|| The Finest Writers
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| First to the Illus
|| trated Feature |
__ illustrate!) feature section—July 23~ mi "MK ,N *
6 y y A Cheynev
i Teacher Does
Her Stuff • . t
(A TRUE STORY)
By UAVrS LEF
It was a w; rra afternoon in June.
The sun was focusing its gleaming
rays upon terra flrma with such
unabated incandescence that exist
ence seemed impossible.
Ben Allen sat cogitatinw on the
grass-covered banks of t swift flow
ing brooh.. He was trying to elude
the incandescent glow of that red
flaming ball that hung in mid-air.J
Ben was not popular with the
young women of his age a d station
in life. His associate wer_ mem
bers of thr riff raff. Not infre
quently -ie crossed the racial bor
ders under the protection o dark
ness to ningle with the slattern fe
males of the Negro face.
_ - c_li ~
ine ,'U III was HU101115 «
of growing discontent. In Durham.
N.C.. where h came from, he could
amble into the "Harlem’ of that1
Southern city and find diversion for
his pent-up desires. Down there the
females of sable hue were hospit-1
able ani attentive; but he found
them auch different in Pennsyl-1
vania.
He Darned at the cost of much
embarraosment and chagrin that the
flattering designs which cause., the
Southern colored woman to relent
so easily to his wishes, inversely,
caused the Northern one to repulse
his attentions with a flare of in
dignation.
Ben ro-; from his meditations
and walked to nis flashy expensive
roadster which sat beside the road.
Ke started down the highway with
no destination -a mind. Presently
a cozy ’ ttle road house and gas sta
tion loomed before him. A thought
dawned upon him—he drove in.
"Say, Sam,’ informed another
motorist excitedly, who had jjust
driven up, "1 picked up a colored
girl down the road; and I’m sure
that she escaped from the reforma
tory. Call up the authorities and
find out. You know there is a re
ward for that. I'll split it with
you."
Sam was the proprietor of the
roau house. He hurried into the
office and left the informant stand
ing at the door. ~ 'n stood uncon
cernedly nearby. In a few minutes
the gas and light-lunch vendor re
turned.
i wo oi me women omcers will
be right up,” he assured. “But we’ll
have to watch her or she may sus
pect us and run away.”
“No, she thinks I'm going into
Philly," admonished the other.
Ben's curiosity had been aroused
He didn t think oat these men
were doing altogether the right
thing. He couldn't stand to see any
one double-crossed. The young
Southerner watched his chance and
slipped over to the big black tour
ing car.
“Pardon me,” l e apologized, “I
think those men are trying to get
you into serious trouble. They think
you art an escaped inmate of the
reformatory; and have telephoned
the authorities.”
The girl was flabbergasted She
jumped out of the car. Young Al
len watched her as she adjusted her
pretty dress with a few downward'
"I’ll do anything you want me to do, if you’ll but
spare my life.”
tugs. She was practically irresisti
ble to the opposite sex of any race.
Tall and graceful, with her bobbed
hair lyi g in gleaming corrugations
about her pretty head as if she had
just emerged from the deft fingers
of a M. dam. Walker, beautician
"So they think I'm a runaway, do
they? Damn their tripe,” she blurt
ed as she started toward the en
trance of the building.
Two women dressed in blue uni
forms trimmed with white collars
and cuffs, drove up. They got out
and walker5 into the place.
After talking with the proprietor
and the stranger, they apologized to
the young woman for whatever em
barrassment she may have suffered
The lass’s large brown eyes were
sparkling with indignation. Her
brown powdered cheeks were flush
ed with anger. The double-crosser
squirmed out the door. She turned
to Ben:
In what direction are you going,
mister?”
‘‘I'm going in your direction,” he
.tplied politely.
As they drove down the highway,
Ben began to s-arch his brain for
an opening s.ateme .t that would
touch his passenger's vanity and
ensnare her in his cunning trap -f
carnal cravin s. He was not ob
livious of how the "high yellows"
in the South had filler, for his line;
how t..ey had relented so meekly to
his every wish. He knew that the
colored women above the Mason and
Dixon Lin^ were not as gullible as
those below it
‘‘You don't mind tellire me your
name, I suppose,” he dra. led re
strainingly.
‘‘Just call me Anne,” she replied
tossing her pretty head to one side
‘‘You knowy Anne.” he went on.
"I feel that you and I are going
to become better acquainted. I like
you very much. How much do I
lack in measuring up to your stand
ards?”
“I don’t quite get you,” said the
girl dly.
“No, you Northern darkies never
get a Southern white gentleman,
but you fall like a lump of lead for
a damn Yankee."
Anne sat mute. She decided that
the easiest w’ay was the best. The
Sun W'as sinking very rapidly below
the horizon in the western sky, and
it would soon be dark. Ben began
acquain ing Anne with some of his
past experiences with the women
of her race in the South. He told
of the numerous interracial ro-.
mances in which prominent men of
his race had figured. He further
explained l.ow he had fallen in love
with a woman of African descent,
but could not marry because of the
laws in the South, and because of
his fa.iily’s disapproval.
Presently they came to a small
clump of woods near the roadside.
Ben saw en opening and drove in.
He stopped the car and put out the
lights.
"Say, Kid,” he began simultane
ously placing his arm around her.
"Say nothing,” she interposed.
"What do you think t am? If you
know what is good for you, you will
start that motor ind take me into
Philadelphia.”
"Now be reasonable. Anne,” he
pleaded. "I don't mean any harm
With all of the colored women I've
been out with, you are the first
one to treat me like this. You don't
seem to appreciate what I'm doing
for you; i- you did you would not
repulse me in this manner.”
"You're not in tne South now.
big boy,” she retorted. “The col
ored women up this way have some
respect for themselves; and if the
women in the South had more re
spect for themselves and were more
faithful and nyal to the men of
their own race, there would be less
mulatto babies born down there.
"It is such as you that enact sav
age anti-intermarriage laws andj
other silly and idiotic measures to
keep the black man from associat
ing with your women in a social
capacity; but yet you venture across
the very farriers that you erected
to appease and gratify your desires.
You do not want cur men to asso
ciate intimately with white wom
en; but you go to _reat ’engths to:
mix and mingle with us. It is
such as you have pushed off nearly
three million mulattoes on the Ne
gro race. Now you start that motor'
and get me out of here or you will
wish you had.”
The Southerner stiffened in his
seat. Another thought dawned up
on him. He pulled out a roll of
money of large denomination, and
turned on the dash light so she
could ec it.
“Listen, Anne, don't be foolish.
You can get any part of this or
all of it, if you act reasonable.” He
placed much emphasis on the last
word.
"I've told you all I have to say,'
she retorted.
As they drove toward the Quaker
i City, Ben began U ponder the mat
ter. He became dissatisfied with
himself for let ting a colored girl
spurn his attention. He thought of
the trouble and inconvenience that
he had placed himself to just to be
disappointed. The thought nearly
drove him mad.
They were speeding along in si
lence. Ben was driving absent
mindedly; he was in deep thought
Anne's thoughts were centered
around her narrow escape from the
clutches ei this lascivious beast.
Presently the gleaming headlights
illuminated a huge steel bridge.
The driver checked the speed of his
car There was a road at the end
of the bridge which followed the
stream. Te turned down that
road a few yards and stopped.
“Oh, that's Darby Creek,” ad
monishr Anne.
“Yeah,” growled Ben, “and right
in that creek you go if jou do not
do as I say. You have made a
monkey out of me long enough.”
Ben had becomr adamant and
heartless. He lost his temper; he
reverted to the sa\age. He drew
a revolver. Anne began to realize
how grave the situation was becom
ing. She began to think of some
w»ay out of the dilemma; some way
to defend her honor without be
coming the victim of a ghoulish,
brutal murder.
noy irieno. sne entreated calm
ly, but defiantly, “you must use your
better judgment. I am here with
you alone. I am at your mercy;
but if you harm a hair in my head,
you'll pay dear.
“Remember that you are in Penn
sylvania, and not in North Carolina
If you killed a woman of my race
down there, the authorities would
very likely pin a medal on you; but
here they will give you the chair
Can't you see, * nd, what you
are getting yourself into?”
Ben listened intently. He thought
of his wealth: his socirl position or
status. He finally decided that no
one would ever suspect him of com
mitting sue1 a horrible crime.
Again, if he should be suspected,
there would be no eye-witness. He
could easily pay someone to fur
nish an alibi. He could not resist ;
such temptation. His eyes spar
kled with youthful vitality and unv
governable passion. He summoned
every bit of courage he had. He!
closed his eyes and swu g at Anne
with the butt of the weapon. She
ducked and ■ rnght his arm.
“Oh. \y God. boy! let me ex
plain,” she parleyed. Let me ex
thing that you want me to do if
you will but spare my life. But
don't force me to out here. Take
me into the city to mv aoartment
I live alone; I will comp'/ with
your every wish. Now don’t you
think that is much better?”
Ben was skeptical. "What are
you trying to do. kid me?” he in
terrogated.
“Oh, no honey,” she snuggled up
close and put her arm around his
neck, “I mean it.”
Ben had conquerpd. He knew that
a little ca /en an tactics would ac
complish his purpose. He thought
to himself that the only difference!
between the Southern colored wom
an and the Northern one. was that
the latter required a little more
violence. •
Ofay lien was a total stranger
in Philadelphia. This was his first
trip to the city. Anne directed the
way.- 'rhey chatted and laughed
But the paramount thought in Ben’s
mind w»s Anne’s promise — would
she Keep it? But if she lied he
would certainly u-.,> that gun, h«
resolved They were speeding south
on Broad Street.
i "The next is South Street, honey,”
she informed. Alter you cross it,
drive below the light and turn bark
i ir- the street. I want you to stop
in front of that pool room ,
The young man carried out her
| orders nervously. It would not be
1 long now until Anne would make
j good her promise. She stepped
' from the machine at the curb and
j heaved a he: y sigh of relief
"Now, bi., boy,” she explained,
| "you seemed to enjoy shooting off
| your head about how you treated j
the colored women in the South, j
| But when you return South you are (
.going to have a darn good yarn to
spin to the rest of those halt-caste
tar heels about how a colored wom
an in the North treated you.
"Hand over that wallet or I’Jl call
those policemen standing in that
door.”
Ben's face turned red. He reach
ed for his revolver to carry out his
threat. Anne held her nerve He
looked in the direction in which
she was pointing Three stalwart
uniformed colored policemen were
standing inside the pool room door.
The gun slipped from his trembling
fingers. He reached in his pocket
and gave I r the roll.
"That's a boy,” she commented.
Now beat it and keep your mouth
or I'll ve you jugged for assault,
and for carrying that pop gun.”
FINIS
Embarrassing
Moments
Sena your Embarrassing Moment
to the Editor and it will be
published.
Bringing in the Potatoe
The last time my sister and I
came to Baltimore we had our car
13 ad 3d and most things on the run
ning board.
Just as we were coming down
Drui-f Hill Avenue, a sack of po
tatoes rolled eff and spill:d on the
street. We picked up what was left
and got away as soon as possible,
Z. L. D.
• • *
From One Tongue to Another
I had taken French in night
school and, of cturse. lik-i j im
press r.iy friends with my knowledge
of the language.
My boss has studied French in
college years ago. and it was cus
tomary for him to say little things
like “Good morning," cr “thank
you” in French.
One day he asked me to write up
an order for retinning one copper
kettle, adding “S'll vous plait,”
which means, “it you please.’’
In my huiry I understood him to
say re-tin cne copper kettle with
silver plate, and wrote up my order
that way.
You may well imagine what hap
pened when I gave the letter to my
bors for his signature. At a:.y rate,
I am very meek and humble now,
and just barely mention that at one
time I studied French. F. R. E.
AFRICANS SAY:
“Africans have much in common -with
as as wit and wisdom expressed in then
proverbs show. It Is time :er us ti
?et away from the notion that thej
ire In an Inferior anti barbaric state,
tn more than one sense, we Americans
are l»ss civilised and more barliiri*
:han they."—C. J BENDER
Help of the rat and the bat! <Ao*
pointing the wolf as shepherd*.