touched
stock; the lights dimmed and blackened by clusters of whirling insects;
the old father with his bent back--and the two of them standing there
and laughing, gazing into each other's faces with the look of youth and
the Springtime.

And I went out quickly and stumbled my way home alone, leaving Sydney to
follow after.

When Sydney came in, after taps, I stole from my bed to his to speak to
him of it. But the words would not form themselves suitably, and he
laughed at my poor stammerings, and sent me off to bed again.

But one night, just before "tattoo," when the fruit trees were frothing
with light blossoms and the scent of lilacs was heavy in the air, Sydney
sent for me. He was officer-of-the-day, today, and could not leave the
premises. He wanted me to go in his place, to meet the girl and to
explain why he could not keep his appointment.

I looked at him in amazement. "Do you mean to say, you've been meeting
her every night. As late as this? Alone?"

He was playing with the tassel at the end of the red sash which the
officer-of-the-day wears about his waist. He let it drop and gave me a
quick glance.

"Yes," he said, "and mind you don't tell anybody, either. You'll have to
sneak off bounds--but I'll see you don't run much of a risk. You can
leave that part to me."

Then, when he saw me hesitate, he began to plead. "Oh, say, you won't go
back on me, will you? I've been a good friend to you and done you lots
of favors--and now when I ask you to take a little risk for me...."

I smiled. "You don't understand, Sydney," I said. "It isn't the risk."

"Then what is it?"

"It's--it's the girl."

He stepped back from me, and his face took on a coldness I had never
seen before. "Don't worry about that," he exclaimed. "That's my
business."

Then, as I hesitated, he burst out: "Hurry up, now, you little Jew!"

I stood very still for a minute. Then I felt my face flush hot and I
flung away from him.

It had come at last. He, my best friend--my only friend--he had called
me a Jew!

I wanted to scream back at him, to beat him with my fist, to denounce
him and curse him. I felt betrayed, degraded as I had never been before.
Then I gulped hard and controlled myself.

I said nothing. I merely saluted and set off upon his errand.

But I did not find the girl at the street corner he had mentioned. I
went on, only a few hundred yards, to the store. There was a dim blue
light in one of its windows, and I crep