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

/ = ~ ANN w Va 0A4
4 "Any offense would put you out
l -shoeshine, haircut, mussed bed
You'd live with your head on q
choppingblock. Are you sure you
want to tackle such an ordeal?"
eyes. sir"
"Why?"
i Willie thought a moment. Why
really? Even transfer to the Army
seemed relief in comparison
after all. 1--we never failed any
thing I've tried yet, sir" he said
five never tried to do much,
that's true. If I'm no good I might
as well find 1t out now"
Very well. get on your feet"
| Willie jumped to stiff attention.
The movement brought him back
into the Navy.
"Twenty-three dement's and
confined till graduation" snapped
Commander Merton. in dry, bitter
tones.
Thank you, sir!"
Dismissed"
In the weeks that followed May
come often to visit Willie. She
was contrite and cheerful. With
simple tact she found out when
his mother was likely to come, and
stayed away on those days. Twice
Willie saw her come to the en-
trance of Furnald, observe him
talking to his mother, and depart
with discreet wave. In February
her visits became less frequent;
she enrolled in Hunter College,
and had several late classes. But
sometimes she cut these to come
to him. Willie was uneasy about
her return to school, but she
laughed at him.
Don't worry, dear, all that is
finished. I'm not doing this for
you. but for me. You've had one
good effect on me. I've decided
I'd rather not be an ignorant Ca
nary all my life"
Becomes Celebrity of Sort.
Willie stuck to his resolve to
improve his shaky position with
high marks. and he rose gradually
to a place among the leaders In
the school. His struggle against
odds was notorious. The midship-
men and even the ensigns were
fond Of telling their girls about
the unhappy devil carrying "a
dement's. This celebrity was use
ful to Willie. No ensign wanted
to be the one to drop the guillotine
on him.
In the last weeks. Willie fall
tered, partly from numb fatigue.
partly from a sense that the
danger was passing. When the
final standings were posted. four
days before graduation, he had
dropped to the thirty-first place
That some day a sensational
document appeared on the bulletin
board: A list of the types of duty
open to graduates of Furnald
When the midshipmen returned
to their rooms after morning
classes they found mimeographed
forms on their cots. Each mid
snlpman was asked to list the
three types Of duty he most de-
sired. and to state the reasons for
his first choice.
Nobody could find out how heav-
lily these sheets would count in
deciding orders. There were ru-
mors that every one would get his
nrst choice If the reasons were
well put; other rumors that the
sheets were just more meaning
less Navy paper; still other dark
er rumors, the more believed for
their pessimism. that the purpose
was simply to trap those who
wanted to avoid dangerous duty.
in order to make sure they cot it,
Some advised asking for the risk
lest duty: others were for putting
down frankly the desires of the
heart. Men like Willie, known for
a gift of words. were pressed into
service to write convincing rea-
sons wholesale. An enterprisinp
ex-newspaperman named Nc
Cutcheon on the eighth floor en-
Joyed burst of prosperity by
charging five dollars per reason.
Roland Keefer instantly chose
Staff Duty, Pacific, saying; That's
for me. Laying around on your
duff in Hawaii, with all them
nurses around, maybe running to
get the admiral despatch once
in while. That's my kind of war. /"
He daringly left blank the other
choices.
Wilie's one aim in filling out
the form was to remain near May.
First he placed Staff, Atlantic, cal
Iculating that this must land him
on the East Coast. possibly even
in New York. Next he put Large
Ships. Atlantic Qarge ships spent
a lot of time in port). Last he
wrote Submarines, Pacific, to show
that he was really a daredevil at
heart. This last touch was adj
mired on the tenth floor and
much initiated.
Graduation was one day OF,
land during a study period the
Imidshipmen Of the tenth floor
were droning over books, carrying
lout to the last the pretense Of
work though the marks were all
,Etotaled and nothing counted any
more. A word cracked down the
!, corridor like q spark. 'Ordersl"
flThe midshipmen crowded to their
doors. Down the hall came the
. mate Of the deck with q bundle Of
envelopes. He came to 1913 and
thrust two envelopes into Keefer's
Inland. Good luck, mates"
Il Hey" said Keefer. there's
three guys in here"
: The messenger riffled through
This bundle. Sorry. Guess Keith's
orders are held up. There's an
lother batch coming"
! Keefer ripped open his envelope