyes with
her fists. "But—how did it start?"
"I don't know, yet."
" starts a fire!"
"Your grandfather will tell us
all about it, when he comes."
"Something," Dale whispered.
"Or—someone."
Again, she heard Armorel's
voice: . Dale covered
her face with her hands. If Armorel 
 made one of those
strange, unbalanced decisions so
common in emotional sicknesses,
then somewhere out in the darkness 
she was wandering now, lost
and sick and bewildered by the
excursion from her dream world.
Over her grandmothers protests,
Dale began hurriedly to dress. A
long, shrill siren announced the
arrival of the fire-fighting equipment 
from town—too late. Dale
thought, zipping on her slacks and
pulling a woolen jersey over her
head.
Grandy was coming up the porch
steps as Dale ran out. He walked
shufflingly, a tired old man. Seeing 
Dale, he stopped, straightening
slowly with one hand on the porch
railing. "It's gone, girl," he said.
Nothing was in his voice. Nothing
but fatigue. "It's gone."
"What started the fire, Grandy?"
"There's a dozen and one ways
for fires to start," he said.
"Not in an empty, house!" she
protested. "With the furnace out,
and no one to drop a careless
cigaret."
"There's spontaneous combustion," 
he said.
She rejected that. "Tell me the
truth, Grandy."
He ran his hand over his forehead, 
down his taut jawline, across
his chin, before he met her eyes.
"Kerosene," he said, "And a match
set to it."
Dale felt sick. "Have they found
her?"
"Her?" But his innocence was
transparent.
"It was Armorel, wasn't it?"
He took her arm. "Come on in,
child. There's no more to be done
over there tonight—or for Armorel, 
either."
Dale drew in her breath sharply,
"is she—dead?"
He shook his head. "She's beyond 
that, and beyond life, too."
The final barrier...


CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE
by ELSIE MACK
Copyright 1953 by Elsie Mack
Distributed by King Features Syndicates
DALE flung herself down beside
her grandfather, her face on his
knees, suddenly and deeply
ashamed of the weeks of withdrawal. 

His gnarled hand stroking her
hair was forgiveness and a benediction. 
"Had to fight it through
yourself, didn't you?" he murmured. 

Yes, everyone did. Nothing is
more profusely given than advice,
and nothing so difficult to accept.
Grandy, Phil, Aggie—they could
have talked themselves blue in the
face, Dale thought.' I had to see
it for myself. The final decision,
to make me a person in my own
right, had to be my own, Otherwise, 
I'd never nave been reconciled 
to Grandy's "Go!" I'd never
have quite stopped fighting him.
Without lifting her face, she
said, "I saw Armorel. I went into
her house."
The stroking rhythm of his hand
was momentarily broken, and then
soothingly resumed. Dale knew be
wouldn't ask what she'd found
there. He knew about Armorel's
shadow world. He said, "Have you
had your supper?"
She shook her head. "I forgot
to eat."
"We had chicken," he said.
"Could be there's a leg in the refrigerator. 
Company we expected
didn't come."
Dale's head came up sharply.
"Company?"
His answer was elaborately
casual. "That young man of yours
—Parrish? We're goin' fishing tomorrow." 

"But you've never liked to fish!"
"'Tisn't that I don't like it,
rightly," he explained. "It's just,
in seventy-odd years, I've seen
everything that swims and swishes
fished out of this lake. But folks
keep on trying. I've seen 'em sit
for hours, trolling out there. Go
home at night with no fish, but
happy. There's something about a
spell of fishin' that's good for a
man's soul."
She jumped up. "Phil's coming
—tonight?"
He nodded. "Said he'd be here
in time for supper. Must've been
detained, somewhere—but he'll get
here."
By midnight her grandparents
had given up expecting Phil before 
morning, but Dale, as she lay
in bed, continued listening with

drowsy eagerness for his coming.
Through the upper pane of the
window she could see an impudent
pink star between the horns of the
new moon. The night was still,
save for the bark of a dog somewhere, 
and the faint nostalgic tinkle 
of a cowbell. She heard a car
coming toward the lake from the
village, waited in suspended excitement—and 
then sighed, as the
car went on without making the
right-hand turn. Soon she thought,
it would be too cold for lovers to
drive out on the dock and park on
moonlit nights.
She lay quite still, warmed with
the thought that her own lonely
nights would soon be over.
Clangor cut the thread of her
thoughts, and split the night's
peace. Bells; a tuneless carillon
of urgency. Every bell in the village 
was ringing. The school, both
churches, without rhythm or harmony. 
It meant only one thing, at
this time of night. Fire, Dale sat
up. Until the up-to-date equipment
arrived from town, fire in Swanscombe 
was fought by a voluntary
bucket brigade, summoned by the
bells.
The night was overflowing, now,
with the stridency of sound.
Grandy, an ex-member of the
bucket brigade, was downstairs on
the telephone. Dale heard the
outer door slam. Surely Grandy,
at his age, wasn't going; He'd
only be to the way of the ablebodied 
workers—
Dale was belting her robe and
fumbling for her slippers when her
grandmother came into the room.
Other sounds undertoned the
bells, now. Near by, and confused.
A steady oncoming roll of car
tires on gravel. Voices; shoots...
"Grandmother," Dale cried, "where
is the fire?"
But she knew. Even before she
ran to the window and looked out,
Dale knew. She clung dazedly to
the window sill. If she let go, if
she moved, she'd fall—
Smoke engulfed the cottage
rose above it pinkly in a thick
cloud pierced with flame-spears.
Above the crackling rose the
shouts of men, who darted back
and forth, grimly, stubbornly fighting. 
And futilely. For it was
hopeless, Dale saw. Their efforts
were Lilliputian.
Tears streamed down her face
She turned at last, her voice gray
with bleakness. "I can't do anything 
at all, can I?"
Grandmother's arms held her,
"Hush, dear."
Dale mopped at her eyes with
her fists. "But—how did it start?"
"I don't know, yet."
" starts a fire!"
"Your grandfather will tell us
all about it, when he comes."
"Something," Dale whispered.
"Or—someone."
Again, she heard Armorel's
voice: . Dale covered
her face with her hands. If Armorel 
 made one of those
strange, unbalanced decisions so
common in emotional sicknesses,
then somewhere out in the darkness 
she was wandering now, lost
and sick and bewildered by the
excursion from her dream world.
Over her grandmothers protests,
Dale began hurriedly to dress. A
long, shrill siren announced the
arrival of the fire-fighting equipment 
from town—too late. Dale
thought, zipping on her slacks and
pulling a woolen jersey over her
head.
Grandy was coming up the porch
steps as Dale ran out. He walked
shufflingly, a tired old man. Seeing 
Dale, he stopped, straightening
slowly with one hand on the porch
railing. "It's gone, girl," he said.
Nothing was in his voice. Nothing
but fatigue. "It's gone."
"What started the fire, Grandy?"
"There's a dozen and one ways
for fires to start," he said.
"Not in an empty, house!" she
protested. "With the furnace out,
and no one to drop a careless
cigaret."
"There's spontaneous combustion," 
he said.
She rejected that. "Tell me the
truth, Grandy."
He ran his hand over his forehead, 
down his taut jawline, across
his chin, before he met her eyes.
"Kerosene," he said, "And a match
set to it."
Dale felt sick. "Have they found
her?"
"Her?" But his innocence was
transparent.
"It was Armorel, wasn't it?"
He took her arm. "Come on in,
child. There's no more to be done
over there tonight—or for Armorel, 
either."
Dale drew in her breath sharply,
"is she—dead?"
He shook his head. "She's beyond 
that, and beyond life, too."
The final barrier...


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NO VERDICT
IN PEONAGE
CASE IN ALA.
A Federal Court jury still had no
verdict Friday after a day's deliberations 
in the case of two South
Alabama farmers charged with peonage 
at Birmingham.
The jury received the case Thursday 
after being charged by District
Judge Seybourne H. Lynne on each
of the eight counts remaining
against Oscar and Fred Dial, Sumter 
county farm owners.
The indictments against the Dials
charged them with holding two Negro 
men on their farms against
their will and forcing them, through
threats and violence, to work out
debts.
The two Dials, last of seven men
originally indicted, were charged
with balling C. L. Tankersly and
Herbert (Monk) Thompson, out of
jails and making them work "in
peonage" to pay the fines. Thompson 
allegedly died of a beating
while working for one of the Dials.
Other Negroes were involved in
counts against the other five men
originally indicted, but the government 
has dropped those charges on
grounds of insufficient evidence to
prove cases.
Judge Lynne delivered the case
to the 12-man jury Thursday afternoon 
and the panel deliberated more
than three hours before recessing
for the night. They went back to
their study of the case yesterday
morning at nine o'clock and recessed 
only briefly for lunch.

DROP IN ONE-ROOM
SCHOOLS IN LA.
The public affairs research council
reported in Baton Rouge that the
number of one-room Negro schools
in Louisiana was cut in half during 
the period from 1948 to 1952.
According to PARC, which cited
figures of the Louisiana department
of Education, one–room Negro
school dropped from 729 in the
school year 1947-48 to 327 in the
school 1952—53 or a drop of 55 percent.