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Show 'r r 'rMR ' y MR Mf ( . WMKiE WINKLE I IT4L T4L T4LHEODORE " HEODORE GOeSTOiWPRATT % . . QXS GOeSTOiW TO WAR WARP P PRATT R AT T W WMUKELEAtC N U RELEASE CIIAPTER CHAPTER I IIt It never in toe the world ever 0 cc cccurred occurred < : curred to Mr Winkle ( that tint he would wouldbe wouldbe wouldbe be drafted and sent on off to the wars warsWar warsWar warsWar War was for young men not for ( or asettled a aseltled asettled seltled settled married man of forty tour four tourThere fourThere fourThere There was talk of ot the Army notwanting not notwantmg notwanting wantmg wanting the older men , . but nothinghad nothing nothinghad nothinghad had yet been done about this Theth The Thetll Thetli tll tli rg r g being done was what Mr Winkle Win Winkle Winkie kle kie received in this morning s smail smailWhen mallWhen mail mailWhen When he reached in the mailbox andt and t > ) k out the communication from hisdraft his hisdraft hisdraft draft board his hand hands * trembled a1 a aI al I l ttle the Peering through h s a metalrimmed metal metalrimmed metalrimmed rimmed glasses he read that hewas he hewas hewas was classified classltled 1 I A AHe AHe Alie He lie knew what that meant After Aftertf'n Afterten Aftertpn tf'n tfn ten ' days time he was subject for1 forI for I I iduction iduchon duct IOn Into the United States StatesArmy StatesArmy StatesArmy StatesArmyHe Army ArmyHe He stood there on the front steps stepsof stepsof stepsof of his house a small man engulfed engulfedby engulfedby by a tremendous event that toppled toppledover toppledover toppledover over his hi * world and tent sent it bowlingfT bowlingtY bowlingIf bowling ( tY If Into space like I1ke a cannon balllie ball balllie ballHe lie thoughtNot thoughtNot thought thoughtNot Not he who had been married fc f < ( r rtwenty rtwenty rtwenty twenty years Not he a former formercareful formercareful formercareful careful accountant who was now the toec thec c nservative proprietor of a modest modestjpneral modestgeneral modesttipneral jpneral general ; ( repair shop located in the thealley thealley toealley alley back of his ho house hofise se Not he hewIth hewith hewith wIth his overly active and morbid morbidi I r agination agmatlOn Not he who was no noman noman noman man of ot o1 action but was afraid alrald to todeath todeath todeath death of ot guns or violence of any sortNot sort sorL sorLNot . Not he with his stored up mem memory memory memory ory of ot how as a boy with his 221LH 22 . . 1LH , p KC K C . 4 4lJ lJ lJI ; I E2 E2I I as"e ase as"et " 4 4I 4e 4I t = e I I , , , I t ti tI tth i I th 1 i L 1 1i I t"erlng terlng eering " through his metal rimmed rimmedglasses rimmedglasses glasses he read he was classified IA r fie tle Ile he had shot a squirrel The Thet TheI I t t i y ai ar at imal fell from t 11 tl } e a hIgh hIghur highbr highbr ur br urI u \I I ii \ ch where 1 I t e aimed at it landB landg land B g with a thud on the hard ground groundWI groundWI groundWl WI ( in tn n he held toe the warm fuzzy tuzzy bodyhis bodyhis body bodyhis his hand he was sick at heartt heartII heartit heart II it t what he hdd had h . d d dene dine ( ne In later hIe life lifewi lifewl wi ' I he slei slRJ stei ped on an ant or orsl ors sl i 'l l ' ished ! > hed a spllcr spl apt ier or even swa swatted swattedi tted ttedI I fly tly Mr Winkle felt sq can-ush can ush eamlsh eamish - at al att alt att t kr kt k i r t 6 g lifeUp lite life liteUp Up n being called by 1 I s draftI drattI draftt dratt draft I t ard and Idst lust List week for phys cil c'Il cal ' ex 1m imiat imi imidt I Idt dt at n Mr Winkle Wmkle had th ght ghl that thattl thatit thattl tl it e a sir str i ge doct r api apt rec ated his hisIY hisIysleps hisly IY Iysleps ! > ! > J [ eps a his nears ghted ( hted ess eS8 his hiscaved hiscivcd caved ( ' 1 ' ved In chest his c g ) Md red od bee beg nning nnlng nningi nnlngI i a paunch ( even though otherwise otherwiseI I r e wa was tkii sku skit ny enough to be ui ur us der derweight derweight .elght elght weight . > ) his jumped up pulse at the toeI theI I ghtest exertion and h s generalke generalke general generalke ke up of ot no great mu muscular clJlar Iy ty tyNever tyNever Never before had Mr W nkle nklek k wn himself hunself to be such a physl physi physiI physlI I wreckThe wreck wreckThe wreckThe The doctor pursed his lips at al the thev v sIal s lal ml evidences of this close ap apT apI apI T I roach to toe the grave He H tro frowned frownedin , ned nedIn In such a manner as to five give MrWinkle Mr MrWmkle MrWinkle Wmkle Winkle reas m in > n tor for countin counting on hisi hisr his I r t being rec mmendcd mmended And thoughtie though thoughIt It Ite e d ctor and the nemlers neuters n 'mt mt ( ' ers of ot theIn the theIf theIri If Iri ! ft it board w rking rklng the Ihe r mysten myslen mysteri mystens mysteris s ways h h'ld hld had ' d not con m tied tted themsdvcs them themSf themsl Sf sl ( 1\ 1 \ 1es es on the result it still slill hadn tifn t tcn tcn ( cn ed reil re'll rell real ' to 10 Mr Winkle Wmkle that hew he hew w . . Id ld be sen seT ! usiy usly considered as a aS asId S ( sId ( Id er aI I The not ce Ct " couldi couldr couldt t mean him I x ) ( ked at It again to see if It potsbiy pos possi possibly i ! ibly bly there had been sime same s me mistakeB mistake B it he saw his name typed out outboldly outboldly outboldly boldly Wilbcrt Wilbert George WinkleThe Winkle Wmkle WinkleThe The thought of ot gome gOing ID in and tell telling telltrig tellIne ing trig Mrs Winkle about it II swept over overhi overhim overhi him hi n 11 The prospect of this was one oneof oneof at of both panic and intente Intense Interest InterestC'ert'llnly interestCertainly interestCertiinly C'ert'llnly Certllnly Certainly ' ' it would take i a ' ! lot of the thesir thestrng toettrcng sir strng < ( ng wind out of her sallsMrs sailsMrs sails salls sailsMrs Mrs Winkle Wmkle during re it years yearshdd yearshad yearshad hdd had developed into a positive Indl indlv v dual who was prone to run her herhusband herhusband herhusband husband toe the way a locomotive en eng eng enC g neer kept his hand on toe the throt throtlie throttie throttie lie tie Mr Winkle never Uked Dked liked to put putIhls putthis putthis Ihls this into toe the actual term of ot hen henpecking henrecking licking pecking ; > but nevertheless that wall was wall.he was.he wasAe .he he . . true state stale of affairsNow affairsNow affairs affairsNow Now he be wondered how Amy would wouldlake , " ould ouldtake ouldtake take lake It . There was little littlc litt she 5he could coulddo coulddo coulddo do about tt it She wouldn t be able ableto ableto ableto , to argue with this nor impose her herwill herwill herwill will In any way upon IL it it . He feltI felta felt I a btUe lJttle little sorry sOITY tor for her bel ' tor for be he knew that deep down In spite of her sharp sharpwords sharpwords sharpwords words and orders she loved him and andhe andhe andhe he loved her Beyond his Ipecula specula Ipeculation speculalion speculalion tion lion on how bow she would receive the thenews thenews toenewa about abouttelling abouttelling abouttelling news he had a reluctance telling her herYet herYet herYet Yet he didn dldn t sec see what else hecould he be hecould becould could do With a sigh he went intotoe into intothe intothe the house houseMrs houseMrs houseMrs Mrs Winkle was already behindher behind behindher behindher her half hall of 01 the newspaper in thebreakfast the thebreakfast thebreakfast breakfast nook which was all toedining the thedining thedining dining room their small house possessed pos possessed posseared sessed seared Mr Winkle In his mindcould mind mindcould mindcould could look right through the paperand paper paperand paperand and see her a well welI nlled filled out lady ofexactly ot of oteCacUy ofexactly eCacUy exactly ) : his own age To a personseeing person personseeing personseeing seeing her for tor the first time sheappeared she sheappeared sheappeared appeared dainty in spite of bel her herplumpness herplumpness ' plumpness quite feminine and of ofan ofan ofan an eminenUy eminently good nature It was wasa wasa wasa a shock upon second glance to tonotice tonotice tonoUce notice toe the way her lips pressed pressedthemseives pressedthemselves pressedthemselves themseives themselves together and the per perpetual perpetual perpetual petual frown trown that creased toe the other otherwise otherwise otherwise wise smooth pink skin between bel her herblue herblue ' blue eyesAmy eyes eyesAmy eyesAmy Amy paid no attention as Mr MrWmkie MrWinkle MrWinkle Wmkie Winkle carefully stepped over Pe Penelope Penelope Penelope nelope toe the third member of ot the thefamily thefamily toefamily toefamilyTheir family familyTheir Their sad eyed spaniel 5panlel was set settied settied setUed tied on toe the floor with her black mw max maxzle muzzle : zle resting on her piws p'lWS plWS pews ' At eight eightPenelope , , Penelope in her dog world was ap- ap approximately approximately ap approximately - - proximately Mr Winkle s . com compara comparative comparaUve para parative tive age in the human world She Shewas Shewas Shewas was as amiable and mild as Mr MrWinkle MrWinkle MrWinkle Winkle himself hlmsel1 Never having been beenallowed beenallowed beenallowed allowed a husband she had a rather ratherdroopy ratherdroopy ratherdroopy droopy disposition Now in her mid middIe middie middie dIe age she had given up hope and andno andno andno no longer pretended to any Interest Interestat at the sight slght of a male but sImply sImplysniffed simplysniffed simplysniffed sniffed loftily or ignored toe the meet meet- meeting meeting meeting - - ing altogetherPenelope altogetherPenelope altogether altogetherPenelope Penelope Mr Winkle thought thoughtwas thoughtwas thoughtwas was no more prepared tor for toe the large largeadventurolls largeadventurous largeadventurovs adventurolls adventurous , and dangerous things thingsof thingsof thingsof of life hfe such as s war than heHe heHe he heHe He sat heavily In his place In the thebreaktast thebreakfast toebreakfast breaktast breakfast nook From behind her herpaper herpaper herpaper paper Mrs Winkle Wmkle demanded demandedAnything demandedAnything demandedAnything Anything for me me7 me7No ? No o 0 answered Mr Winkle Wmkle WinkleAt WmkleAt WinkleAt At his drawing out of the wordMrs word wordMrs wordMrs Mrs Winkle Wmkle put her paper aside andlooked and andlooked andlooked looked at 8 t her husband She didn duin : tsee t tsee tsee see what h he < had received tor for heheld he heheld heheld held it below toe the table But fromtoe from fromthe fromthe the look of Mr Winkle Wmkle and toe the toneof tone toneot toneof ot of his voice the she knew at once onceMrs onceMrs onceMrs Mrs Winkle was the flrst tlrst first to speakagain speak speakagam speakagain agam again Her 11er frown deepened and herlips her herlips herlips lips were tight light when she stated diaapprovingly dis disapprovingly disapprovingly approvingly Wilbert your noticehas notice noticehas noticehas has come comeSilently comeSilently comeSilently Silently Mr Winkle Wmkle handed over overthe overthe overthe the notice to herMrs herMrs her herMrs Mrs Winkle Wmkle took it in at a sinfle single glance Her face tace went wh te to Her Herfrown Herfrown Herfrown frown disappeared dlSappedred and her mouth mouthsoftened mouthsoftened mouthsoftened softened She looked bewildered as asII asif asif II if props had been knocked out from fromunder fromunder fromunder under her andshe and she had no soJid solid soJidground solidground solidground ground to stand on She said breath breathlessly breathlessly breathlessly lessly as it If d caught off guardYou guardYou guard guardYou You re going to war warMr warMr warMr Mr Winkle cleared his throat so soas soas BOas as to be sure he could control his hisown hisown hisown own voice trying trymg it out this way waywithout waywithout waywithout without first chancing chancmg how it might mights s und and It 11 means he ext ex ( ! lamed lamedI I 1 m just be ng n ( p'lssed plssed passed p ' ssed On on n to the theArmy theArmy toeArmy Army doctorsYou doctorsYou doctors doctorsYou You re g ing 109 to war Mrs Win Winkie Winkle Winkle kie kle repeated in a whisht whislr wills ! t ( r Now she sheiooked shelooked shelooked iooked looked actually frightened amazed amazedand amazedand amazedand and hurtIt hurtIt hurt hurtIt It had been years since Mr Win Winkle Winkle Winkle kle had seen such expres expressions lOns on his hiswIfe hiswife hiswife wIfe s face They affected him deep deepIy deeply deeply Iy ly He began Now Amy- Amy AmyYou AmyYou Amy - You 11 II be killed Mrs Winkle Winklewailed Winklewailed Winklewailed wailed At this and perhaps perhapsat at toe the new girange slrange strange tone in Mrs MrsWinkle MrsWinkle MrsWinkle Winkle s voice Penelope befan began to tohowl tohowl tohowl tohowlMr howl howlMr Mr W nkle hadCOt hadcon had coi COt con nted on no nosuch nosuch nosuch such behavrr behavior on the part of ot his hiswife hiswife hiswife wife He had become so accustomed accustomedto to her ht"r htr " shrewish ways that he hadn t tpictured tpictured tpictured pictured them being belllg punctured punclured so soabruptly soabruptly soabruptly soabruptlyHe abruptly abruptlyHe He real zed what B a blow It was toher to toher toher her She w was s threatened with Withnot nothaving not nothavmg nothaving havmg having him around to order about aboutTo aboutTo To have h m removed from rrom herand her herand herand and sent off oft ' to war destroyed herdefenses her herdefenses , detenses defenses and left her bewildered andalone and andalone andalone alone It revealed toe the basic at af of offection affection fection - n nh she . -h- h - hhad - had tor for him Mr Winklo Winkle WInk I " , reflected tlected that it was taking toegreatest the thegreatest greatest war In to history hlstorv to accomplish accom accorn accompJsh accornpush pJsh push ! toll thiS tollFrom thiSFrom thisFrom From toe the look on her face MrWinkle Mr MrWinkle MrWinkle Winkle almost expected Amy to be begin begin begin gin weeping But she didn dldn t She Shejust Shejust Shejust just sat there staring stanng at him her hereyes hereyes hereyes eyes bright and wide and dry and andhe andhe andhe , he sa.t sat sat . staring at her They re regarde6 regarden regardeA garde6 garden garde6each gardeneach each other awesom awesomely ly while whilePenelope whilePenelope whilePenelope Penelope continued to howlPenelope howlPenelope howl howlPenelope Penelope was interrupted by the theshriIJ theshrill toethrill shriIJ shrill ringing of toe the telephone Mr MrWinkle MrWinkle MrWinkle Winkle made a movement to go Into Intothe intothe intotoe the living room to answer it but butMrs butMrs butMrs Mrs Winkle Wmkle with a rather wild look lookon lookon lookon on her bel ' face started IItarted before he did didShe didShe didShe She appeared to want to do some something something something thing definiteSitting definiteSitting definite definiteSitting Sitting in the breakfast nook Mr MrWinkle MrWinkle MrWinkle Winkle heard her voiceWhy voiceWhy voice voiceWhy Why yes I suppose suppos so 50 she shefaltered shefaltered shefaltered faltered Just a minuu minute minuteAny minuteAny ? Any hesitancy didn dldn ddn ) t sound lIound like likeAmy likeAmy Amy at all Rather It sourdcfl sourdcli sourdcd hire like hirethe likethe liketoe the Amy of or years Jears ago when Mr MrWinkle MrWinkle MrWinkle Winkle married her Her voice cam came * agala aaln again , , . calling li1 to li1to toto lato to him him . . , It s . the to newspaper-the newspaper the newspaper--they they newspapertheywant newspaper - - - theywant , ' want to come out and interviewyou interviewyou interview interviewyou you youAlarmed Alarmed at thif thil this and at Am Amy ) ' ask askinll asklog asking inll log his advice advlce about something aometh1og |