The Washington times., 1938-12-06
STRANGE ORDERS
BY IzOld Forester

TOR no reason at all Neil
II turned his back on the
lights of Broadway and two of
the men off the Mohawk who
had come ashore with him from
the Brooklyn Basin. They had
eaten and rambled and decided
on a girl show on one of the
roofs to top off with before
they had to hit it back to the
boat.
Then all at once Neil felt the
urge to take a run down to a Ger.
tain Seaman's club on lower West
Street, and look UP a friend who
might be in from the South Ameri-
can ports. He hadn't seen Billy
McLane in two years. time and the
wanted news from his own part of
the country out in Ohio. Three
months on a cruise and you're
ready for a snack of sentiment.
Broadway, if it noticed at all,
saw only a tall, lightly built, brown
eyed stranger in first mate rig,
giving it the casual once over
without special enthusiasm. Five
years at sea had made him selec-
tive in his choosing of paStime
ashore. He was wishing for the
impossible to happen
A SAILORS DREAM
He wanted to meet glance that
would throw magical spell at
first sight, and he'd rather the
eyes were blue, and he'd always
had a secret leaning towards red
hair, not your carrot red, but the
kind like a ripe chestnut. He'd
picked lots of ripe chestnuts from
the big trees back in Berea.
A girl passed him, walking
quickly, hands deep into her coat
pockets and no hat on her head.
Something about her cut and air
made Neil quicken his pace, even
though she never noticed him. Just
the side flash of her face with its
uplifted chin and independence.
and she had red hair.
At the corner she stopped as if
she were waiting for him. There
was an oldtime saloon here with
deep set windows and a side door.
He came alongside with conf
dent, happy grin and tilted
eyebrow, but >efora he could get
out a hail, s'-e spoke herself to
him, and there was no romance in
her tone, only worry and determi-
nation.
Say, listen, do you want to do
me favor?"
Sure" said Neil. "Why not?"
She had blue eyes that flashed
up at him and away like twin
harbor lights.
will vol go in that door and
ask for Johnny DwJer. Tell him
to come out :. minute. It's very
important. Tell him Sit wants to
speak to him and I'm waiting
right here till I see him. Tell him
that, will you?"
GO-BETWEEN
Simple enough. ell gave a
hitch to his belt and walked in
through the side .oor as directed.
The place was 1af uli OF zen.
The bartender pointed out Johnny
Dwyer to him, a husky vol ngster
drinking at the end of the bar
with a couple of older men. He
gave him the girls mes se, and
got a fighting, insulting stare
hack over TIE b US shoulder
so what? Tell her for ne 20
get going. I'm not coming sack.
To hell with her and the whole
family I'm sailing a midnight" :"
Neil hesitated and ;urned about.
when he delivere the message
the girl started to cry. He caught
her broken wor Is and ey gave
him a new slant.
They've get him 70 sim up. ana
he's only II. My mothers half
crazy tonight. They had quarrel
and Johnny ot his things and
caid he'd neve- S ow up nome
again. I've lot to get him back
to Ter"
"Sure you have. Don't worry.
IL bring him out." Neil started
bsck through the side door, and
in half a minute re lal tn bov
out on the sidewalk facing her,
collared and 1uffe IN submis-
sion.
The ycungster glowered at his
sister? What do you want?"
I'm through with you all, and
I'm sailing tomorrow"
Not with that crew, you're not,