352
PARTISAN REVIEW
"You sure did hear wrong about us. I never learned nothin'
about gallantry. Not to krauts. I learned the deader they are the
better they are."
"It was my understanding that soldiers did not shoot women.
I had heard thClJt even the barbarians had other uses for women.
Even those soldiers without gallantry understood a woman served
better purposes than as a target."
Smitty scowled. He didn't understand her.
"What are you good for?"
She smiled. "I'm not even worth that little bullet you would
expend on me. To you, I have no value."
"You ain't worth a goddam thing. ThClJt's right." He clicked
on the safety and slung the rifle over his shoulder.
"To you I am worth nothing. I understand. You come here.
You stay a little while. Then you will be gone. Gelbe will remain
Gelbe, a place whose name is probably still unfamiliar to you. I am
a little tickle of your memory, a face you can barely recall. And I
shall never forget you, Mr. American. I shall never forget your
generosity. I shall never forget your gallantry."
"Plenty others ain't alive to remember anything," he said.
"You're one of the lucky ones, lady. Just don't give me any more
temptation."
Smitty did an about face and left her. She openly indicClJted
her contempt of me. She knew I wasn't to be feared. She walked
over to the tomatoes and plucked out her ham. She nodded to me,
as if greeting a menial, and went out the gate to the factory.
Smitty was troubled.
"What do you make of that kraut, Doc?"
"A spoiled woman," I said. "Rich man's daughter. She's just
not your type, Smitty. She has nothing for you."
"She's a kraut." He pronounced the word viciously. "I don't
give a damn about her being rich. She's not rich or nothing else
as far as I'm concerned. She's not even a woman. She's a lousy
kraut."
"That's true, Smitty. But she isn't aware of it."
"She'll learn alright. I'll teach her exactly what she
is.
She
ain't going to be snotty with me. A kraut!"
And Smitty hunted the occasions to give her instruction. When
