Show r I Vur I fiCTION L QU QUESTION By FREDERICK 2 RI OF S SKERRY ANGLES LES I tt R CU Cornet ne I A it TRIANGLE Sure if you think in geometrical figures But counting Mary Hill with the three men you'd have a square wouldn't you Anyhow we were on the Wild River bridge job A nice change it was too with Barret Falls Center only a mile away no construction camp in this picture You could get room roam and board in somebody's house or you could take a room only and eat out And the boys who hadn't been too quick in grabbing a room and board took their morning and evening meals at the Elite Lunch that Lunch that is those who had got a peek at what was inside the three- three sided counter I did myself And Mary l Hill was very good for forthe forthe forthe the eyes Fresh and sweet and cool- cool looking she was in her white rig even on the hottest day day and and lovely to look at I figured she was 28 or 29 That steel crew v though was a anew anew anew new breed to Mary Hill A happy- happy lucky go bunch as ready for a scrap as a frolic working hard and playing hard One night when I was almost the last to leave Mary said I HI suppose the danger you fellows I are in all day makes you gay and light-hearted light when you get away from it Men l fall sometimes dont don't they UN Not ot often tt I said It looks worse than it is A man is careful You get used to height By this time the competition for Mary was all but general I was on the side lines you might say Being field engineer I was some older than most of the boys not boys not so much but enough to make me conscious of the difference Jack Benz Clem Sask and Dave Johnson seemed to tobe tobe tobe be favored Benz a looking good-looking wise-cracking wise chap eventually monopolized monopolized monopolized mo mo- Marys Mary's time Dave Johnson was the quiet serious serious serious seri seri- ous kind and an A l bridge jack But now that he seemed out of the running he quit coming altogether Clem Sask and Benz were not talk talk- ing Working from both ends we were now almost ready to join steeL Jack and Dave and Clem were together on the down river truss They'd put the head of a strut or a diagonal in place for the riveters then go down downto to bolt the foot Dave was on a hanging platform below when Jack went down leaving Sask to tighten the bolts Jack had no sooner stepped on the platform hadn't time to anchor his safety belt l when Clem Sask dropped a spanner Clem let out a yell But that seven- seven pound spanner was on its way and bounced off Jacks Jack's head t t. t And Jack toppled to follow it f down to the river All of him but hisk his k legs lees was off that six bv by six Platform I But that was as as f far as s-h s he went t-b- t because because be be- cause Dave had grabbed a suspension suspension susI suspension sus sus- I pension line and had thrown himsel himself himself him him- self sel across Jacks Jack's legs Then he reached down the other hand and took a fistful of Jacks Jack's over all over and and whatever was underneath it and pulled Jack back And it all happened happened happened hap hap- while you'd be striking a ama ma match An ambulance took Jack to the nearest hospital a small one in a small town twenty miles away I Iguess Iguess Iguess guess they felt at the hospital that this job on Jack was too much for them because they delivered Jack to a big city hospital We put it down as an accident But I wished it hadn't happened between between between be be- tween that particular pair The news got to the Elite before we did and Mary shared the general gloom Later Clem asked for his tune time time- I which was just as well A few days later Dave began to eat again in the Elite And I quit staying late to look at Mary when she wasn't constantly on the move A few weeks afterwards we were practically finished with the bridge half hal the crew had left One night I went to the picture house and saw Mary and Dave sitting a couple of rows in front I figured that Dave was making up for lost time After the show while on my way to where I slept I crossed the street just as a acar acar acar car popped out of a cross street I got it in the right leg Evidently a busted leg wasn't too much for that little hospital in the next town anyhow that's where I landed Dave was waiting when they'd got my leg set and in a cast I had been wondering about him and Mary but he was no talker But ButI I was sure Id I'd find out something from Mary if I could see her And I did see her the next afternoon afternoon afternoon after after- noon she walked into my room not nota a minute after visit-time visit began But II is off Hes He's getting crutches for you Now I have it all figured out I have havea a perfectly good house and oodles of room and nobody in it but myself myself myself my my- self except when Ann James is there doing housework housework and and that's where you go from here Listen Mary I put in hi in Youve I been an angel of kindness But theres there's a limit I know what these I Ismall small places are Mary and I wont won't have you talked about on my account account account ac ac- ac- ac I count I see what you mean She looked down at me and her eyes were dreamy Of course it would be nice I said nothing and she wagged her head and looked at the ceiling I My heavens Did a woman ever work harder for a man That didn't make sense What man I said Youl You Who Vho else for goodness sake Listen Mary I said I felt all hollow inside Dont kid me not me-not not about that Im not kidding kidding anything anything but w wi i Y t V Vr r e. i And Jack toppled to follow it down to the river All of him but his legs was off that six sis by six platform the only news she let out was that Dave had heard that Jack was getting getting getting get get- ting on all right but would be laid up for a long time For three weeks Mary came every day Then the crew was through with the bridge and Dave making a alast alast alast last evening visit was as pan dead-pan as ever That puzzled me and I banked on Mary being less shut- shut mouthed A AND AND ND thinking of her I realized that once out of the hospital Id I'd see see little of her I had that load on my mind when she came next afternoon afternoon afternoon after after- I noon looking pleased as Punch She told me how the gang had bid her good-bye good the day before Then she said I had quite a compliment last night Charlie Dave asked me to marry him Congratulations Mary I said Dave is a grand guy And I meant it Yes he is she nodded Hell make a fine husband husband for for some girl who wants to worry about him while hes he's climbing over bridges But I had to turn him down Ill I'll marry nobody I have to worry about at the start That's that Now look I just talked with the doctor He says you can leave here in two or three days but you'll have to go goeasy goeasy goeasy easy on that leg even after the cast She reached out and grabbed my 1 hand Charlie you are dumb Did you think I was a district nurse or I something coming here everyday every everyday everyday day But But ButI I could hardly speak speak- I thought well with Jack and Dave Business dear she cut in I Iown Iown Iown own the Elite Lunch so why wouldn't I build up good will with the customers You never asked me out Not because I didn't want to I said But all those fellows Jack and Dave Dave- I She gave a kind of snort You didn't think a woman would be interested interested in in- in the only man around who didn't seem interested in her No So I had to find out all about you from those others And you had to go and get yourself hurt for me meto meto meto to get a good chance at you Listen I said A minute ago you said you wouldn't marry anybody anybody anybody any any- body who climbs bridges I know I did she admitted But your climbing days are over Charlie Charlie so so Doc says That stopped me Still I could always always always al al- al- al ways have a good berth in the plant or or some other plant My tongue seemed tied but I managed to make it work Would you marry me Mary l She was off the chair like a flash and sitting on the edge of the bed holding my hands Hes said it she laughed The dumb bunny has actually said it Would I So after all you might say that the affair turned out to be a pen tagon |