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THURSDAY, JANUARY 6, 1949
A Short-Short Story
"... AND SISOO FOR GEORGIE"
By Gene Brockhaven
GRIG GEORGE was in love—so
& deeply and completely he
was gulping for air.
“I hear bells ringing,” he told
me.
I grinned, thinking of his busi
ness, and then wise-cracked:
“You sure it’s love?”
He eyed me somewhat quizzi
cally across the table. “No jokes,
Fred, please,” he said. “Not in
the mood.”
“Okay, no jokes. “Who’s the
girl?”
“Ella-May.”
“What!” I cried. “Ella-May!”
And I laughed. Not at the news,
I was all for that, but at its
complete unexpectedness. I, like
all his friends and perhaps, even
Ella-May, had long since given
up hope of that eventuality. I
couldn’t, however, resist another
stinger: “And just when did
your battered skull finally ac
cept that fact?”
“Don’t, Fred,” he said quietly.
“I like you.”
Ella-May! Dimpled, blonde,
serious Ella-May. Why, she has
been in love with this big lum
mox since pig-tail days. My
eyes dimmed with thought.
There were memory pictures,
blending one into the other. The
high school athletic field. Big
George, a 3-letter man, cavort
ing out there at baseball, foot
ball and track. Ella-May, sweet
sixteen, her big saucer eyes fol
lowing his every move adoringly.
Everybody knew it, everybody
but Big George. Ella-May, al
ways near, pretty, cute and well
rushed, but eyes, like a rebuked
puppy’s, seeking out Big George,
hoping for some sign of affec
tion. But George was oblivious
and went his lone-hand way. A
flier at semi-pro football, then a
year on the big time with the
Bears, and suddenly he quit.
“Too tough,” he said. “Too
1. —The first cirars to be made in America were the product of
Mrs. Prout, East Windsor, Conn. When were they made? (a) 1801,
<b) 1811, (c) 1821, (d) 1831.
2. —What state adopted the first state prohibition law? (a) Utah,
(b) Maine, (c) Kansas, (d) Colorado.
X—How much forest land is there per capita in the United States?
(a) 1 acre, (b) 3 acres, (c) 5 acres, (d) 7 acres.
4. What meat-packing center was generally called “Porkopolis?”
(a) Chicago, (b) Kansas City, (c) St. Paul, (d) Cincinnati.
5. For how many years has the use of tea been known? (a) nearly
2000 years, (b) nearly 3000 years, (c) nearly 4000 years, (d) nearly
5000 yean.
ANSWERS
X—(a) 1801.
X—(b) Maine in 1851.
3. (c) Nearly five acres.
4. —(d) Cincinnati secured the name from 1820 to 1860 when It wlTs the
pork-packing center of this country.
(d) Nearly 3000 years, since 2737 B. C.
CROSSWORD PUZZLE
Horizontal
1 Ocean
4 Since
8 Arrogant
11 One who
ihirks his
duty
18 Rough with
bristles
18 Part of
"to be"
16 He was
struck down
for lying
18 French article
19 Pronoun
21 Epochal
22 Russian
inland sea
24 Burden
26 Location
28 Consumed
29 Wild
31 For fear that
33 Suffix
indicating
past tense
34 Prussian
seaport
36 Assault
38 To exist
40 Heavy, pli
able metallic
element
42 To merge
45 Roman
greeting
47 Regretted
49 Wicked
50 "Prefix: half
52 Husband of
Octavia and
Poppaea
Sabina
54 Article
55 Nook
56 Shakes
59 Earth goddess
61 Toiled
63 Nourishing
65 Pertaining
to the sun
66 Pronoun
67 Slang:
intense desire
Vertical
1 Music: as
written
2 Small fur
bearing
animal
3 Symbol for
gold
4 Girl’s name
5 Suns
6 Love potion
7 Inlet
8 Bones
9 Above
10 To expand
12 Molten lava
14 Removed
17 Slender
pointed piece
of metal
20 Resident of
Asia Minor
23 Hawk
headed deity
24 About
25 To navigate
27 Brother
of Jacob
30 Sinister look
32 Prong
35 To wash, as
clothes
37 Prima donna
Subscribe to The Summerville News—sl.so
tough.” I grinned at the thought,
for then the big gom had let
somebody talk him into the fight
game. He was a natural, too,
and doing all right. Not a
champ, mind, but he had the
potentialities. I snapped out of
the reverie and looked at Big
George. He didn’t look very
happy for a man in love. Maybe
they all look like that, I wouldn’t
know.
“Well, then,” I took up the
conversation again. “When did
you find it out?”
“Few days ago,” he answered,
a puzzled expression on his face.
“How did it happen?”
“I don’t know, exactly.” He
fumbled about mentally, seeking
the answer for himself and for
me. “I came home for supper,
there she was, helping mother
set table and
“Mm-mm,” I mm-mmed pro
foundly. “Go on.”
“Then it hit me. My legs went
rubbery, my stomach hurt.
Thought I was coming down
with something.”
“You were.”
“Well, through supper I found
out. Funny, Ella-May had nev
er affected me like that before.
No girl had.”
“Told her yet?”
“Yes. That same night, walk
ing her home. Now we’re en
gaged.”
“It’s about time. But what’s
so tough about that?”
“Nothing’s tough about it,,
Fred, it’s great. But there’s my
bout next Friday and there’s
Ella-May’s insisting she wants
to be in on the pay-off. Says
this syndicate is robbing me.
You know that set-up.”
Yes, I know the syndicate set
up. Big George batting around
the smaller club circuit, with his
friend, Willie Ernst taking his
duties as manager quite serious-
Solution in Next Issue.
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38 Foundation
39 Occurrences
41 Feat
43 Prickling
sensation
44 Powerful
deity
46 Two ens
48 Vision
51 Image
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ly. But Willie didn’t know the
“angles” and therefore George
never got near the big arenas or
the big money. Furthermore, the
sharpies in the business were
reluctant to match their hope
fuls with Big George. He hit too
hard—and too often. It was aft
er George had polished off a
“name” fighter, slightly passe, at
one of the smaller clubs that
“The Three,” as they were known
in the Jacobs’ Beach set, ap
proached George with a propo
sition. They’d get George on the
big time and in the big money,
but the split had to be four ways.
It was a steal arrangement, and
against the law. but they drew
up a phony contract for filing
with the commission and chanc
ed a verbal agreement with
George.”
Big George saw his chance and
signed. He had had three or
four bouts under the direction
of “The Three” and was moving
up fast. Despite the fact that
George was cutting in Willie
Ernst for a share out of his end,
he was making more money
than he had made before.
A few days later I met Big
George again. I asked him when
“The Three” usually paid off
after a bout, for I had deter
mined to sit in.
“Usually next day,” he said.
“At my home or a hotel room,
depending on how I came out
of it. I never go home when I’ve
had a shellacking. Mom don’t
like to see me marked.”
“Mind if I sit in on this one?”
“No, Fred,” he answered. “I’d
like it, for you know Ella-May
Insists on being there. You
might help.”
At noon the following Satur
day I knocked at the door of Big
George’s room. He'd had a go
ing over the night before. I’d
seen the fight, but he’d won aft
er a heart-bouncing thriller.
George, in bath robe and plas
tered face, admitted me.
“Glad to see you, Fred,” he
greeted. “Ella-May isn’t here
yet. Gosh, I hope she doesn’t
show.”
But his hope was short-lived,
for some ten minutes later that
young lady arrived. I took one
look at the determined mouth
and the fire sparking her pretty
eyes and I was glad I had come.
Ella-May greeted me with a
sort of half smile and then sat
on a straight-backed chair near
the window, hands in her lap.
Prim and sweet, but obviously a
girl with a mission. The three of
us just sat there, tense, waiting.
For what?
There was a clatter at the
door and there, in all their sar
torial glory, were “The Three.”
They bustled into the room,
well fed and sleek, each mouth
twisting in a grin around a big
fat cigar.
F “Ti-yuh, Georgie,” greeted
“Moonface Henry,” apparently
spokesman for “The Three.”
‘We do all right last night. A
K. O. and 75 cees.”
Then Henry noticed Ella-May
and myself. He looked ques
tioningly at George.
‘They’re my friends,” said
George.
“Maybe,” suggested Henry, “we
better come back later, eh?”
“No, said Big George nervous
ly. “It’s all right.”
“Okay,” answered Henry, “we’d
rather wait, but I guess it’s all
right, eh, boys?” He turned to
the other two. Evidently they
weren’t too keen either about
splitting in front of strangers.
Henry drew a fat wallet from
his pocket and extracted a sheaf
of bills.
He hesitated a moment, grunt
ed, and then proceeded to count.
“Two grand for Frank, two
for Herman, two for me,” his
lips curled in a. wry smile, “and
fifteen hundred for Georgie.
Right as rain.”
Then it started. Ella-May rose
and advanced on Henry.
“One moment, please,” she
said, addressing him. “How is it
that George gets only fifteen
hundred dollars?”
“That’s the agreement, lady,”
said Henry, “four-way split.
Ain’t that right, Georgia?”
“Four ways!” The fire was in
Ella-May’s eyes. “Two ways!”
she said and reached for the
money.
Henry rudely brushed her hand
aside. That was his mistake, for
Ella-May promptly bopped him
over the head with her bag, and
big George moved in. It was
sweet while it lasted and I thor
oughly enjoyed it. I laughed
right out loud when I glimpsed
the coattails of the last of “The
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THE SUMMERVILLE NEWS
Three” flipping out of the door.
Big George bent to pick up
the money scattered over the
floor.
“Gotta give them their share,
Ella-May,” he muttered. “It’s
only right . . .”
“Yes, indeed,” she interrupted.
“Their rightful share—half!”
“Gosh,” said Big George, un
happily, “there goes my big
chance. What am I going to do
now?”
Ella-May walked right into his
arms, hers stealing up and
around his shoulders as she tip
toed so he wouldn’t have to bend
too much to kiss her.
“You’re going to do one
thing,” she said emphatically
and yet sweetly. “You’re going
to marry me—and soon! And
from now on you’re under new
management.”
Silently I stole out and away.
wTIToU SMILE
Ready to Start
“Wanted —An expert carver,”
read the adveertisement. “Only
those use to first-class restau
rant work need apply.”
To the man who asked for the
job the manager said, “Well,
what are your qualifications?”
“I have only one, sir,” replied
the other cheerfully. “At my last
place I cut the meat so thin
when the door opened the
draught blew the meat off the
plates.”
“You’re engaged,” said the
manager.
Useful Equipment
The small daughter of the
house was busily setting the
table for expected company,
when her mother called:
“Put down three forks at each
place, dear.”
Having made some observa
tions on her own account when
the guests had dined with the
family before, she inquired
thoughtfully:
“Shall I give Uncle John three
knives?”
Local Duce
The English sportsman became
friendly with the keeper of the
only store the Highland village
boasted. One day he said: “Well
Angus, I understand you’re the
postmaster the shopkeeper, the
Justice of the Peace, and County
Councillor for this district.”
“Aye, sir,” replied the native.
“Ye might say I’m the Mus
solini of Glennochty.”
NANCY By Ernie Bushmiller
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Sammy was not prone to over
exertion in the classroom.
Therefore, his mother was both
surprised and pleased when he
came home with the announce
ment, “I got a hundred this
morning.”
“That’s lovely, dear,” she said,
as she kissed the boy tenderly,
"What was it in?” he asked.
“Fifty in composition and fifty
in grammar.”
At Your Service
With a grinding of brakes the
London bus pulled up. But not
before it had bowled over the
old gentleman
After a moment the man sat
up and looked about him. “Where
am I? he asked still dazed.
“Ere y’are, govnor,” said a
smart hwker in the crowd. “Map
O’ London, one penny!”
Not So Portable
You have a very nice collec
tion of books,” complimented the
neighbor, “but you really should
have more shelves.”
“I guess you’re right,” admitt
ed the owner. “But somehow, I
never could get up the nerve to
try to borrow any shelves.”
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