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-ing white teeth and fleshly colored inner-skin which surprisingly
matched the thumb he inserted behind the jaw. With the free hand,
Johnny closed the large nose as he had learned in the movie. He
moved his mouth toward the Negro's, stopped a moment, then quickly
forced his mouth over as a seal. The breath which Johnny could not
in his anxiety breath in himself, be blew into the other's lungs. Draw-
ing his mouth away, Johnny felt momentary relief in a long cool
,breath of air. As he listened for the return of air his hand slipped
from the nose to touch the wirey hair which he also noticed was very
black and curly. After a second breath into the boy, Johnny heard
a return of air. After a third he heard the return. He began to smell
the familiar characteristic odor of the race which laid before him. To
him it seemed funny how important he once felt chasing this person
.away compared to the importance of actually giving him the breath
of life. Then Johnny heard or thought he heard a choking sound.
Again he breathed in and listened. Yes, again he heard this noise
and felt a more sudden force of air hit his ear. Again he breathed in
and the Negro coughed and struggled for air. His color returned,
his limbs moved and his eyes opened.

"Don't touch that nigger, Johnny. We'll call somebody."
Johnny, still trembling, felt the drying tears on his cheeks.
"I was so close ... so close," he thought. He's so black ... but
he had to have air like ... like anybody."
"You didn't touch him, did you?"
Johnny looked at the warm thankful eyes of the boy laying be-
.fore him and then at the fixed stare of his grandfather.
"No, Cramps, I didn't touch him."

Life

c. N. BERIGTOLD

Life is for the living,
Enjoy it!
Who else can?

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