The Washington times., 1938-03-25

Bateman yelled out, raspingly:
Tommy, don't stand there like
you're konked. This is a fight!
You amt standing in no receiving
line at a teal" And he held a
water bottle while Tommy mois-
tened his lips.
AS the manager assisted in the
removal of the dressing gown,
carefully pulling the silken sleeves
over the gloves already incasing
his hands. Bateman whispered:
Tommy, you all right? You look
kinda sick, all at once"
For a moment, Tommy listened
to the telegraph wires and type
writers clicking and the buzz of
expectancy everywhere. He said,
hardly without knowing he had
spoken: I'm all right, Tony.
Never felt better"
/ After having received the ref
| eree's instructions Tommy flexed
himself in his corner, trying not
1 to look at Marcella-and yet feel
ing his eyes drag there despite
himself. He knew he should not
be staring at Marcella like. this;
he knew it even before he saw
Hans Won Dreyfuss quickly turn
and study Marcella's face and
then flash his inScrutable black
eyes back on him. Strange eyes
they were now, daTkly gliutering
as if they had suddenly come
upon something exciting.
At the sound Of the bel Tommy
whirled toward ring center. Giant
Walowitz was an experienced glad
iator. This battle with Tommy
Lee was the goal for which he
had striven since Tommy's alb
surdly quick rise to fame. He
wasted no time in formality. With
out so much as feint, he darted
close and shot a wicked right
hand for Tommy's head. Tommy
stepped easily aside and countered
with a left to the liver. Giant
came relentlesSly onward.
Tommy fought hard that first
round. 1t was just cid stuff to
him, heading straight for the
light-heavy crown as he was. And
i yet in the second, third, and
fourth he became conscious that
he wasn't really fighting. He real
lied 1t first when the crowd took
to cheering the Giant and when,
at the end Of the fifth round,
Bateman whispered to him in the
corner, Get your old zip workin'
Tommy. Step inside that left of
his with a straight right. You're
not goin' so hot"
i LOOKING BAD
At the end of the sixth Tommy
slumped in his corner. There was
a trembling in the diaphragm, a
sort Of "all-gone" feeling in the
pit of his stomach and a pound
ing about the ears. This, he
knew, would pass soon and then
he would function more smoothly
Bateman now was nervous ano
worried. "You gotta get started
Tommy. Get goin". Shoot that
right hand. Hook to the body
with your left an double-barre it
up to the chin. Giant amt beat
ing you exactly but he looks
awful good an you look bad to
night"
Tommy said, eyes. Yes, ]
know" And he knew, too, that
he was doing the best he could;
that he had no fight in him to
night.
Marcella's slim face kept com
ing before his eyes. And despite
everything he could do, his owr
gaze kept going to the ringside,
weakness surging through hi
body when he saw Marcells
: shrinking there, so little anC
terrified and alone, for all thu
roaring crowd. And that look II
Hans Won Dreyfuss' eyes beat
against his consciousness, too
. How could he fight when he wa!
thinking Of Marcella and wonder
ing about this loveleSs marriage o.
hers; when her voice of a nigh
last summer, a voice crying
How, oh, Tommy, how can
marry a man with eyes like that!'
kept ringing in his ears; when al
the old sickness and sweetness
and misery Of his love swept ovel
him.
BETWEEN ROUND SCENES
/ Between rounds, when his ach
ing eyes moved irresistibly to thu
I ringside, as If a magnet haC
drawn them there, he could SCI
ISABEL clinging to Rodney and hi
heart writhed within him. HI
watched Rodney's hand close ovel
Isabels and his eyes moving