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The Southern Israelite WINSTON From the Frying Pan into the Fir Bottling Co. You are cordially invited to visit the most modern Bottling Plant in tin* country Viaitorn II clcoinr at till Timrs Forner Walnut and Marshall Streets Winston-Saloni. IN. Subscribe to the SOUTHERN ISRAELITE i $1.50 per year + *fr •H* *J" •!* »J» * •}* •}■ *»* *!«>!< »J> »J. »J. »J< >J< »j* «j. *J. »*« >j< >j. »j. «j< .j. .*. .*« .*. .*. A— ——— — —>•—' — J One of Greensboro's Oldest and I | Local Insurance Agencies Merrimon Tnsnranee argest Vgenev (Established 1902) Ki^litli Floor, American Hank KuiMin^ GREENSBORO, N. C. ‘‘Protection Phis Service" INSURANCE—ALL KINDS Morgan Millwork Comp any “Morgan Quality” NORTH CAROLINA (Continued from Page 18) before all those people that freely you are a convert.” «A convertyelled Sigmund, as he sprang from his seat. “For goodness sake, are these people all crazy? The whole day I hear nothing but ‘con vert’. Who is a convert? Who? What? When?” “But you yourself told your mother of your determination to marry the girl whom you have loved for years. “What of that? Is it not true that my heart belonged to Esterka since our childhood? Has that anything to do with baptism?” “Esterka?” came from above the red beard. “You meant Esterka?” “Whom else? And how did they ever get the idea into their heads that I am baptised? They are enough to drive one insane!” “But you have admitted that you want to sell the house to the church committee.” “1 certainly offered the house for sale, because I can get the best possi ble price for it from them on account of the property’s close proximity to the church. What is there to hide about it? After all, Reb Benzion, who was in Berlin and who gave me his consent to marry his daughter, advised me to do it. He told me that with the money 1 shall get for the house and the dowry he would give me I could start in business for myself. He ask ed me to give up my position as an employe of others. First, he tried to dissuade me from making this jour ney, but when he saw 1 was deter mined, he advised me to communicate with the church committee so that 1 would be certain of selling the house while I was here on my visit.” Itzik Hersh was silent all the time Sigmund related his story. When it was complete, he rose as from sleep and snapped his fingers several times. “Everything is clear before me now, ’ he cried triumphantly. “My friend you are the victim of a well- woven intrigue.’’ "Well, enlighten me on it,’’ begged Sigmund. “I am steeped in utter darkness.” "It is easy to understand now,” said “Wisdom.” stroking his red beard, “that the same Benzion who advised you to sell the house spread the ru mor here that you have become an apostate in order to marry the daugh ter of your employer. In this way he expected to break off all relations be tween you and his daughter. His ad- 'lee that you enter into communica tion with the church committee he in tended as a kind of deception for the people. He knew your relations with the church people would help them be- heve you were an apostate, else why should you communicate with them* 7 How could a Jew sell his parental home to the church? This was a good calculation, for even your own mother was caught by it. But that is not all A letter came here from your unde in Berlin who admitted tism.” your bap- “My uncle?” interrupted Sigmund, it is impossible. He would not lend himself to such a shameful deed, nor would he dip his pen to write such an infamous lie.” “Look here, my friend, you are very short - sighted,” expostulated Itzik Hersh. “Your uncle did not have to write the letter at all. They only used his name. The real writer of these let ters was the same who wrote spread ing the rumor of your baptism—i n other words, Reb Benzion Geldhaber." “Benzion, oh yes, Benzion,’’ cried out Sigmund like a blind man whose sight has suddenly been restored to him. “Now I understand why he tried so hard to dissuade me from making this visit home, and why he advised me to enter into communication with the church committee when he saw that I was determined to make the trip.” “Now you have it. But it was not Benzion who planned the whole scheme,” said Itzik Hersh. It is Reb ‘Piety’ who thought it all out. But I will play them a trick which will make them howl and grit their teeth. They shall remember me forever.” “But, Reb Itzik Hersh,” interrupt ed Sigmund, “let alone the plans for revenge for a while and let us look for a way of clearing up the misun derstanding about me, if not before all the people, at least for my own mother. I cannot bear to he so misun derstood by her for very much longer.” “Leave it to me, my boy. Your mother shall embrace you this very- evening. I shall make it all clear to her. Of course, I must renounce for the present the idea of making the whole mass of fanatics understand it all, for a while at least. But you need not care very much for them. In time I shall find a way of bringing them around, too. Meanwhile I shall ar range it all with Esterka and your mother.” “Esterka,” sighed Sigmund, “1 have no more hopes of possessing her. for I have good enough proofs that her father would never allow her to mar ry me.” “I shall soften him,” answered Itzik Hersh, stroking his beard. “He shall dance to my music, you may be sure of that. Do you think it is for nothing that they call me ‘Wisdom’?” With joyful triumph in his eyes. Reb Itzik Hersh parted from Sigmund and cautiously left the house, walking rapidly toward the Jewish district. Itzik Hersh was a man of his word. The same evening the sobbing mother held in her arms the son whom she thought lost forever. During the same evening Esterka and Sigmund ex pressed all their feelings in a lo f T lingering kiss, which told more than words could express. In the selfsame evening Reb Itzik Hersh wrote a Ion? long letter to a friend of his in Ber m- The letter must have given him £ff ea pleasure, for he chuckled to himse almost continually while When he was through, his fingers gan their activity in his red ea " which soon encircled his countenan like a red flame. He laughed hearti as he exclaimed: “That is going to be great coined? —real funny.” (To be Continued)