The Washington times., 1938-06-09

The fears expressed and the
prayers uttered, as indicated in
the foregoing, to say nothing OF
the interlocking of digits, had their
genesis in the incontestable fact
that, ever since their salad days
the duo had been sweethearts and
had established an outstanding rec,
ord for intermittent, if long range,
warfare between the sexes.
AS children they had pelted each
other with mud, belabored each
other with sticks. broken each
others toys, when rage got the bet
ter of reason; torn each others
clothes, made life miserable for
other boys or girls who were show
cred with attention by either when
feudS had reached the acute stage
and, in short, came close to merit
ing the Sobriquet, "Imps Of Satan"
beamingly bestowed on both by
Father McShane.
MUTUAL FLAUNTING
Then, in the so-called bright
college years" era, the war went
on apace, Noreen Haunting her col
legiate admirers before the irate
Cyclone MCGEE, runner-up fol
all-American tackle, and MCGEE
arousing a most unmaidenly spirit
of homicide in the nicely-roundeo
bosom of Miss O'Hara by asking
girls. other than herself, to the
proms of the college at which Bis
Frank" was the reigning hero o!
campus, athletic field and ball
room.
Followed, too, six more years o1
hostilities, interspersed by an
nouncementS of their engagements
the breaking of their engagement
and new announcements that the
engagement was on again, of
again, Finnegan. And all this
while MCGEE was fighting for ano
finally getting, a substantial foot
hold on the slippery ladder OF en-
cheering success.
There is no question but thai
Frank and Noreen were madly 1r
love with each other, and had been
to a lesser and more juvenile de
gree, ever since each had been able
to toddle and simultaneously heavt
a childish dornik at each other.
But, it was equally obvious thai
both had the most violent tempers
extant, and that while Noreen was
diminutive and beautiful, hel
wealth of red hair and swapping
brown eyes constituted danger sig
nails to rugged individualiSts with
wills and minds Of their own.
Her rounded chin was lovely te
look upon, but it was also decid
edly firm, and the soft smoothnesi
of her face could not quite conceal
a strong jaw line. And, too, hel
broWs were heavy-she wore them
that way-and her mouth. very
red and fresh and desirable, was
also stubborn.
THIS LAD MCGEE
Mr.. MCGEE, by the same token,
was an impetuous young man. He
had battered opposing football
lines into submission; his black
hair, almost olive skin and hazel
eyes, with gray glints in them de
noted that he unquestionably de-
scended from Spanish men O
warsmen who were wrecked on the
west coast of Galway years long
ago and he had done a mans size
Job in carving out the beginning
Of a most successful engineering
career by sheer fighting spirit and
sticktoitiVeneSs;
Quite q warrior, this MCGEE lad
all 6 feet and 200 pounds Of him
However, all was serene at the
wedding; Noreen was prettier than
she ever had been in her life, and
she was sweet and gentle. Frank
was something out of "Graustark,
Snow White" knights Of the
Round Table" and "The Prisoner
of Zenda."
When it came time kiss the
bride, he did a real job. even II
he had to life Noreen up by hel
elbows and hold her in the air
her tiny feet high off the floor
tn do IL And from a honeymoon
haven reports drifted back thai
such happiness had never before
been experienced since time, anc
the world. began.
Then, home, "at home" an
nouncements, partial return te
reason, return to engineering or
one hand and to managing quite
an ornate apartment on the other
Time, as Sir Walter Scott Oh
served, rolls his ceaSeleSS course
just as Tennyson pointed out thai
"The clock beats out the little
lives of men" So. with five
months chalked UP on the char
Of infinity, came furtive wore
that "Noreen and Frank aren't
getting on well at all; m'dear
they're fighting terribly"
Whispers were gaining ere
scendo. With IL months having
vanished, the whispering gale at
tanned storm strength, ending
with the slightly triumphant note
"Noreen's left him; she's gonC
home to her people. Yes, the biz
ape is living in the apartment b!
himself. And lookit, they say
dear, she's going to have q ba
bee!"
BABY" CLARION CALL
"a baby!" That was the cla1
ion call to arms. It was the bugl'
/