The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1944-11-09

room.
I moved little slower after
this burst of old family kindness.
In one corner a huge man with a
stomach like barrel stood naked
waiting for his examination. AS
Il started to take off my clothes,
the doctor reappeared.
"You with the facial squint,
keep your clothes on" he ordered.
He came over to me.
eve can't use a man with a
squint," he menaced.
Lacking two years Of college
math, it was best to keep sweet,
even disposition.
II never had squints in my life"
I said irritably.
"You have now" said the doc
tor.
'It's just cold and windy out.
AS soon as I thaw out, it will be
all right"
He laughed derlSively.
There's the sort of man we
want''-he pointed at the Boulder
Dam in the corner.
I'm a college graduate" I said,
trying to rouse his interest.
"Where did you go?" he asked
absently.
yale University"
He placed both hands on his
hips.
"Now, where is that?" he asked
in a silky voice.
It was plain that the name of
Dowd would not be added to Gaze
sar's rolls this day.
"Brattleboro, Vermont" I
shouted at him.
His face opened and fell.
"They moved it stone by stone"
I was still shouting in the hall.
For month sulked like Achil-
les. It was a tantrum with limi-
tations, however. I never claim
ed an influence with Mr.. Green
comparable to the Greeks sway
over Agamemnon. It is not much
of a sulk if you know that the To-
cal draft board can rout you out
of your tent any day it chooses.
was not the only victim of
petty discrimination. Jumbo
Russell, who was built like a
bronze and had never known a
sick day in his life, was discard
ed. His nose was always stuffed.
But you get used to that It takes
good deal more than a sinus
block to stop a man like Jumbo.
Still, no service would touch him
with a ten-foot pole. Jimmy
Guile had an operation on his py-
loric valve when he was eight
months old. That put him out in
spite of the fact that twenty-three
years later he was a picture of
American youth. On the other
hand, Mr.. and Mrs. Quinn an
nounced the enlistment of their
son Walter, junior in the para
troops. Nobody had counted on
Walter for more than a ciuple of
pints of plasma at the most. Here
he was in the paratroops. To
those who were turned away on
the grounds of facial squirt, or
sinus block, it was a dreadful
blow.
II don't know" Jumbo told me
dazedly. cts taken a lot of wind
out of my sails"
In one strategic move Walter
metamorphosed from worm tc
wonder while other established
characters, such as Jumbo Russel
and Barney Tree, who had a flat
foot fell off one to five points
On every side, one heard what g
fine chap Walter was, what 6
wonderful fellow he always had
been, and what a world of gooc
the paratroops would do for any
minor failings he might possibly
have owned. Before the date oil
his induction, Walter Quinn, jun.
ior, was green gem of sin.
suspect that after the Powers
have made another just peace, he
will return the same despicable
toad he went away. However
there is a theory in my home
town that Armageddon has G
medicinal effect on all blighteC
souls. They will not accept the
sad truth until Walter establishes
it. Those of us who knew and
loathed him are counting on the
boy to keep our faith.
i After Walter took the high
road, there was feverish activity
among those of military age. The
young people turned to Washing
ton in their moment of crisis. In
variably there was a friendly cap
A.