Evening star., 1939-01-01
THIS WEEK MAGAZINE

tie studied the position OF her nand. mo,
not that way he decided Here I'll show
you" When he stopped their heads were very
close together He put his hand on hers and
adjusted it. That better, he told her. Like
that. Then he looked at her to make sure she
understood; their eyes met and he kissed her.
1t was then that things really began to
happen. Daisy promptly released her hold on
the trunk and slapped him in the face. BY a
natural reaction he put his hand to his cheek.
and this left the trunk to its own devices. or
rather to the law of gravitatiOn Before either
Ben or Daisy could stop it. the trunk rumbled
thunderously from step to step. all the way
down the stars and with final crash landed
on the kitchen floor
A voice came instantly from the sitting room.
Daisy Daisy. What was that terrible noise.
Daisy stricken dumb by the magnit tude OF
the disaster. did not answer A door opened
sharply and Ben. sprinting down the back
stairs. heard Auntie's rapid steps along the
upper hall He hurded the trunk in the middle
of the kitchen floor and escaped through the
yard to his waiting cab.
"Pennsy depot" The hack lurched over the
cobblestones, and Ben. leaning back against
the musty cushions. reviewed his changed situa
ton. 1t was far from satisfactory. team
would now have to play without uniforms and.
even if they won, would look like second-raterS
And the Overton game was important, because
he regarded it as stepping stone to a match
with such mighty teams as Rutgers or Penn
sylvania.
If only he hadn't kissed Daisy everything
would be all right But hang it, only cigar
store Indian could have resisted those violet
eyes at such close range He could manage only
very pale and bogus remorse. even after he
paid off his driver in the station yard and found
that he had spent his last two dollars,
The rest of the team were waiting for him in
the smoking room. They greeted him cordially
but with noticeable embarrassment. Tony
Fletcher. the captain. an angular senior with
luxuriant sideburns, came to meet him,
Pittsburgh stogie cooked in one corner OF his
mouth Il thought you never get here, Ben
he said gloomily. "Wherc's the trunk:
The old lady wouldn't let me take it. You
know how these things are.
Tony took a pull at his stogie, then removed
it from his mouth and examined the ash with
dissatisfaction. That's a hell OF note he
observed sourly
I'VE don't need costumes to beat Overton.
MAYBE not, but it don't look right Seems
to me it s just one damn thing after another.
We stopped by the Tivoli Saloon for beer on
our way to the station, and a drummer there
told US that Overton hired coal miner to play
fullback for them today. Said he weighs nearly
two hundred pounds. and is strong as bull.
This was serious news. but Ben kept up
spurious optimism What of it?' he said with
hollow laugh. Don't worry, Tony. You can
handle any coal miner alive
The captain took his arm and walked him
toward the door. Just between us, Ben. he
said slowly. las man to man. III admit am a
little worried Sos the rest of the team. That S
why we hired Gus"
Gus"
THE night bartender at the Tivoli. You
know, the fellow they call Rausmittem. He s
out there on the platform now. Tony pointed
through the door and Ben recognized the
blond hulk leaning pensvely against the sta
ton wall Il remember him. he said dis
contentedly. where's he going to play
'Fulback, opposite the coal miner.
But if he at fullback. Tony, where do you
come in?''
That what wanted to talk to you about,
the captain said, taking cordial grip on Ben S
,rp, .T',,, oo;Du To chift fo quarterback