Show SECOND WIND By Ada Ado McElfresh TT rT IT WAS Spring again and Joe 1 l was restless And miserable Tormented with the b bitter truth that he The he The Great Le Lefty Cramer they had called him bim last Fall Pall In what had Amounted to an obituary for tor the part of him that was baseball baseball- was In his hll own words the great bas has To Joes Joe's way of thinking he heWIS through And since was WIS he be was through he was no good for Julie He He seemed to have forgotten that their wedding vows had Included In sickness and In health tin till death do us part part Julie Julie bit her ber lip Up Joe mustn't see her fear She looked up smiling but he walked past her toward the bedroom bedroom bed bed- room closet where he kept his treasures his mitt and mask that be he wore when he did duty double-duty behind the plate the ball with which he be had tapped Andrus out as the big slugger galloped toward toward toward to to- ward home plate Darting Darling Impulsively Julie went to stand beside him Youve bad had to slow ilow down All AU right Lots Lotsof of men do But you'll get your second sec sec sec- ond pd wind You can do things we weaD tan Eon aD do things things together together like we always have What for Instance he be demanded de de- mended bitterly without looking at t her Collect stamps Or knit For Gods God sake Julie cant can't you let me alone He slammed out of the house bouse catchers catcher's mitt mutt and nd mask clutched in one hand band the precious game- game winning ball bail in the other oUter But Joe didn't come He Re still sUll hadn't come by mid But Joe wouldn't do anything hes he's too sensible Julie told herself Hes He's just walling walking of off his huff buff But walking fast Suddenly frantic Julie Jumped up up from her ber chair by the window Dear God God please please I He wasn't down by the river where be he usually walked He wasn't at the cigar elgar store on the Ute comer where he often swapped tales with Julie hurried on In in the warm for late aft I n sun her mind shut against the unreasoning fear that rose again and again Joes Joe's heart his gallant stubborn heart She plu paused ed of to necessity-to catch her breath breth aware of ot the loud shouts of ot small boys without knowing knowing or or caring what caring what they were about Aboul shouting Eye on the ball now watch now watch It Cr Cr liar That voice I voice I That dear rami- rami yet almost forgotten happy voice He didn't see her at first Joe didn't but he was happy She could tell from the way he stood feet apart hands on hips watching the kid with the bat It had been a lousy swat but what did that matter Julie stood transfixed as Freckle-face Freckle threw to Towhead who missed and the ball bail rolled toward her Joe was looking at her now not grinning just looking Julie caught her ber breath What If It he weren't what It if she were the one who was wrong wrong wrong-wrong wrong for Joe she ane scooped up the ball baU which nad tad rolled to her feet and stopped invitingly As surely she hefted the ball to get the feel of it It-It It It had been so long tong she realIzed real real- suddenly suddenly and and drawing her arm back let It fly y like a homing pigeon straight for the Ute plate Joes Joe's grin was slow He held out his arms and she ran Into them Im getting that second wind youve you've been harping on honey he said long kisses later I can take that Job at the cigar store and still have time to coach the kids that towhead looks like another an other Slugger Andrus j I He does doesn't d-doesn't he Lousy swat and all she thought But if It Joe said so so- so Lets make him better still The second Lefty Letty Cramer Cramer- she giggled even giggled even It if he is a For answer answer the first t Lefty Cramer planted a hearty approvIng ing kiss on her ber lips Ups |