The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-03-24

i May your tomorrows be as success
full as your yesterdays-if your yes
terday's were successful.
Hail That's good The idea OF
mixing plenty Of water with whisky
is British, isn't it? The water weak
ems the liquor and gives you the
choice of getting either jingled or
tight. I'd hate to get tight. I'm
after a jingle, Just a jingle. I want
to forget that friendship passes
and love, when it is finished, flies
out of the window.
THIS Is nice, quiet bar. Just
IL enough soft lighting so you can
see everything but not too distinctly.
That's good psychology. A man usu-
ally drinks to keep from seeing too
distinctly. Some things look better
In twilight. You can imagine them
to be the way you want them to be.
Give me another drink, please, with
plenty Of soda. 1t will be the sew
enth in the last two hours and I
don't even feel them.
Isn't this what you bartenders call
the quiet hour? Between lunch and
cocktail time? No customers, Well,
that suits me because I feel like
talking. And bartenders are the
worlds best listeners.
This is about girl I'm in love
with. The funny thing about it is
that up to day before yesterday I
thought she was in love with me.
was so sure she was, never even
thought about her being through.
It's kind of hard to get used to.
And kind of painful Let me have
another Scotch, please. No so heavy
on the soda.
Her names Bette. Nothing ro-
mantle about that, is there? Sounds
like plain common sense girl, the
\ kind you know will always be there
when you need her. It's the kind
that finds one man and never thinks
of looking at another. It's the
damnedest feeling when you learn
that a girl like that isn't like that
at ALL Yeh.
NOU know, when you look at
L those little lights through the
bottom of your glass, you can see
hundred colors. Red and blue
and green and yellow They're diff
ferent Say! Maybe I'm wrong
about Bette. You don't know how
wish I were!
You see? I've known Bette four
years. I thought knew her bet
ter than I did any one else in the
world. But I didn't. I suppose no
man ever really knows a woman,
especially when he loves her. That's
what they say, don't they? A man
and a woman never can really know
each other because they view life
from different angles
I'm crazy to be still in love with
her But therell never be another
woman like her in my life. She
was not only my sweetheart. She
|; was my pal.
MAYBE that's what made Bette
1V4 change. Maybe she saw too
much of me. I can understand that.
She certainly saw plenty because
I was with her every minute I
could spare. Why, up to day be-
fore yesterday, I couldn't imagine
being able to get along without
her. And maybe l can't. Yes. I
know it's empty. Fill it again. Not
too much soda. Thanks. That's
fine.
Yeh, I'm the kind of guy who has
to have a pal. One of those incom-
plete individuals who can't stand
alone. I have to share things. If I
get break, have to tell somebody
about it. When I get punch in
the nose, have to have sympathy.
Maybe that's because was never
without pal in my life-till now.
Even before I met Bette Even be-
fore l came to New York, l had a
pal. Names Tom. His last name
wouldn't mean anything to you.
You don't know him. Chances are
you never will.
But Tom and I we're inseparable
all our lives, Went through school
and college together. When we were
calculated, we got jobs with the
same outfit in Chicago.
II
THERE'S nothing incomplete
l. about Tom. He carries his own
world right along with him. And
if people don't like either him or
it, he says, To hell with them!"
You could maroon Tom on an
island in the South Pacific with a
gun and he wouldn't even ask for
a hula dancer. Look" he'd always
say to me when he was kidding me
about not even wanting to be alone.
You came into the world alone,
didn't you?" Sure" I'd say. And
you're going out of the world alone,
( aren't you?" Yep" I'd admit. kind
Of doubtful because, up to day be-
fore yesterday. I hated the idea of
dying, though now I don't mind it
so much. III bet there's a lot of
things worse. Well then. what do
you have to have anybody else for?"
What's that? Sure. I'll have a
drink on the house. Nice of YOU to
ask me. You're having one. too.
aren't you? Well. my advice to YOU
40 w @AAeNtAN ~ WIFI lOlS OF Wa
ter in 1t. The water cuts down the
whisky's strength, though the LIQUOR
I've drunk since repeal don't seem
TO have The kick the prohibition
liquor had. Just dash of water in
mine.
Well. here's regards. May YOU
never need friend. Because YOU
never can find friend when you
need one.
Say, I'm not borrowing you, am I?
/ suppose you have to listen to con-
versations like this 365 times a year.
Maybe that's why bartenders take a
couple OF days off every once in a
while and go on bats. Sort of washes
these things away. Well, as an old
radio star used 10 say, thanks for
hstenin'.