Show THE FICTION ION CORNER j SEAL OF APPROVAL I. I By fly JOHN JOlIN H. H HOSE nOSE He Ic had bean boon away a long time but Armands Armand's appeared much the same to him him even even to the thc apartment across the street which he nearly passed by-passed in his bitterness j I ARMANDS ARMAND'S A looked much the even alter after seven I same years I The ThC long lunch counter on the right 1 extended the full length of at the room the polished fittings of the soda I fountain gleaming in dual rows as asI I they reflected themselves in the mirror behind the counter To the left were the red leather booths IHal Malt way back was a wide doorway heading beading leading to the dining rooms and f dance floor beyond I looked for old Peter the clean up man who was II thc favorite of at the high school kids who frequented the place But he was not in sight A new soda jerk polished the spotless surface before I me and the girl who took my order was also a newcomer LIlA It said and I A chocolate malted I I strolled to the jukebox in the far I corner while the lit little tIe mixer hummed I punched the numb numbers rs at random and fed the music box a couple of at coins Back on my stool I saw that Armand Armand Armand Ar- Ar mand was sitting at the little alcove table overlooking the entire room L I 4 IC 1 1 n 3 I- I F kr I C I S Sr r 1 A I V 1 I ii The scent of her bad had been everywhere her soft sort hair cascading i I gently to her shoulders the big brown eyes long lashes her soft soU white skin and her pouting lips Ups vividly but carefully painted to enI entice entice en en- I I tice the likes of me I He always sat in hi this spot or perched on a stool in the cashiers cashier's I I cage He glanced up and smiled like a fat little buddha come to life I He didn't speak I thought I He doesn't remember me But I then I am the only customer in the place he must have smiled at me j He remembers me all right I thought but doubtless doesn't relish the memory I turned away I couldn't help but stare out the window Her apartment apart apart- ment was just across the street i j I third floor front The windows windo overlooking overlooking overlooking over over- looking the street were dark Being so near her set the butterflies hopping hopping hop hop- I J ping in the pit of my stomach I returned to ro the fountain and sipped at the malted J. J t Seven years How do people mark markI l I the passage of seven years To Toi some its it's the span of at a witch's curse i 1 on a broken mirror The return of i the locust The end of at the itch PilI Pilgrimages Pil Pil- I to Mecca Sabbatical I leaves for teachers Each has his I own way of at reckoning Seven years or a century I glanced at Armand To him it itI probably meant another mother chin I more money To her I had no F 1 idea It started to rain Belting down hard little torrential streams poured from the awnings just as they had the first night we came to Armands Armand's Her guardian angel shed she'd called him He had to meet and approve all her new friends For years ears they had been neighbors and Armand was a kind of paternal friend since her own father had died As the old boy gave me the once over that night she had laughed gaily And silly or not I felt pretty swell when he came over and treated treated treat trent ed us She told me he gave his seal of at approval by treating i if he liked I you I was in I I ordered another malted for the thc sake of at the memory and looked up toward the little alcove Armand had detached himself from his chair and with no small amount of at effort was waddling along behind the thc counter I waited thinking of at that other night when she had been at my side The scent of her had been everywhere her soft hair cascading cascading cascading cas cas- cading gently to her shoulders the big brown bro eyes long lashes her soft white skin and her pouting lips vividly but carefully painted to entice entice entice en en- tice the likes of me The old guardian guardian guardian guar guar- dian and I looked at each other for fora a long minute I wondered if he was remembering Finally he smiled So he hadn't forgotten Its been a long time Mr Anderson Ander Ander- son he said in his ingratiating rumble I T 1 STUCK out my hand replying I Its been a very long time Ar Ar- mand you been Not bad not bad he shrugged A bit older a trifle wiser I cant can't complain His eyes wandered across the street as he left unsaid the answer to my mr unasked question Are you back in town to ro stay he added as a kind of afterthought That all depends I said and wondered about that wiser busi busi- ness She certainly must have told him all aU about me But he sounded friendly enough I watched as he glanced again toward the front I knew he was looking up at her apartment windows I tried to sound casual as I asked Anita been in lately He stroked his handful of chins and seemed to tobe tobe tobe be making a decision before he an an- I fidgeted and sipped again at the malted He sto stood d watching me for a long minute then he be said She was in last night he said As a matter of at fact we were talkIng talkIng talking talk- talk Ing about you Mr Anderson He picked up my empty glass and forced it down over the automatic washer I nodded too busy thinking about what he said to ro even reply properly So they had been talking about me What did that mean I was certain neither of at them knew the real story behind my sudden n departure Id I'd had to go in a hurry No one knew except John and Peggy As far as the others were concerned concerned I was just a guy who had taken his firm for tor a few hundred dollars They probably figured Id I'd been lucky to escape prison That I had been covering for John was nobody's business I didn't approve approve approve ap ap- ap- ap prove what Johnny had done but Peggy was my sister With three kids and another on the way Johnny knew his salary wouldn't be able to stand the stretch Instead of laying his problems before his boss and asking for a n raise he lost his head He did the foolish thing Others had done it before I got him out of the mess but no one knew this but the three of at us so 0 I 1 figured any conversation about me wouldn't be complimentary compliment compliment- ary unless they'd discovered that I wasn't just a cheap thle thief I wondered wo She lived at the same place Armand was friendly toward me mc What did it all add up to But did they know these things about Peggy and John Did they know that the money had been repaid repaid re rc- re- re paid Or were they like the others did did they suspect that I was just a bum I guess I might just as well forget about the thc whole thing and go some place to start all over again I took one last look toward her apartment picked up my coat and asked the girl for my check Armand Armand Ar Ar- mand had stepped to one of the booths to greet some folks who had come in just as the rain ram started I waited for him at the cashiers cashier's booth at the end of at the counter I was disgusted and showed It I guess Finally Armand shuffled over to the cash register and took the check the girl had given me all right Mr Anderson he tie said This is my treat Good luck I muttered my thanks and went outside to stand under the awning wondering where to go in the gloomy downpour Then it suddenly suddenly suddenly sud sud- denly dawned on me Armand had lad treated His seal of at approval I was still Mr Big across the street that's what he be was trying to tell me Armand had let me rae know that in his ils quaint unobtrusive way I looked again at the apartment win win- dows There was a light there now She was home homel I II I didn't even look up and down the street but dashed out into the rain This was it I The thing Id I'd waited a million minutes for This made up for every lonely night every remark handed out by those who didn't know I was going home I could say all aU the things that had been seen bottled up inside me for so long ong I could tell her now how much I loved her how I had longed for her ier I glanced back as I entered the building Armand was peering out the door his round face pressed against the glass a wide smile spread across his countenance as I waved merrily before climbing the stairs to the third floor front |