Evening star., 1932-01-24

Now what is it? Yes or no?"
Duffy hurled three quarters of a good cigar
into the shiny brass cuSpidor and turned away
from the flushed, uncomfortable youth to
reach for the telephone. Crane took an un-
certain step forward and stopped. His hand
rose if to protest and fell limp. His eyes
narrowed and his jaw set.
"YCu win he said stifhy, his lips barely
moving, "Ill fight any one-anywhere."
Callahans respiration returned to normal
with a jolt the door closed behind his
Blond Beauty.
You ought to be in the Senate, Mike" he
said
Duffy shrugged and lighted another cigar.
You want to handle a champion, don't
you?"
But what if he called your bluff"
Il could tell Weeks. And I would, by God.
1t would be criminal to scrap a piece of fight
ing machinery like that"
disquieting delight animated every cell in
Calahan's huge body. He to his feet
and paced slowly back and forth in front of
the desk. The match was on. After the
Sailor He halted suddenly and faced
Duffy, despair and doubt darkening his ruddy
face.
Il knew this was too good to be true, Mike"
he said. you bullied him into acceptin' but
how you goin' to make him fight? The
commission and the newspapers are sour over
the last couple of huggin matches and won't
stand for any more of it. He'll have that girl
on his mind. He'll be licked when he steps
into the ring"
Duffy grasped Csllahan's arm
Are you willing to plunge a couple of hum
dred dollars to see Crane fight, Mossy?" he
asked
"a couple hundred?" Callahan snorted dis
dainfully. "A couple grand! I'll shoot the
works to see him unpack his load just once"
Duffy grasped the telephone and lifted the
receiver.
state o-2OoO," he said
Callahan leaped to Duffy's side in one fren-
zied bound
"Stcr, Mike" he cried "I promised to keep
his secret. That scandal sheetll tell the world
about it,
Duffy Tended Callahan off with his free
hand.
REFLECTOR" he asked the voice that an
swered. Miss Durkin, please"
He looked bandIy at Callahan above the
hand he cupped over the mouthpiece.
Keep your shirt on, Messy" he said. This
little girl knows where to start and when to
stop. After she does her stuff your Blond
Beauty will tear the ropes apart and cheY up
the posts"
Callahan gazed glumly out of the window.
"One woman jazzed things up plenty" he
muttered, land now you're draggin' in another
one"
THE sport writers missed a trick by ignoring
an old-tmer who brought his fighter East
without any ballyhoo and went quietly to work
in little town on the Jersey side. AS a result
a gathering only mildly interested in Sailor
Marcos march to the title was stunned when
an orange and blue robe dropped from The
shoulders of Callahans Blond Beauty and re-
vealed Beef Crane, aIl-time all-American tackle.
Duffy dropped breathlessly into a ringside
seat within reach of Callahan.
How does it look, Mossy?" he shouted above
the din that greeted the introduction of foot
ball hero as a heavyweight championship
aSprant.
Like a bust" Callahan answered shortly.
"Hes got to broodin over the girl this after
noon an I couldn't jar him out of it. He
looks like million, but his minds thousand
miles away-in Chicago"
The fight was on With the opening of the
first round the crowd seeing great fighter in
action yelled its approval. Then gradually the
wells and cheers died away Crane broke
steadily before the swarthy Sailors dogged ad-
vance. The superb footwork, the rain Of light
jabS that piled up points but failed to halt his
adversary evoked shrill disorganized yelpS OF
dsapproval Action of a different sort was
expected of a man who sank stubborn cleats
in the turf and defied IL men to pass him.:
Cranes pale body redeemed under personal
taunts audible above the overtone OF dersion
His retreat slowed. His puncheS pegan 10 carry
more sting He rocked the Sailor back on his
heels with stiff lefts. But the Sailor, with
blood flowing from siashed lips, covered up and
kept boring in, leerng with the disdain of the
brute certain of his prey. Boos and boots crept
into the general outcry.
Goaded to fury by the chant that drummed
maddeningy in his ears. Crane stopped dead
in his tracks and whipped hard right into
that grnning face that followed him per-
Sistenuy a shadow. But the Sailor rolled
with the punch and Cranes glove whistled
harmlessly past his The force behind
blow that found target threw Crane off
balance and before he could straighten up and