The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-04-06

And in the ranks sisFg n usuaiiy one vic 10
regarded as having the best chance; one who
measures up most decisively Is che potential kins
the crown prince by selection or demand. ana
he is known e. the illogical contender" He rates
bit of plush II not yet the ofasial ernstne.
And that, in heavyweight pusilism, 1t the time
this 1owly narrative conteinplatss, wAs Uhiek
Etonehouse-and nobody else but.
Chick was youngster, former famous ANA
teur boxer, and before that blue streak in che
army elimination contests. He had been inveieied
into pro ranks by Monty Alexander, canny pro-
noter and manager of things and beings pueilistie.
And he had never been Knocked of his feet In
score or more Of metropolitan bls.sime battles
and had laid low several Of the best known men
at his weight, one or two who each had, until
they met the biting Chick, held himself up ~
the logical contender.
Monty was nursing Chick along TO uhateh
with the titleholder, not hurrying things, content
to let the days (and the nightly take their t6l!
and soften up the reigning champ until Ohick had
everything in his favor when the great bell should
ring: ...4.... -. ..A....
and now and then knocking back some upstart
who showed more than common possibilities, snd
Eshs MSnz SH would Ssi sy No e
Mt the wolf for life, even II the match with the
champion, which was sure TO come sooner or later,
chance but he had been p against too many GER
tainties not to know that in this life nothing 10
certain go =, - ~
WV We'll. It had to come; something had to come,
wasn't fractured arm. il might have been the flu,
or it could have been something dire from any
other point; that one bad break O, another was
due was Monty's conviction. But he didn't exc
pect it so hard or 80 helplessly devastat-
ing as what did suddenly happen and that was
When Chick met-Natalie at a ''bensfit," where
he event on as attraction and she functioned
as one of the debutante crowd sponsoring the
mess, his big hulk rocked on his heels and he heard
angels counting over him.
Chick had met lot of girls and women. Pop
ular pugiists pursued by various SETS just as
are actors, jockeys, ball players. even eix-day
Besides, Chick had been to France, had been
to school, had been around. He had even been in
love-that was no dizzy novelty, ~, ,,,,,
never tangled up with anything like her ON his
random radio of romance. This was new kind
of music that came to him out of the ozone. 1t
tuned in with a combination of moving pictures,
light waves and shooting currents.
Chick was a retiring sort with women; not e
girl-hater, but the sort who wouldn't lead"
against bantam, though he would give and take
in the clinches and yield no ground when pressed.
But, when he pulled himself up and cleared his
head after the first walop from the eyes OF
Natalie, he tore in.
Monty was standing beside him, on the stage,
back of the set in which the act then working was
boxed off, He saw Immediately that his big pet
had been dazed, and he coughed loudly, like the
good and seasoned second that he was, and tried
to concentrate Chick on his defense But Chick
was on the attack, and all concentrated already.
Natalie, who we'll bred girl Of the better
class if not of the effete last word in society,
admired the huge, powerful, goOd-loOking youth.