The Wyandotte herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1879-1943, 1942-06-05
Pals
By JOHN Nj. HENRY
Mcclure Syndicate WNU Service
Pals

X RANKIE and Freddie were the
two best pals anyone could ever
imagine. Why, over there, in the
var, they shared flags, even if there
vas only one between them, a.
shell holes and all Of the dirt and
CRIME that went with the conflict
When they had returned to this
puntry and had become acCuS-
tCmed once more 10 the wind blow
ing up their trCusCr legs CATER the
puts had been unWound YOU know
tney continued 10 share II was just
frankie and Freddie, fitty-ffty, as
enc Cf them said one night IN
rance, or somewhere. They couldn't
1Nactly remember where but ltd.dn't
matter 10 them anyway
They shared Serious and dollars
and a rather moderately priced
room. They recommended each
o,1eI TO employers and hostcssos,
and agreed that the one with the
HcaVlcst date should nave the clean
st shirt.
In due course Of tlmc, FRANKIE
-an fer the city council and was
elected with the help Of extra votes
Freddie brought IN from some
where. In exchange for his services
Freddie became d city cOntract3r.
Oh, yes, it was always frankie
and Freddie, fifty-fifty - through
days of Damon and nights of
Pythias.
But there comes d time IN every
mans life when certain things can
not be shared. You're right Her
name was Margaret, but her friends
called her Marg She was the kind
of girl who snaps her fingers and
stamps her feet when she dances.
For a while all three were content
just to be in each others company
The day when they realized that
they couldn't go on merely being
friends with her found them in
Frankie's city council chambers dis
GUESSING the situation in a manner
as becomes two of the best pals in
The world 1t was Freddie who
suggested a way out.
It's a cockeyed cinch we can't
share her." he said. Lets cut the
cards"
In France they had faced a SINH
lar situation when they had to de-
eide which one of them captured the
prisoner the colonel wanted, and for
which a medal was to be given.
Only that time they tipped franc.
Sure" frankie agreed, high
takes her, o. X"
And Freddie, being good pal,
insisted that frankie should be the
first.
frankie turned up a queen. To
De exact, it was the queen of hearts
You cut a queen to get queen,
Freddie laughed, but not without a
certain tensenesS because, after all,
there were only two cuts higher than
this one, and Marg really was quite
desirable.
Freddie's hand shook trifle as
ne reached for the cards. There was
a death-like silence in the room. AS
ne lifted his fingers with the paste
board rectangles in them, they
trembled even more.
You cut an ace-to give a queen
an ace" frankie commented, fol-
owing his good old pals cue.
frankie extended his arm and
.hey solemnly shook hands. He felt
nc remOrse, for what he had lost
MS friend had gained.
Freddie and Marg settled in the
town, and brought up, in due time.
Freddie Jr. and frankie and little
Olivia. During this time frankie
and Freddie still remained the best
of friends. On special occasions
like Christmas or Thanksgiving,
frankie always shared the day with
he little family. The children called
nm Uncle frankie" and their joys
knew no limit whenever he came
TO see them.
Marg? She became the kind of
mother any girl who snaps her fin
gers and stamps her feet when She
dances becomes after three chill
dren, lonesome nights and futile
diets. She was irritable and dlSSat-
isfied. In short, she became what
might be termed nagglng wife.
AS time went on Frankle'S visits
10 the small cottage grew fewer
and fewer. Eventually ne quit go
ing and, instead, Freddie ST. came
70 his room every night.
Life continued and often Freddie
81. wondered what they meant when
they said that November IL had end
ed the fighting. He began to think
that he would rather have a COntinu-
alton of France.
One particularly bad evening
Marg was expounding:
Another thing wrong with
YOU is that you don't take any in
terest whatever in your kids. You
never advise them. You never talk
10 them. You never
Freddie ST.. leaned forward, a
,1ueer light in his eyes.
Come here, son" quoth he gent
Lv 10 Freddie Jr. The lad obeyed
Tor ii wasn't often that his father
talked to him in that tone of voice.
Eyes, dad?"
Son I'm going to give you lit
tie advice. When you grow up to
he a man" He stopped and looked
e ho urOr ~,