Newspaper Page Text
Thursday, February 10, 1949
A Short-Short Story
UP IN THE AIR
Lillian E. Andrews
The newest skyscraper was
going up just across the alley
from the window of the big of
fice building where Mary Bron
son sat at her typewriter. Just
now the skyscraper looked like a
huge bird cage but soon it would
be a big hotel, glowing with
lights at dusk and filled with
guests.
“How I’d like to know some of
them!” thought Mary wistfully.
“This beir>: alone in a big city is
the worst kind of lonesomeness.
Everybody wants friends.”
The next minute she gave a
sudden startled exclamation.
Walking straight toward her
along a beam was a tall, young
fellow. The wind rumpled his
brown hair and seemed trying to
blow him over, but he paid no
attention to it. His merry whistle
brought a quick touch of rase to
Mary’s smooth cheeks. He was
whistling “I’m up in the air
about. Mary!” Did he know her
name was Mary? No, he couldn’t,
she told herself. She had never
seen him before. But he certain
ly was up in the air.
Almost involuntarily she
glanced downward. Far below
people looked like mechanical
toys moving about. Six months
before the city had seemed to
Marv a sort of rose-colored
dream town. Now it had begun
to seem more like a teeming ant
hill where everybody scurried
about in a hopeless maze, think
ing only of themselves. Other
girls, plainer than Mary, boasted
of the number of “boy friends”
they had “picked up” but she
disliked to copy their bold ways
and flippant speeches. She no
ticed that the young , fellow
striding sure-footedly along the
beam looked clean and respect
abe like most of the young men
she had known in her own little
home town back in Pennsyl
vania. Alone in thp office for a
few moments, she was moved by
a sudden, homesick impulse.
“Good afternoon! It’s a lovely
day, isn’t it?” she called through
the partly-opened window.
1. —A certain seuntry under domination of Moscow has threatened
to devalue—or declare worthless—the country’s metal coins unless peo
ple quit hording them. Here the standard coin is one crown, worth two
American cents. This country is (a) Czechoslovakia, (b) Albania, (c)
Finland.
2. —During a former presidential campaign year one of the candi
dates announced as the national goal, “return to normalcy.” This presi
dential candidate was (a) Warren G. Harding, (b) Calvin Coolidge,
(c) Woodrow Wilson.
3. —At a convention of veterans held in Chicago, Capt. Howard P.
Potter was elected national president; This veterans group is (a) Vet- i
erans of Foreign W’ars, (b) American Legion, (c) Seabee Veterans of j
America.
4. —Palestine, which has been the scene of much bloodshed since i
its partition, is about the size of (a) Illinois, (b) Khode Island, (c)
New Hampshire.
ANSWERS
1. —(a) Czechoslovakia.
2. —(a) Warren G. Harding.
3. —(c) Seabee Veterans of America.
4. —(c) New Hampshire.
CROSSWORD PUZZLE
Solation in Next Issue.
1 p p R [s Is ’|7 Is [9 ho 111'
_ _______
_______
I - ——
24 125 26 27 j W2B 29 30
iziizzitez
39 40 Wj 41 42
143 ' 44 45 46 |47
__J
48 49 50
J
51 52 53 54
55 56 57
No. 45
Horizontal
1 To pack
5 To wipe
8 Noinad
12 Subtle
emanation
13 Period of time
14 Sound ac
companying
breathing
15 Smalt pebbles
17 Loadstone
19 To penetrate
20 Rabbit’s home
21 Scent
23 Suit in
court
24 Pronoun
26 Eastern term
of respect
28 Swarthy
31 By
32 Cistern
33 Therefore
34 Footlike
part
36 Climbing
species of
pepper
38 Encountered
39 To make
vapid
41 Couch
43 Last state of
an insect
45 Endures
48 Cylindrical
50 Coterie
51 Biblical
garden
52 Card game
54 Moon goddess
55 Remainder
56 Guided
57 To appear
Vertical
1 Wise man
2To become
sour
3 Public
speaker
4 Fluttered
5 Honey
* Conjunction I
7 Knave of
clubs
8 Watchful
person
9 Railed
10 Fish sauce
11 Girl’s
nickname
16 God of love
18 Son of Noah
22 To disentangle
23 Quotes
24 Bottle top
25 Shoshonean
Indian
27 Head
covering
29 To employ
30 Negative
35 Omits
36 Obliteration
37 To hang
laxlv
38 Festive dance
I 40 Deputy 1
I A quick, boyish smile flashed
; across the young man’s face.
' “It’s great,” he agreed, “just
great!”
Alarmed by her own implusive
, ness, Mary began to. tap her
. typewriter keys at a great rate
I She berated herself for being so
. bold. Her conscience came to her
i aid.
“You didnn’t mean any harm,”
it said soothingly. “A little sim
. pie friendliness awon’t hurt any
; body.”
The young man was driving
rivets. The steady rat-a-tat-tat
i sounded like the druming of an
. enormous woodpecker. A moment
• later Mary looked out again. Her
: heart almost stopped beating.
; The young riveter was so busy
> he had not noticed the large,
> fleshy man walking along the
■ beam a short distance away. A
i camera was slung over the man’s
: shoulder.
Mary saw that his steps were
■ growing slower and slower. His
, face was white and his knees
1 sagged. It was evident that he
had lost courage and was liable
to fall at any moment. She tap
-1 ped on the window and spoke
’ quietly.
“Don’t be afraid,” she told
him. “Just sit down and hold on
i to the beam. Don’t look down.
Somebody will come and help
you. Close your eyes, if you are
dizzy.”
To Mary’s intense relief, the
man obeyed her. He sat down
and clung desperately to the
beam, his eyes closed.
The riveting suddenly stopped.
Mary saw he young man running
along the beam as lightly as a
squirrel. He was carrying a stout
board.
“Can you open that- window
i wider?” he asked. “I’m going to
shove the board across and make
a bridge.”
Mary controlled an impulse to
scream, as the man on the beam
swayed.
“Just a minute longer,” she
encouraged him. “Hold tight!”
Then she suceeded in opening
the window. As the young
47 Line of
juncture
49 Cloth measure
50 Fish allied to
the haddock
53 Faroe Islands
windstorm
42 Becomes
bankrupt
43 Roman high
way
44 Ancient
Persian
46 Melody
Answer to Patrie Number 44
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Ser'eo H-47
riveter half dragged, half carri
ed the man across the impro
vised “bridge”she drew a long
breath.
“I-I thought I’d get some pic
tures,” said the man. "I didn’t
ask anybody’s permission. I
' thought I was a good climber
but all at once I was dizzy. No
more high places for me. I’m
' going to get down to street level
■ as fast as I can and stay there.”
1 “That was a near squeak,” the
' young riveter told Mary. “I
thought he’d fall before I could
get to him. I’m much obliged to
■ you for keeping cool and helping
me.”
“I didn’t really do anything,”
: said Mary. “He owes his life to
; you, Mr.—”
i “Call me Jim,” he replied
- quickly. “My name is Jim San
' ders and I hail from a little
• town in Michigan.”
’ Mary’s bright eyes brightened.
, “I’m from the country, too.” she
' announced.” My name is Mary
■ Bronson. I-I heard you whistling
; and looked out. I hope you didn’t
think I was bold when I spoke
■ to you.”
“You don’t look like the bold
; kind,” Jim assured her. “I no
ticed you yesterday but you didn’t
1 pay any attention to me. I’m a
good climber but- I’m bashful
with girls. If you’ll let me, I’d
like to take you out to dinner
tonight. The boss will tell you
anything you want to know
about me. I hope you haven’t
got a date?” he added anxiously.
“ “Not tonight,” said Mary. “I’ll
be glad to accept your invita
tion.”
Jim laughed and waved his |
hand, as he went back to his j
riveting. He was whistling
again. The same song. It gave
Mary a joyous thrill. Once more
she glanced down at the toy men
and women moving about so far
below. Somehow they no longer
seemed to be moving about in
a hopeless maze. They were go
ing about their work, taking care
of their families, trying to the
best of their humble ability to
make the world a better place
for themselves and their dear
ones.
“Big town, little town, folks
are just the same,” thought
Mary happily. “There’s always
something worth living and
working for. And there’s romance
even up in the air on top of a
skyscraper.”
I DID YOU KNOW!
1. What was the U. S. popu
lation gain in 1948?
2. How many couples were
married in the U. S. in 1948?
3. Which of our Presidents
were not inaugurated in Wash-
I ington?
| 4. Which of the three Scandi
j navian countires has a common
i border with Russia?
5. Name the President, Prime
I Minister and Foreign Minister
I of Israel.
6. Who was the last Truman
i Cabinet appointee?
7. Identify: Daniel F. Malan.
8. The following are Asian
capitals. Identify each: Ran
goon, Karachi, Colombo. Can
berra. ’
9. How many U. S. soldiers
have married German girls
since 1946?
10. How many babies were
born in the U. S. in 1948?
THE ANSWERS
1. Almost 2,500,000.
2. An estimated 1.850,000 as
compared with the record of
2,300,000 in 1946.
3. George Washington, in New
York City, 1789; Adams, Phila-
I delphia, 1797; and Coolidge,
Plymouth. Vt., 1923.
4. Norway.
5. Chaim Weizmann: David
Ben-Gurion; and Moshe Sher
tok, respectively.
6. Dean Acheson, as Secretary
of State.
8. Burma, Pakistan, Ceylon.
I and Australia, respectively.
9. About 15,000.
10. More than 3,650.000, just
underthe all-time high of 3,-
910,000 in 1947.
Testimonial
Mrs. Crabb —And you have the
nerve to ask a dollar a bottle for
this nerve tonic?
Druggist Yes, madam—and
that proves what it will do. 1
take it regularly.
Plenty of Occasions
Smith—l’m not thin-skinned,
I’m the first to laugh at my own
foolishness.
Smart —What a merry life you -
must lead.
SALLY SNICKERS v __ _.. x „ By h ; t omle
/HOvV IS XXJRXZ NOT \| g-./'THEV EVEN WhE'S
GRANDFATHER V SO 1 To GET A Ml VHAT ? DOCTOR CALLED I ( TUC* Di A MET I }'■
FEELING NOW, GOOD 1 . Z CONSULTANT . AT THE" \ ’ •‘t oLr\i IC . /
—-v —<
Up| _ \ *am * c> — Ew» Fewmes >wdM*w- Iwc ~r~tX<aSg»Bll<CM>»»-CM V*
7HE SUMMERVILLE NEWS
»•
WILL YOU SMILE
Practical Ilustration
A youngster asked his father '
how wars began.
“Well,” said the pater, “sup
pose America quarreled with '
England and—”
■ But,” interrupted the moth- 1
er, “America mustn’t quarrel
with England.” .‘
“I know,” he answered, “but
I am taking a hypothetical in- •
stance.”
“You are misleading the 1
child,” said the mother.
“No, I am not,” he answered. 1
“Yes, you are.”
“I tell you I am not It’s out- 1
rageous—”
“All right dad,” said the boy.
“Don't get excited, I think I, 1
know how wars begin.”
Sh-h!
Politician —“I never question , i
the fact that I owe a lot to my I •
country.” !■
Campaign Manager “Sh-h? !
They may think you haven't paid
your income tax.”
New One On Emily Post
“How did you like the banquet ■
last night?”
“Not at all.”
“Wasn’t the food good?”
“Yes, very good—but I sat next
to a lady who squinted and she
ate off my plate all the time.”
Guess Again
I “With what weapon did Sam-
1 son slay the thousand Philis
tines, Tommy?” asked the Sun
day School teacher.
“The axe of the Apostles,” re- ;
plied the child after a long !
pause.
Should Be Whaled for That
“The Eskimos,” said the re- ;
turned explorer, “are a very un
emotional race. They hardly
ever weep.”
“That’s strange,” remarked a
listener. “I understand that they
had their daily blubber.”
VITAMIN CONTENT OF
BEANS
The vitamin content of Lima
beans is more valuable when the
beans are fresh and green than
when they have matured to a
white color or have been dried.
For a good crop of strawberries
every year, put out a new plant
ing every year.
Growing pullets should never
be allowed to come in contact
with older chickens, turkeys or |
other fowl.
MUTT AND JEFF By Bud Fisher
THE #1,000,000 YYEH,I KNOW'f BUT I DON'T AW, COME . C A' SEND ME
PARK AVENUE HOUSE ANDREI.f I’M THE J °N/VIX i PnFW ;
RUSSIA BOUGHT FOR. GOIN’IN AND TEACHIT AM -—i «d c ?,. e g.! J If _ „k, i
■ To You, DJ CL ,ek‘ V ' 1 V RUBLES' /
- Us. I ANDREI.' Ltek-’ jXr-gnfo
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.r-jgf fSA i* save 'Alva Y i
VTyll'i L — cucr J
JITTER ___________ Aivaut Feia ter
ji.yLrTTs/zrV' js.i a ranch hand, f „ _ A l S' or-'t . x >l »
plenty OF FUN.. . . 9 0 1 wo,iDEIS WHYJ,TTEe smSX HP uZs
. (_> r -x < A anything COULD HAVE- \ YCT M'SS-D A MtAL. y AirO
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NANCY J Lu-hhsr
WHATCHA I WAITING FOR HAVE YA j OH, ABOUT WHAT‘S THE I OH, I < . <. „ -
DOIN' * / THE MOVIES BEEN 7 AN HOUR , NAME OF ' DON'T F>IW '.
HERE ? /< TO OPEN / HERE PX. THE MOVIE I KNOW— JJ
.__ <. , long ? / \fTr — today 2 i it's a
S lq I 11
A GOOD CROP
Read this—and reap!
For the past 39 years, our
country has been enriched by
the existence of the Boy Scouts
of America. This thriving Move
ment has affected the lives of:
more than 15,500,000 boys and
men who have, in turn, con
tributed to the general welfare
of us all.
The theme of this year’s Boy
Scout Week Is “Adventure—
that’s Scouting”—but it’s much
more than that. Boy Scouts get
the satisfaction of “learning by
doing” exciting things, to “help
other people at all times,” and
enjoying outdoor activities.
No yardstick can measure the
harvest of advantage Boy Scouts
bring to the nation and the com
munity. But the scouts depend
on the active support of each
one of us to increase and extend
these benefits.
Let’s help them grow—and
thereby reap for ourselves a
larger crof) of healthier, hap
pier young men!
Scouting for boys is carried on
through more than 70,000 Cub
Packs, Scout Troops. ur Senior
Scout Units.
IT’S-AMAZING!
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