The Coolidge examiner., 1934-04-20
HERE COMES
THE BRIDE
6
- PAUL VANCE
A.le aa.assf a1 a.saeats.
M&a NrHra

uaa
The smelly sun dreuehed Eharf
wa4 g sccnr - mad activity DARK
skinned thlTtiess stvtedorvs sweat.
e. nu8 sNorc ns ihey carried enor'
nous packages o. merchandise from
tie sa.p o. pie on empty fat cars
or dump into waiting carts
o. thr gruersl Office thv SUPER
iuieuara, of Tire division. Nike
Carvu. ass bussiy scanning the pile
% .etters that had las, reached bis
dssk
Tie uas lanEy y"uns fellow un-
der thirty. wlih Eray eyes which
talukltl mcrriiy when uut focused
lrfeugly oa some object padsr scru-
tcy.
Tie letter be- was reading seemed
g. uasofb ail hls thoughts sudden.
ly he lookcd up. also rising from
h.s chair.
unus me Tor sa ess-ea,ips isu-
ana
ln ous swift stride BE carried The
letter 20 the audi,ors desk where
- slapped IL down Ia froui of an.
other youuE man.
Read that. Andy dy-and wecp. be
commanded.
what's hc done noaT qucrled
Andy Eengon. as his quick cye
sranaed the sheets In familiar
bold hand
-Go; married. answered Nike,
eurtly. much - II saying. Hes
dead
Aady picked up the letter for a
careful reading
lie was a big man ahout Mikes
axe. wlih a mop 81 lne rel hair and
49, blue eyes
a whimsical smile greathcd his
face as hs finished
ESQ that's why he was In such
3 hurry a. Eci away
yen returned Mike. lie DID
Il ulth malice nforcthoueht Let's
srw. when doses be- say hr's com
lag hafA
Andy consulted the letter
~la about three bosis-Joe. The
fbelk. knea he'd fail some
tlmc
well. he's pulled a fast one on
Us anyway. suppose be figures
we'ye forgotten al. the tricks he's
PLAYED us before. Say Mike
frightened Lets write him n let.
ter thatu shoot a little worry into
hlm It's our only chance 10 break
even with him.
~Flnei The girl went need 10
knoe anything about II. and maybe
Young Joe Will 90 q biz Of whole.
some sweating.
a soon rs uffice tasks permitted.
Mike fell 90 work on the letter.
lie remembered how this same
gentleman Joe had quickly revealed
himself Hs an incurable practical
toker whose supreme pleasure It
wnx 10 turn the trick on his two
close pals. go that eternal vigilance
became the price % peace for them.
And yet. Mike recalled. Joe hadn't
been from Port SOL three days be.
fore he himself bad lameuled 10 his
fellow -ln-bereayement. ANDY. Joe's
as necessary TO Us as neas 10 a
dog."
And Andy had answered. Yes,
we're miserable when he's here and
Nreiched when he's away. lie sort
of makes Us forget wha, a hole this
Is
Thought and emotion In nne
blend wrought the letter which soon
went forth addressed 10 Mr.. Joseph
Rogers. absent on leave In the
United States A few excerpts will
suggest the character of the whole.
~There'll be a rcd-hot reception
committee waiting for you at the
dock. all right There's Dolores. the
commentaries niece. for one. Says
you promised to marry her at the
Ae-AAAf Af AAAf AffAsAfAAAA- AANA taN-
yer-fafher claims that a promise
made under the influence OF cham
payne Is binding. They will be
there With all the necessary papers.
Then little Margarita Ochoa says
you asked her the same thing the
same night She viii be there with
that klller-brother. ochoa Herman
dez lie says he doesn't need any
papers. I've been training that
bunch of half-breed kids you al
WAYS play santa Claus 10 so that
theyl shout 'PapacItol Papacltor
when you start down the gang
plank.
My advice would be for you 70
leave the wife in the States and
come down yourself a boat or two
ahead. Just 10 get things kind OF
cleaned up. There are no company
houses vacant and the G. NJ says
you viii have 10 stay in the Paris
hotel A lousy place TO spend your
honeymoon"
Mike signed the letter with
grand flourish. and they mailed II
together In high glee.
Little Joe was slated TO worry
and how