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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (May 10, 1940)
4 THE DAILY NEBRASKAN Friday, May 10, 1940 i Article Story Essay Poetry ,UttwitfVTyy4g--r -'-'.fT rnTiw: : y Love brings disaster By Art Adams. tained. The defense attorney The white-haired attorney for e defense had changed his piea the fit the last moment. The prosecut ing attorney was nettled. He brought up the rules, and the skirmish ended with both men arguing hotly before the judge. "My client has good reason to change his plea to a plea of guilty," the defense attorney said. He explained, in tones that were inaudible to the spectators. The prosecutor pondered, then shrugged his shoulders in agree ment. The judge ordered the court room to be cleared. Reporters dashed for the tele phones with what little news they had A biizzinsr disappointed crowd was ushered through the doors. "Mr. Randall," the attorney's smoothed by a kiss. There was there, her eyes on the baggage car, The gavel rapped and the attorney voice grew hard. "You are accused never a day during all this five alone. She was desolate and miser led his client to the witness chair, of murder. Did you or did you not years of ours when she was not able. The accused was a slender, well proportioned man of thirty-five. He was dressed in neat, blue, civil ian clothes. He walked like a soldier, with his chin up and shoulders squared. And in his eyes was that straight-ahead, unseeing look of the soldier standing at at tention. Except for the haggardness in the lines about his mouth, he gave ho sign of emotion. He seated himself calmly and placed his hands upon his knees. Grey eyes, a high-bridged nose, sharply moulded features gave his face a fine, sensitive look. There was in his face its clean lines and frank eyes a suggestion of the poet, or the artist The court clerk performed his trite ceremony. Then the white haired attorney stepped before Kim ' ' "Will you repeat your name for the court?" "Harold RandalL" His voice was quiet and controlled, but obviously so. The men of the jury noticed the effort and admired him for it. "What is your occupation. Mr. Randall?" "I am a test pilot with the Cor sair Aircraft Corporation." "How long have you been with Three years. Since I left the ermy." "You received an honorable dis- charge from the army" Th, rrospr,tin at tornev wa. on his feet His objection was sus- interests. We liked the same mu- Pacifism maintains victory impossible; to win is to lose ' . All of us are liable to question- Inr on our feclinps about the war. - a - - cx - The answers to many questions concerning the feelings of the indi- vidual are being made by various thurche. in the lorm of pacifiht .... ... ... . handbooks. It is an attempt to 1 form a clear case for the millions who abhor war but don't know junt how to make their stand clear nd Justify it before those who have militaristic ideas of inter- national settlement. Each pacifist, or war objector, has his own combination of prac- tical, ethical and religious rea- sons. There would be some benefit gained by a uniformity of action among the pacifi.sts. The conscientious objector is any person, whether called to mili- tary service or not. who refuses because of his firm convictions, to support his country in the con- duct of war, or to profit directly cr indirectly from the war. This Winition includes pome who would not repudiate every war, and who rumP,ed his nair and re-phrased ms 3ues'on- "What was the nature of that discharge?" u was an nonoraoie uiscnai ge. The lawyer paused, turning to the jury. He looked down the line of face until he had the attention of each one; then he turned back . . -, . i 1 1 i , , to Harold Randall. ..In your opinioni is being a test piot a dangerous occupation?" "Yes." "Are the other men in your pro fession inclined to be superstit ious?" "They are." "Do you rely on hunches when von are in the air'" "Yes, I think that all of us do. We're forced to." commit that murder." "I did." Randall's hands clenched his knees. His voice low and con- ironed, was line a groan. "A few minutes ago, you asked me to change your plea," said the .i a. 1 11 11 A auorney. wm you leu me roun your reasons for doing that' "People are talking; they are laying the blame wnere it aoes not belong." "Mr. Randall, will you give us your testimony now, in your own words Harold Randall nodded. He waited until his lawyer was seated, Then he looked toward the jury and found each man looking at him, but he did not drop his eyes, He looked into their faces, and the look in his own eyes was not that or a man wno seeks acquittal; ralher, it was the look of a man w-no would be understood. "Gentlemen " he paused as if not sure how to begin. For a mo- ment he turned again to the at- torney 8lttinS at his Ub'e- His eye flashed around the courtroom as lnmjgn Peking some way out "It is necessary that you go back in time with me." "Five years ago, I met and mar ried a woman who was to me the ideal of all women. The romance that had begun when we met did not stop growing after we were mamea. n grew ana aexeiopea as ,he davs Passd- UM common in" lerests multiplied until our lives were inextricably bound together. Kth day. we found new. mutual I 11. . t 1 i:..! .1 t would help others who were simi- 'any aiiacKea Other conscientious objectors ate opposed on principle to all war. whether offensive or defensive, They believe that war is the great- et crime against humanity. It is co.stly and wasteful of lives and f ...... fiii. ,, property; it fills nations with poverty, disease, misery, suspicion, hatred, and fear; it exalts lying and hyproclsy and tramples on truth, justice and mercy; it dr-nies expression and adds new wrongs to th old. In the Pacifist Handbook many examples are given of stands taken in the last war. Eugene V. Debs, sentenced to prison in 1917 on the charge of obstructing the war, made this explanation: "I have been accused of obstructing the war. I have often wondered if I could take the life of my fellow men even to save my on. I would refuse to kill a human Ining on my twn account. Why should I, at the command of any- one else, or Ht tc command of any power on eauh?" to a man and his wife sic, the same foods, and the same hair was reddish gold, and the people. We liked the same books, the same colors, and the same run- sets. We seemed always to agree . . i , . , r- . i i . in an inings. uur love oeepeneu from mere romance into a great companionship that was. as we both felt, perfect. She became a part of me the most important part-my life. I loved her. "It is hard to say what such love is. It is something far stronger than the frenzied sighing of a puppy. It is far deeper than the power that a ravishing chorus girl has over her aged millionaire. It is as fine and deep as the life that throbs within our veins. It is life itself. "There was never a quarrel between us that could not be waning impauenuy ior my return n the evening. I loved her. But more unbelievable, she loved me. dq vou know what it is to be iovcd by a noble woman? Few f us are privileged to know, for such a woman is a rare and priceless thing. When a woman loves truly, sne becomes a thing to wonder at, to hallow and to protect. She stands revealed, and she is more than mortal. Why did she love me? l do not know j am an ordinary man. I had no right to possess the greatest gift of God. I was not made to be worshipped. But she worshipped me as if I were a God, and loved me because I was human. I did nothing extraordinary, but she loved me. If I became maudlin over the music that she played, she loved it because it was I who was maudlin. If I took unnecessary chances with planes, she loved me for my daring. If I drank too much, she treated my head as if was true. Someday I would crash ment; then he called Randall he it were her own. and die, and she would be left 'ore him. "You have suffered too She laughed when I forgot cli'l'A HnA u-hfin T fV,ro.t to to Krincr flfkU.'ra frtr lior ViirtViriav cha cried because I was thoughtless; but she loved me too because I was thoughtless, and we chose her flowers together. Her trust in me was like that of a small child in her parent; but it was more than that, for she was wise and mature. She )oved me wjlh her whole neart She made me her life. You must think that I talk like romantic schoolboy, but I am no j piiiu.iuuy . i nave iivru a uiur, hiiu I have seen others suffering through quarrels and divorces. I know that our life was different from these. I say that I loved her. It was a love stronger than any thing that I had dreamed a man could know. I lived for her. But she lived for me. She lived in me. I was her life. "It was January fourth, five weeks ago. We had retired early, but I lay awake, smoking. The job that I had to perform the next morning worried me. It was ac tually nothing but routine. A new ship was to be flown through her last tests. Observers and mechan ics were to fly with me and re cord the performance. There was no cause for my uneasiness, but my mind insisted on reviewing each detail of thc plane, searching for some weakness that had been over-look pd by the engineers. Evelyn lay by my side, asleep. Her head was against my shoulder. I could feel the steady rise and full of her breast. Her face was calm. I , , , . , . . . n the glow of my cigarette her smooth curve of her cheek was soft. She was more beautiful and more desirable in that moment . 1 i i , i T 1 1 . man sne naa ever oeeu. i nau 10 look away in order to think of that morning job. There is some en- chantment about a woman when she sleeps. But as T ay ther? a pcture raR through my mind. Where it came from I do not know. It was like a vivid, suddenly-revived memory, or a horrible premonition. I saw the loading platform of a railroad station. Evelyn stood by a pillar, She was dressed in black. Beneath a dark veil, her face was pale with sorrow. Huge circles of shadowy . . . ... x oiue unaer ner eyes, snowea inai she had been crying. She stood From the baggage car men were unloading a long, narrow box. That That box was a coffin. I was the corpse with that coffin! I had died in a crash! How I knew all those things I do not know, but I did know them with a certainty that was overwhelming. I knew that I had been killed in a crash, and I knew that she was left alone. There was sorrow in her eyes, There Was desolation in every line vi uie uuuy mat i nau joveu bo deeply. She was like a flower that would never blossom. She waited, and what she waited for was in the coffin. She was lonelv. solitary: her eyes were blank and empty. I could not stand it. I got up without waking her and went out. I walked the streets. I do not know how long I walked trying desperately to rid myself of mat norriDie dream. But I could not shake it off, for its prophecy alone in the world, to mourn. It began to snow. I returned to OUT AnilHmpnt Rhp ha1 nr,t mrwjaA dow, light I do not know if it was thc moon-shone on her face. She nle peacefully, happily. She slept 88 if she knew tnat 1 was there by hcr si'le- ready to do anything to make her hfe nappy. I could not bear 10 think that I would be the cause of her suffering. I could not , They heed me Ptf. raa fanii. I rmr wu lr yan 4: Itxt nitlUr mt I me, (ml, yon rruaiw-r M4 la tnr l'a arr (, luota, crmy mmi I ta M ana Ami rr4y lor thr rmw, fU, rhomb Mill laugh alia fc.,. Vm raanut arr I raa Hi tUnr fun mrr la aVata: H ranaut arr that ) a III Ihlnk )aa arr laa (. Ia mm laaih at nir. (!, Krranar I mm fray an III o rntii laa i h al mr, Itotm, tnr tOl arr mum I tftr. Iblaa I har aa hraH. faala, Ta at ihr Ihlai I a? I'm aaakr, tol, aait mnt Ha4 llkr yum; I raa arr yum alaf Ihrrr. Ulthnal a laugh a.' Irar. laa nHildn'l laaich, a roalda'l rty, taa arr Ina uung la rrallir thai arath ran romr la yum As H lll rotnr la air. I'm rn'nc brraar I W.r yum Aa4 lh yf?a anuld tmt tit; I'm aa4 brraaar I mmtuj ynu't lhrHich A ad aa lungrr fimla a III br. laagh. fiM.la. Im tMm a III br far aiMMi ua arr ta air. oar laat, a kwgrr will ynu lag ana mtm Hut tllr laalrad, )a tuala. Iak at mr and laugh, fouls, I mm Um uld la rarr; hut aiiaa mi will br M,rry far soon arr la dir. Illr, fnols, kl us arr llkr mr; um rannot br old llkr iih, Iim.I, tna arr Un )"iing and gar. Your lifr Is tun and Inuglilrr. NiH sorrow and psln llkr mlnr. Vour llfr la short and Klul, .Not hard and haig llkr ailnr, March, sa (ims, gsl lumm Ihrsr narrow sirrrls Inc onr songs, fmls. 4nd laugh right tola my (srr i tw rr inarming in y,MI j am ,b-,int . .. ,, liMirr marrhliig u loor aaiib, fouls. bear to think of her being miser able and alone in the world. She had been so happy with me! Perhaps I am a great egotist to say and to think that Evelyn would have mourned my death. But she ove( me Joved me as no man shou(j be loved. My death would nave been more to her than her own j p0Uij not stand to think of he as I still saw her there in the railroad station. Without waking her, I kissed her, and she smiled; then I turned to the table by the side of the bed. My pistol was there in a drawer. The bullet killed her instantly. Harold Randall dropped his head in his hands, swaying in his spat Th nttnrnpv ranta in Kia - - - - "'" "l urr. When Randall had drank from the glass, the lawyer said. "May I rsk one more question?" nodded, dully. Randall "What happened to the plane yu wer to fly? "Another pilot took it up. It crashed. The pilot and the me chanics were killed." The attorney turned to the judge saying, "The defense rests The prosecuting attorney waived further examination. The jury was out for a quarter of an hour. When ir returned, Harold Kandall wan seated at the table of his attor- ney. "Have vou ed verdict? the JudS aked- speaking to the foreman. "We have, your honor." "Then stand and read it." "We find the defendant to be guilty of murder in the first de- gree." The judge was silent for a mo- much to be sentenced to live," he said. "You have been found guilty murder. I therefore sentence J0 leaJh-Jou will be hanged D We neck Randall, the soldier and the hus- band. bowed his head, saying noth- Ing that was audible to the court; but the white-haired attorney heard the muttered. "Thank G1'." of the condemned man not the fooh ftua'l W a foul, ranto, Mai la hrarr yum (a! tuu'll arrr arr Ihrar Imiti acahi i Burr ) an that mrtm. tamr bark, fato, hrfarr fumt baal travaa Hurt : laa'll arrr ll aaalhrr Ufa Hhra aarr )aa ta from I hit. law barb, fuul! (wm bark, '! aaalhrr Ja I Ira4 aa furrlra rarib! 'Mi I tight aarrltra la aVath! anr barb, l.U, ran bark, tm M llkr mr. Iloa l (ratr Ihla laaa ua ( la tlr B furriga laaai Mm Mar. faata, alay! Kighi hrrr a hrrr yarn arr aaag. aa'l aa arr II laa't right rr ua la la awaT 1 1 aa'l r r thai yom thuml4 alar Aa4 krra aa rampaajT Thrrr's Ihr whisllr af Ih-lr boat. Aad Ihrlr aavrs la frlrnds brio a Thr anrbor's pallrd aad auw Thr tatnls arr art a gu. 1hrr par aa hrrd, Ihr aaa aad ralhkrsa fiMils. To Ihr iilrss af aa aid grar brad Thr Ihiak I'M thr fwl In krro Ihrtn hrra Ta grow aid aad dral Hkr mr. loa I Ihrvw awar, tools, Ihr drarrM Ihlng m llfr, Poo't throw Mi), foals, )oar un aa4 only llfr j Kul sprak I da la sain, ror no hiagrr raa lh- hrur: Ihi-r sing Ihrlr laughing songs And sigh IhHr laughing sighs. 'TIs not rlglil that thrr must dir. Sn mallrr what Ihr rsii.r or hrrd; 'lis Ixllrr Ihrr grow old llkr n Than dw, )ung fools III') arr. I ran aa lonkrr arr Ihrm, Ihrlr ship Is Ml of sight: Thr llrs of tools I lotrd Arr past Hh that ship I his t Is guar. fionr to glorf, aad fod hh-ss Ihrm In Ihrlr fight tor a glorh is ransr; .ar Ihrlr aouls rrsl In prrr. drsr fd, Ihoar tools a 1m hrrd'd nir nut.