Show fatu biff tells a FICTION love story COWER C by gene s i brockhaven Crock haven e li L P his way slowly through the massed humanity crowding toward the exits matt walsh sports after fter pondered the sensational ending of the ring battle be he had just witnessed he was blase about quick knockouts he had seen many of them and undoubtedly would see many more but he still thrilled to the brilliant if boxing skill could be called that and masterful job turned in by spot mathers well here was a new champion and walsh felt he should know more about the boy something of his per bonal life it was after midnight when he reached the hotel at which the new champion and Us his entourage were stopping at the door of the math ers suite he was halted by a blast of noise the victory celebration the big living room was a bedlam walsh glanced about the room but saw aw no sign of mathers he sought sut out the boy a manager pete miley busy in the role of lavish host mathers just jest went down the hall to room 1117 miley answered his question go on down and see him walsh did the door was slightly ajar he tapped lightly waited then tapped again when there was no re sponge he opened the door and V peered in he stepped back closing the door softly amm in that tableau was something unexpected and unusual on victory night in the fight racket young mathers his arm around a dark haired girl a sleeping baby tucked in carefully between pillows at the head of the bed this was no time to break in tor for an interview so walsh returned to the other room he managed I 1 there to corral biff 1 jones old timer in the ring business and mathers trainer biff said walsh how about some dope on the new champion and what about that gal and baby down the hall let a go some place where we can talk okay this party a slowing down they went down to the hotel grill and found a table in the corner of the room now tell me about mathers what kind of a guy is he I 1 sure I 1 can tell you lots about that kid and about his wife and baby too I 1 like em all three of em and I 1 d like to tell their story but I 1 gotta tell it my way alff blinked at walsh all right teu tell it I 1 well it begins some two years ago biff began me and pete miley is in pete a office gab bing about much when in walks a cocky good lookin kid he s got a letter for pete from some guy down south he walks up to pete me and says you pete miley this Is for you pete takes the letter reads it and looks up at the kid so you re a fighter eh pete says yeah and good one says the 6 kid come on diff 1 get on with it interrupted walsh impatiently As I 1 was sayin biff 1 continued the kid says I 1 gotta get a fight right away we gotta eat pete says we who s we me and sally the kid says and goes on about him and his wife comin up to new york to pick up some of the big fightlin sugar they been about they come up in a old jalopy the kid says and now the dough s run out pete says to the kid what s his full name and the kid says without bat tin a eye Spott ingham T math ers and looks at the both of us like darin us to laugh pete kinda grins but he amt aint laughin out loud I 1 could see pete a a likin to good him and sally Is allvin on their own now because pete a been pull in down some good pots for him and I 1 knox kno pers personal opal that pete am t any cut leastwise not much he likes them kids specially sally like everybody does but let me tell yolk this sally ain am t no eye waver she s stuck on spot and don t make no bones about it but that spot now he s got a bit of a rovin eye and like I 1 told you he s a it cocky cocky punk and he am ain t against once in a while now the dough s comin comm in but I 1 guess when a kid s 21 he gets to chinkin he a really so methin special well them once in a while awhile step pin s begin to get quite frequent and many s the night I 1 find myself keep in sally company on lonely nights when that milk sop Is a few oats I 1 feel sorry tor for sally and I 1 tell her it s just like a case of the mumps or the pal gallopin lopin measles a 1 7 Z t i j a N T A X ae Z 01 1 4 14 a I 1 young blathers mathers his arm around a dark haired girl a sleeping baby tucked in carefully between pillows at the head of the bed the kid and soon he hands him a unit pete tells the kid to go out and buy him and sally a big steak and to come around tomorrow with his fights togs and he 11 see what the kid s got I 1 go to the gym with them next day and pete sticks the kid in there with a old warhorse named batada the kid con considering consi denn he am t been batin so good does okay and pete holds him we get our first peek at sally when pete moves her and the kid over to pete s hotel pete tells the kid to to go to the gym a few days and for me to work with him well as I 1 says we get our first peek at sally and boy she s some thin I 1 she ain aln t got only looks but she s got so methin else I 1 don t know what I 1 go tor for sally big don t get me wrong mister my courtin days is long gone she s a nice kid well them two kids batin regular again with pete payin bloom like a compla hot house flowers put out in the sun soon pete spots the kid in a four round prelim at st nicks and the kid comes through with a quick kayo 0 course he knocks over a bum but we like the way he does it it am t long before the kid 5 moved up to semifinals semi finals and then final spots because as I 1 says he s little while sick and youre you re good as new again but that sally can take it she a no plater and she keeps biff reached for his glass well he resumed the kid starts going around with a show gal I 1 talk to him listen knob ears he says you re keepin autta this he tells me a lot more about him and this show gal gettin married after he wins wms the title and gives sally the air it t EXT day I 1 ten tell pete all and we ahead head over tor for the gym where spot s out pete quizzes him and all he gets tor for his trouble 40 i abu abuse s e I 1 go around to see sally next day to see if she knows anything about this marriage business I 1 poke around kinda subtle like and then quiz her if she s heard anything about spot and this show gal well she starts bryin and I 1 feel like a four star dope I 1 don t know what to do and just stand there sayin there there like I 1 heard a mother once with a crym baby it don t do much good sally keeps cryb soft like that kinda bryin don t need no sound effects it goes deep pret ty soon she says she a gom back home and she does leavin a note for the punk he goes around a compla days sour bussed I 1 don t bear hear a word from sally for weeks and I 1 don t think the punk has neither but pete is gom around with a wise look and I 1 get a hunch he knows so methin the kid has changed some he ain t so cocky no more and he seldom goes out at night one night just before we re leavin for the camp where the kids kid s gonna get ready for the final hini nation bout I 1 in in his room helpin him pack it am t long and the phone buzzes the kid a near it and picks it up he says I 1 ain sin t here and hangs up pretty soon comes a knock on the door and dummy me opens it A dame is there I 1 figure its it s the show gal and I 1 m right she steps over to the kid honey she says you ain aln t seen me late ly the kid keeps on then he says he am t gonna see her no more then the fireworks begin that dame gives him the trimmin s and when she a in high gear she heaves a water bottle at the kid s head and stalks out he ducks and the bottle whams against the wall during the ruckus I 1 duck into a corner I 1 see mad dames work before it s two or three days later when I 1 see pete at the camp I 1 tell him about the show and he looks at me kinda tunny and says now s the time to tell him and maybe he s all over it it I 1 I 1 don t catch the drift but I 1 tag along over to the house with pete the kid a when me and pete come into the room pete says spot I 1 got some news for you news from sally the kid sits u up P sudden like and he gets kinda white he don t say bothin just keeps look A at pete sally pete says is gonna have a baby just like that the kid jumps up autta the bed and he starts to cry I 1 think I 1 kinda like him then even though he a sissy pete he says I 1 gotta go to heri herl I 1 gotta gottal pete says okay and take a compla days off so the kid goes home to see sally you never see such a changed guy when he comes back he a talk in again and he s happy and he even gets friendly with me and I 1 kinda like it too seem he aint the smart alex no more so you see like I 1 once say to sally it s like the mumps a little while sick and you re okay again and so s them kids all three of em now |