Hope Deferred

The Vichy announcer stared at the microphone, thought how good it would be to announce the end of the war. It was not quite 6:30 a.m., the hour Radio Vichy goes on the air. Dreamily he stepped up, struck a pose, said: "Mesdames and Messieurs. Today, Oct. 12, the war has ended."

The people of Vichy poured hysterically into the streets. There were tears, incoherent babblings, demands for details. The announcer had not known that his microphone was open. By personal order of Pierre Laval, he was arrested.

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