Evening star., 1952-10-11
xxx.


There's no point at this late
date in apologizing for not writ
ing for five months. You know
why I didn't write. I came to
what then thought was the
highly noble conclusion that II
I were going to break with you
/ ought to break clean and not
torture you with any more
double-talk correspondence. And
since I had decided to duck out
on you once for all because you
weren't good enough for-God
help mel didn't write.
I want you to be my wife.
That's why I'm writing again. I
know this beyond any question.
it's the truth forever. I love
you. I have loved you since
the moment you took of your
coat in Luigi's. if you remember.
at which instant you were re-
.vealed as the most desirable
woman-in my eyes. and that's
all that counts for me-on the
face of the earth. Darling, I
love you, I love you, I love you.
that's all You're all I want. for
the rest Of my life.
Write as soon as you can.
Forgive all my stupidity: don't
revenge yourself by taking your
time.
love you, May. Write quick
ly, quickly. WILLIE.
When Willie had sealed the
letter up and dropped it in the
ships mailbox. he went to sleep
feeling that life from now on
failing another Kamikaze, would
be an empty wait while his letter
went halfway around the world
and the answer returned the same
long way.
Not only Willie was becalmed;
the Caine was. too. The hole in
the deck was plated over and the
Caine was ordered to an anchor
berth far up the harbor. There
it sat, while campaigns ended and
the operations officer of Com
MinePac tried to make up his
mind, among a thousand other
preoccupations, what to do with it.
Surrender Announcement.
On the evening of August 10
a more than ordinarily silly movie
was being shown on the forecaStle
Willie sat through a reel of it
and then went below. He was or
his bunk in his room, reading
Bleak House, when he heard the
jazz music on the radio break
off sharply. 1--WE interrupt this
program to bring you an i'm
portant news bulletin" He
leaped to the deck and scam
penerd to the wardroom. 1t was
the surrender announcement
just a couple Of sentences, and
then the music resumed.
Thank God," Willie thought
in tremendous exaltation, Il made
it. I came out alive"
The Navy's point system which
came out early in September was
"a workable, fair plan. 1t released
half the crew of the Caine. and
also the captain. Willie's exit was
the first of November. When Keef-
er saw the AINav he became tre-
mendously excited. He summoned
the executive officer to his cabin
Ready to take over the ship
Willie?"
"Why-why sure, sir, but who'll
give it to me? I've barely got two
years at sea-"
Hell, Willie, you're more quail
fed than De VriesS was when he
got the Caine. Two years OF wal
cruising is like fifteen years OF
|peacetime duty. I say you're quail
fed I said so In the June roster
of officers. It's a cinch. Well get
MinePac to send a despatch to
|BuPers-if you're willing"
Three days later the morning
Fox sked produced an action mes
sage for the Caine. Willie had beer
haunting the radio shack. He car
ried the sheet to the wardroom
and broke the code hastily.
He was captain.
Keefer was all ready to leave;
he had been packing since the day
the ALNav arrived. Ten minutes
after the despatch came the crew
was at quarters for the ceremony
of transfer of command. Ten min
|utes after that Willie and Keefer