Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-09-11

Willie Keith, about to be drafted
into a Many career. has fallen in
1ope NTH MGy Wynn. Willie.
though q piano player and sin
ger at the Club Tahiti in NeD
York, has a college background.
aUhle May is the daughter OF
ignorant italian immigrants.
Both realize their situation
appears hopeless, because OF
different family backgrounds.
They are trying to make the
most OF a romance that began
aChen May got q job singing at
the TGhiti.
~.
The next day, Sunday. was sun
ny and clear, and the midshipmer
were thankful. A review wa!
scheduled for the pleasure of tht
commandant Of the Sd Naval Dis
trict, q display Of the whole mill.
tary might at Columbia. The
other sections of the midshipmer
school at johnson Hall and Johr
Jay Hall were going to merge with
the men Of Furnald in an array Of
$500 novice naval officers. Aftel
breakfast the midShipmen SHIFTED
into their dress blues and lined w
in front Of the hall, with rifles
leggings and gun belts. Demerit.
few for q spot on the collar, shoes
that failed to reflect the image Of
the inspector, hair q fraction Of
an inch too long. A flick of ar
ensign'S hand on the back of 8
midShipman's neck was an an.
nouncement Of five dement's. duly
recorded by the yeoman who
walked close behind him. Willie
was flicked. In his elninence Of
Is dement's he floated lonely as q
cloud. The closest contender had
seven.
A 60-piece band of midshipmen
blasted brassy marches with more
lung power than harmony, colors
waved bravely on stats, and fixed
bayonets glittered in the morning
sun as the ranks of midshipmen
marched onto South Field. Be-
hind the wire fences around the
field were hundreds of spectators
parents, sweethearts, passers-by
college students and satiric small
boys. The band used up it's roper
toire. and was beginning again on
Anchors Aweigh," when all the
cohorts Of Johnson, John Jay and
Furnald reached their places. A
bugle call knitted across the air.
Present arms!" blatted the loud
speakers. Twenty-Five hundred
rifles snapped into position. The
admiral strolled onto the field
smoking. followed by a straggle of
officers. walking carelessly to SYM
bolize the privileges of rank, but
struggling at distances from the
admiral strictly regulated by the
number Of sleeve stripes on each
straggler.
The admiral, short, stout and
gray-headed, addressed the ranks
briefly and politely. Then the per-
Torrance began. Stepping proud
~ and confidently to the music
after a week Of rehearsal, the bat
talions passed in review, march
ing. wheeling, countermarching
The spectators clapped and
cheered. The small boys marched
raggedly outside the fence in imi-
tation OF the midshipmen, yelling
Thoughts Are of May.
Willie went through his PAGES
IN a daze Of whirling thoughts
about May and dement's. He was
not interested in the Admiral but
he was nightly interested in
making no more mistakes.
The music paused. The march
ing continued to a flourish OF
drums signaling the last maneu-
vers OF the parade. Then the
band crashed once more into
Anchors Aweigh." Willie's SQUAD
ron wheeled toward the fence
preparing to make a flank march
OH the field. Willie stepped around
the wheeling turn. his eye on the
line, staying faultlessly in position
Then he fixed his eyes to the front
once more, and found himself
looking straight at May Wynn
There she stood behind the fence
not 20 feet away in her black fur
trimmed coat. She waved and
smiled.
Il take 1t all back. You win!"
she cried. ~
by the left fiank-march!"
bawled Roland Keefer.
At the same instant a squadron
from johnson Hall passed them
and the leader shouted, by the
right flank-march!"
Willie. his eyes on May, his
mind paralyzed. obeyed the wrong
order: turned sharply, and
marched away from his battalion.
In moment he was cut off from
them by an oncoming file from
johnson Hall. He halted after
prancing into a vacant patch of
grass and realized that he was
alone. A row of newsreel cam
eras close by. all seemingly trained
on him. photographed every move.
Comdr. Merton, q little round
headed man with bristling brown
hair and a red face, sat at
his desk facing the door when En-
sign Acres, the duty officer
marched Willie into his Office. He
was partly hidden by a bubbling
Slick. Eyes, Acres?"
"Sir-MidShipman Keith"
Comdr. Merton peered sternly
around the coffee at Willie. what
now?"
Acres recited the indictment
Merton nodded, dismissed him
locked the door. and tipped a key
on his interoffice talkbox. 81
don't want any calls or other in
terruptions until further notice
AYE. aye. sir" ratified the box
The commander filed a Gin