Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 18 January 1941 — Page 14

SATURDAY, JAN. Serial Story—

Conscript’s Wife

By BETTY WALLACE

YESTERDAY: Martha finds Bill fis actually enjoying his conscription servfice. He Ras changed. His restlessness is gone, replaced by a feeling of silent power. They go to reception quarters to get Bill a pass. A whole afternoon and evening, together, is ahead of them. -

CHAPTER TWELVE IT HAD BEEN a glorious day—

this first day with Bill since the trein bore him away from her, into

the army. i “But it slipped away so fast!” she

was wailing, there on the dark road as the car sped back toward the © camp. “We hardly had a minute!” Mrs. Marshall, you have been monopolizing me - for exactly il hours, 15 minutes—" “So, you've been counting the minutes until you coéuld get away from me!”

“Counting the minutes, all right,”|

he admitted, with a new glumness >» in his tone. “Counting them and

wishing there was a way to stretch

’em out.”

She cuddled against him more|

closely. “Five minutes, yet.” She added, “We're like Cinderella and

the golden coach that turned backf , into a pumpkin. I forget .where| ;Z 5554 Z Prince Charming came in, at that| eZ

point, but my Prince gets turned back into a buck private at the stroke of 10.”

His arms tightened. “It’s hard to |

take, honey. I only wish you could come up every Sunday.” It was much toe far, and it cost too much. They both knew it. “Anyway, this one round trip may result in our owing Paul a new clutch. You always play the dickens with the clutch.” “I don’t think these new cars

have clutches. No shift, so what|}

would they need with a clutch?” They were just talking. Talking to cover the ache of parting. “I shouldn’t have let you stay this late. It’s .a long drive at night.” “I'll be home by midnight.”

“No, you won’t, And don’t speed, |

please, darling.” “Time’s up now, Bill.” She lifted her face for a last kiss. As Bill got - out of the car, Butch, who had been sleeping on the floor, woke up and growled his protest. Bill patted his head. “Sorry, old man. That’s the way it is in the army.” “Its been wonderful, seeing you, Bill.” 8 2 BILL STRAIGHTENED his shoulders. “Tell Paul I said thanks. And listen, woman! Tell him I also said not to take too good care of you!” , Te For a moment, her heart lurched.

18,

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"COPR. 1941 BY NEA SERVICE (HC. T. M. REG. U, 5. PAT. OFF. — tt

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FUNNY BUSINESS

“I know it’s after taps, sir, but I camouflaged my tent today and now 2d : I can’t find it!”

Then she realized that Bill was only joking. “I'll try to come up again]

very soon, darling.” She waved i

gaily, while Bill cautioned her to drive carefully. . | The 100 miles of state .highway | which stretched before her seemed suddenly ominous as she drove off into the darkness. It was lonely, too. Butch had gone to sleep on the seat. The headlights of an oncoming car blinded her. She slowed down. Twice she stopped for coffee. It must have been long after midnight when she finally reached home, but her watch had stopped because she’d forgotten to wind it, so she could not tell exactly what time it was. The next morning, she woke to find the sun high in the bedroom. “Mercy, I'm late!” Butch was patiently scratching at the door, She let him slip out, while she dressed hurriedly. - “This is what comes of visiting my own husband!” She drove downtown quickly. “I hope the Chief’s not around when I get But he was. He was in Paul's office, as she discovered when she opened the: door to return Paul's car keys. “Sorry, sir,” she mumbled. “I drove out. to camp to visit Bill, and got home so late—" She put the keys down on the desk. The chief engineer grinned. “The moral is, don’t hang around army . camps.” ; At lunch time, she found a minute to thank Paul for the car. “Peg would surely have flown to pieces under the strain.” “I rather think it was too much for you, too,” Paul said. “Next time, I shall insist on going with you. If only to help you drive.” He asked, “Nice visit? How's Bill?” “He's looking grand. He got a pass, we didn’t stay in camp.” Paul put the key in his pocket. “This ends my generosity, positively; next time I go as chauffeur.”” “Bill did say I'd probably ruin the clutch. If there’s a clutch in the car?” : “Let’s go to lunch,” said Paul. But he didn't suggest.seeing her that night. She wrote a letter to Bill, , telling him how late she got home. On Tuesday, she scrubbed the kitchen, and Wednesday night she took the living room apart and put it together again. ” ” #

YES, THE THINGS they had said to each other, she and Paul, Saturday aftermoon here in the apartment, had shown Paul plainly that they mustn't see each other too much. But by Thursday, Martha was conscious of loneliness. It was 80 monotonous, to come home from the office after a hard day and go

to work at home! It was monoton-||

ous to listen to the radio, maddening to have no one to talk to but Butch. .

Kar SITIRAIT ! SEPARATES THE SOUTH LACIE FROM THE

) SOUTH ATZANTIC.

I PPP PU OU TPN v

i ANSWER—Drake Strait.

i — ONE CENTURY AGO, MANY WELL = INFORMED PERSONS BELIEVED THAT THE GREATER PORTION OF WESTERN UNITED STATES WAS CININFHABYI TREBLE.

“Knitting!” she tfiought in alarm. “This makes me a widow beyond dispute!” | She was actually working on the sweater—sitting in the red leather chair and conscientiously knitting two, purling two, the night Paul Ellott appeared, without warning, at the apartment again, | “How’s the hermit?” he asked. “I came here to indulge in an argument. Put down that ridiculous fancywork. What is it supposed to he—a. sock?” | “It’s a sweater, stupid. For Eill.” | “Then that’s merzly a geeve,” he sald, ‘settling himself on “the sofa. “Now for ‘the argument. I have subscribed to a datice at the couniry club. A very gay affair, they promise. I want you to go with Boe You've been burying yourpelf ... .” Here it was again, Martha braced herself.

| But Paul said, smiling, “I intend to take you if I have to hit you over

On Friday, Paul suggested a|the head. That's what I meant by

movie. “Yes, indeed!” said Martha |;

an argument. The dance is Satur-

thankfully day night, and you'll have to exs

But she refused his invitations for

the week-end. She stayed home, | grimly.. Sunday she went for a long |

walk with Butch. It was the next week that shel!

hume an evening clress. I shall be splendid in a dinner jacket.” “I can’t,” Martha said. ® But the thought of music, of laughter, of herself in the long, smooth sofiness

Joisien the bowling team the girls jof the white evening dress she had

rom the office had formed. “A per-| son his to do something, or ‘go mad!” + The week -after that she: bought some brown wool at & knit-| ting store and started a sweater for

; i i i

not worn for months, teased her. She remembered the long, dull evening in the bowling alley when the

noise had given ler a splitting)

headache. She remembered how she had scrubbed ihe kitchen floor.

Owing to air resistance, it tekes 19 sec.

onds for a bomb dropped fiom a plane a mile high to reach the earth’

©, {Seepage 175 of the 1941 Worl] Almanac. sole ot newsstands, bookstores, 70c)

She looked down at the poisonous brown wool in her lap. “A dance at the country club.” The tempiing picture of herself in the white 'gown—the alluring promise of daticing and laughter—was suddenly %00 much for her. “All right, Paul. I'll 30 with you.”

(To Be Contirued)

(All events, names and characters in this ’ ttory are fictitious.)

AMERICAN AIDS GREEKS’ CAUSE

Writer Finds New’ Yorker Driving Ambulance in Salonika.

By 8. E. MODIANO United | Press Staff Correspondent

SALONIEK A, Greece, Jan. 18 (U. P.). —The first American to serve with the Greel: cause is Rodney Young,

a New Yorker, former professor in|

the Ameiican. School for Classical Studies, who has dope important archaeological: excavasion work at Athens,’ | | I met him here driving an ambulance. He is 24, and has been in Greece eizht years. He wore a brown

and was working with Greek Red Cross officials,” | : “I havo learned to love both ancient anc modern Greece,” he told me. “They are of tte same form,

anyhow. | I: “When the school I was connected

with decided to offer an ambulance] §

to the Gi eek Red Cross I, being une able to ‘olunteer for | the army, as no foreigners are accepted, offered to drive the ambulance for the du-. ration of the war. Tha offer was accepted and here I am.” The first Americar, field ambu-

"With Major Hoople OUT OUR WAY

EE os fag : | cp {3B By Williams

| OUR BOARDING HOUSE {A EGAD, TIM, DO YOU OR NUFFY HT USED TO TEASE THE ZZ TL USED. TO Q) PLAY A STRINGED INSTRUMENT £ 4 DOGHOUSE IN MY YOUNGER | SQUEEZE THEY WE ARE FORMING AN OWLS CLUB QUARTETume FOR A PLEASURE AND, INCIDENTALLY, | THE OTHER wesw JUST 77] A BIY OF POCKET MONEY./wur 7 MADE NICE. LOW 4 WE WILL HAVE A TRNOUT : 1 AT MY HOME TOMORROW COULON'T TELL IF IT _& WAS A OR Z [ue BUT MY ARM'S IN’ A SLING NOW,S0 N= COUNT ME ouT/

EASY NOW == LOOKER DAT--A CHILE KIN HAN DAT

SHOULD BUILD THEM / GATES SO OTHER. INVALIDS KIN OPEN AN SHET ‘EM--THIS STATE IS GITTIN' A BAD REP FER ITS DEATH RATE

DAYS, BUT T NEVER

Y, ACCORDEEN, | KNEW ONE NOTE

MAJOR, TILL ¢ I BEGAN TO 4.

HEY'LL HAVE TO PLAY SOMETHING ELSE, PROBABLY PINOCHLE=

DAT GATE WORK. \/ YES, AN. ELEPHANTS Y DOC LOONEY 1S KEEPIN DOWN) TH" DEATH RATE =< §

HE WON'T LET A ONE i HIS PATIENTS GOOUT of WITHOUT A WRESTLER J

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'—By Al Capp =

THAR YO'IS I/-HO

FRONT SEAT UST VE WORRIE

UICIDE CLIFF f= FORTCH'NUTLY,. ED ON | LOAD EQ’ MO’ FORTCHNUTLY MAM MAID f—

LUCKY, WARN'T AH Fp

I WISH I HAD ONE OF THOSE § THINGS LIKE

I USE THIS CHINESE COUNTING BOARD --- IT'S | WONDERFUL !

FLOY FLOY-- HOW DO YoU ALWAYS GET SUCH GOOD

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—By Bushmiller = ini Aq .

I SAW EASY CRAWL INTO THIS HOLE, LIEUTENANT. THEN THERE

77 HAPPENED, EASY? |: ARE YOU ALL J.

HIS FRIENDS

* YOU'D BETTER HAVE YOUR BREAKFAST BEFORE YOU LEAVE FOR SCHOOL, SON

"HIYA, FELLAS! ILL BE RIGHT UP

IN WHICH CASE, 1 SUPPOSE You

I THINK MY-ENLIST=' MENT PAPERS WILL

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ABBIE AN' SLATS YES-IT IS A COPY OF A WILL DISINHERITING ME OF THE TEN MILLION WE JUST

AND~THEN~- I'LL. NEVER 38 "ABLE TO PAY YOU THAT TEN THOUSAND DOLLAR GAMBUNG OEBT. LET ME SCRUB IT OFF, QUICK, WILLIE-~

hirt anc. trousers ard high boots |.

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_ —By Raeburn Van Buren,

. | Mayes IN’ + EVEN “ ANXIOUS TPAYMEA- \/ THIS IS + COUPLA, JUST 3 i . R TO MAKE SURE HIM, PEOPLE HUH?

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