Show THE SPEECH By Will Lozier AVERY HEATHCOTE chairman of the committee flopped down pinto into one of m my big chairs and laid uld said Were over the top Every thing tiling it is set et for next Saturday afternoon after noon noon and we want you to make the presentation I Not me I 1 said Bald Youre You're the mayor arent aren't you rout Avery demanded That exactly the point I explained Ive got cot business to take care of Lots of business You'd better get got one of the other boys to make the presentation No Now wouldn't that be fine Avery said ald sarcastically Weve made up a big purse for Charley Bannerman and the mayor of his own says city he be hasn't got time to present it it I X felt like coming right out and telling Avery why I 1 didn't like Charley Bannerman When I was fourteen he had borrowed my my base base- Dau glove giove and never returned it II The years had passed and the loss of the glove wasn't too Important Im tin any more But there were other things Like the time he took my girl to the senior prom after alter it decided that she was going with me And he hadn't bothered to apologize when 1 I lent him my dress suit to get married in and he brought it back with a cigarette hol hola In the trousers No I did no not like Charley Bannerman Danner Banner man men oven ven though he was the star I of the Gray Cray Sox Sou They were giving him his Day next Saturday at atthE atthe atthe the Stadium So what Other ball baU ballplayers ballplayers players had had and had bad received everything from shay shave shaving ing mugs to twelve-cylinder twelve automobile automobile auto auto- mobile I did not like any part of the setup set I 1 had been trying trying unsuccessfully to to raise enough money I to build an addition to the Hamilton Hamilton Hamil Hamil- ton Cit City Hospital But Avery kept arguing telling me I was the logical person to tomake tomake tomake make the presentation and pretty loon goon I r gave in AD All I said Ten TeD right me what you want me to say He handed banded me a certified check It was wa for a lot of money more than enough to swing that new Dew addition for the hospital Ive got your speech written out Avery said laid Ill read it to you He lie cleared his bis throat Ladles Ladies and Gentlemen It is a great privilege to be here today todar to honor Hamiltons Hamilton's leading cit dt izen I am alluding to a man who has become n nationally famous a aman aman aman man who Is the idol of every every- enough I Interrupted Just give me the speech Ill I'll read it with motions Ho Ito handed mo me the sheet heet of ef pa pa- per I read it to myself Except for the difference in names it was practically the same speech I had made a couple of dozen times Everyone in Hamilton was raving over Charley They even said he was a changed chanted man since he be had bad got married But Dut I didn't care I didn't like the guy and so I de tided to write my own speech Id I'd say The citizens of Hamilton have raised a large sum of money for or a ball player named Charley Bannerman Then Id I'd hand Charley Char ley Icy the check and sit down The Tho Day had arrived I sat satIn satIn In the stands near the Gray Sox dugout waiting wafting to be called onto the field to make the presentation speech 1 i rest reit a light tap on my shoulder and turned around It was Avery Have you got your fountain pen handy he be asked I 1 felt In my breast pocket No I said I must have bave forgot for for- got it it Avery handed me his I 1 just heard a mighty interesting rumor he whispered saying Charley is going to borrow your our fountain pen and endorse that check over to the hospital fund I I didn't have time to answer him because they were flashing Dashing the signal for me to come down onto the field field- The players of both t tea teams e a m s were gathering around home bome plate I walked down the aisle and in another minute I was standing in front of the microphone The crowd stopped cheering it was time for me to make the speech |