Show A HAS BEEN by GENE brockhaven ehlmer 7 S the matter with you jeff you never acted like this before show some interest snap out of III it good old faithful jerry thought jeff always worried nerves jittery during the endless teaming training days and the torturous moments be fore the beu bell fluttering about jeff like a hen mothering a lone chick eight years he and jerry had been together eight years during which they had often faced hunger and of late a few of the good things of life maybe jerry was right may be there was something the matter with him the old fire the zest tor for battle the impatience tor for action the exhilaration of the blood racing through his veins the doubts yes and that little stab of f fear ear in a corner of his heart looking back now as he sat on the little stool in the ring corner jeff realized he bad had felt none of them jeff roused from his reverie he glanced around the ringside big crowd announcer ballard busy at the hanging microphone A few more minutes to go to broadcast time jeff relaxed on his stool his mind blotted out the chaotic scene about him filled with memories this again eight years eight years of weeks hard work of sac of punish best ment of patience and the giving up fiction of many of the things that youth loves but there bad had been a driving purpose then a goal to attain riches fame t meant much in the early years but it came and in the last few years the money came too champion the thought of that year as champion brought a glow to his soul and then he met helene for sythe it was at a charity bazaar on long island one of the appear ances jeff as champion was as tre fre called upon to make again as he sat on his stool completely oblivious to everything but his memories jeff felt his heart sink as it had that afternoon she A was rich society and he a nobody a prizefighter they talked for a while and then others had taken him away he didn dian t get to see her again that afternoon but did sev eral weeks later that was the be ginning they saw more and more of each other and soon they were deeply in love jeff had realized the hopelessness of it all to him she was unattainable but helene caw saw no hopelessness in the situa tion at all jeff shivered on his stool as he lived again that memorable night be he had called upon her father he d never been so scared seared in his life ex capt maybe that night when he en the ring for his first fight his belly empty and his spindly legs rubbery but there had been X A kr e jeff s eyes found helene s and to him the world was young and warm again absolute necessity then that had buoyed his lagging courage butchis but this night the stake was bigger hello mr stoddard mr for sythe s words were stamped indel ably in jeff s mind helene s told me of you I 1 don t like the business you re in but my daughter and you are in love she says so the busi bust ness t matter but what does matter is what sort ot of a life can you offer her 7 jeff felt the warm blood rise to his face and ears as it had done that night at his blurted id otic she wont won t starve mr forsythe had answer answered yd see to that that will always be my response res biety she s my daughter lm I 1 m sorry mr forsythe jeff had managed and then the words had started to flow senseless jumbled one into the other a few more fights a trust fund I 1 love her heartsick feeling his cause had been irretrievably lost he had stumbled from the room and out of the house it was midnight before he got enough courage to call her he told her it was hopeless they would have to wait a bit he d make more money plenty of money helene had interrupted dad didn t say no did he no oh you a sob and the click of the phone his frantic phone calls were fruit less and then miss forsythe has gone abroad that was a year ago he toured the country theatres exhibitions a ap P pe arances the money piled up but jeff has lost interest then a match for the championship and his title gone because one man the referee raised another man s hand and then this sam abrams had sought him out sam had a young chap up and coming but he needed a win over a name before he could challenge for the title there 11 be maybe ten grand in it tor for you sam had said 1 and maybe sam paused mean angly more if i we can do busi bust ness you re through jeff you know A has been jeff still won dered tiered why he t chased sam then no business he d said and here be he was sitting in a ring corner comer as he had sat in other ring corners a hundred or more times a has been at twenty eight and in this corner the for mer middleweight champion of the world jeff stoddard jeff roused dreams faded he rose and bowed jerry fluttered about him they walked to ring cen ter for instructions jeff sized up his opponent A likely looking youngster husky and obviously well trained he shook hands and turned back to his own corner the bell jeff sl d cautiously to ring cen ter yancey came forward to meet him left hand extended slightly chin buried behind a bulging der jeff tried a long left and land ed lightly they came together and jeff felt a jar on his chin another and yet another stinging blows they were delivered with amazing speed and with deception the boy had something they exchanged blows and again that short jolting left found jeff s face he d have to do something about that jeff turned to his comer corner at the bell A trickle of blood flowed from the cor ner of his mouth and over his chin you gotta do something about that left jeff whispered jerry hell he 11 claw you to ribbons jeff stepped forward briskly at the bell tor for round two he boxed he slugged but that tearing left kept reaching his face something warm streamed down his cheek jeff realized his eye was cut he brushed the eye with bis his right glove and gave ground slowly drawing yancey toward him jeff s right dropped into position at his chest he feinted with his left and there was the opening he sought his right fist shot out the weight of his powerful shoulders driving it home it landed and at the impact jeff felt a searing pain shoot up his arm to the shoulder for a traction fraction of a second he felt dizzy and then a nau leous feeling hit the middle of his stomach his eyes cleared and he saw yancey getting off the floor the punch must have landed high thought jeff his only hope now was a quick left hook he stepped tor for ward ignoring the pain in his right hand feinted for an opening saw it and punched he missed his last chance gone the bell he sank heavily on the stool did you bust it jerry whis 1 I don dont t know jeff answered but don dont t touch it others might see yeah but you cant can t go on with a busted right argued jerry keep quiet said jeff and a as the bell rang for round three h he e rose to meet yancey earlier that evening at the for sythe home helene faced her fa ther across the dinner table dad she said take me to the arena tonight please jeff is still in love with that boy I 1 ve never stopped loving him dad but now a short distance fro from in ring side they sat the girl white faced tense as she watched the stark drama unfolding in that brilliantly white square ahead it seemed hours to the girl tor hours that they had been sit ting there when her father leaned toward her I 1 in sold helene he said tersely and I 1 thought that boy lacked courage let s get out later in the dressing room jeff sat hunched on the rubbing table jerry striving mightily to hold back the tears was gently demov ing the tape and bandages from jeff s swollen right hand the room was empty but through the walls wails came the rumble of voices and laughter nobody has time for a loser thought jeff mr forsythe walked into the room hello jeff he said he laid his hand on jeff s shoulder that was a magnificent stand you made out there mighty few men have that courage and more important helene says you re the only man for her and who am I 1 to jeff glanced past mr forsythe and his eyes found helene s she nodded and smiled and to nun him the world was young and warm again |