Show Vw- Vw FIr J f ITS IT'S THE LAW By CLARISSA LORENZ net eO t M T Y HEAD was in the clouds that 1 warm day in April driving up Broadway The radio in my jalopy was tuned in on Tom ON ONeill O'Neill my favorite voice of the year I 1 was listening listening listening lis lis- to The Hour when the sharp blast of a whistle brought me down to this too too solid earth Pd Id I'd driven straight through a red light As a big burly traffic cop swaggered swaggered swaggered swag swag- over to my battered coupe my knees shook I 1 had a deep respect respect respect re re- re- re for law and order I the big idea sister he bellowed Im sorry officer I said meekly I was late for school Better be late than sorry he said in an altogether different voice as he caught O'Neill's lush rendition of Irresistible You He jerked his head and smiled at the radio You know that guys guy's not bad Hes simply super I gurgled He makes all me pimply goose The blue eyes of the law flickered then fell on the volume of Popular Melodies on the seat beside me Music What do you do for a alivin living livine PIano Piano teacher I replied at Miss Follens Day School I gave him a wan smile He pushed back his cap and wiped the moist blond ringlets plastered to his brow Ever ClEver do any radio work That made me wince I 1 just wish I had a dollar for every audition Ive I've had Pull over he ordered I obeyed with alacrity At the curb I became voluble Anything to stave off a ticket I told him that radio was a snare and delusion for any ambitious young girl Id I'd got nowhere nowhere no no- nowhere where Sorry we have our own staff accompanist Sorry nothing nothing nothing noth noth- ing right now but if you'll leave your name name- He grinned and it was like a burst of sunshine He leaned against my car looking at me as if I were a crossword puzzle Say how about dinner tonight You could have knocked me over with a feather Why I dont don't believe be be- lieve lieve I I began primly You see see see- If he thought I was a girl who could be picked up even by a policeman policeman policeman police police- man Okay sister he grunted I get it it Then his voice became official again Well Vell Ill I'll let you off this time Thank you Thank yo you officer I said But dont don't let it happen again Remember Im I'm keeping my eye on you I looked at my watch Id I'd never make it by nine Not when I had to pick up that daily cargo of seven squirming kids and convoy them to the red brick building that was my prison five days a week I sighed Art is long and life is short and didn't I know it Id I'd probably go goon goon goon on teaching sassy brats five-finger five exercises until the grave yawned Especially now that Charlie had gone international on me Corporal Charles Brent No 1 heel When I got his bombshell of a letter two months ago telling me cooly hed he'd fallen for one of those I kissed all hope goodbye of every marrying an artist Charlie played the bassoon before the Army made him play the bazooka Until today I thought hed he'd broken my heart But that night in bed when I tried to picture him all I could see were a pair of blue sly eyes strong white teeth and moist blond ringlets under a policeman's cap I felt a twinge of remorse at having snubbed him What if he was just a traffic cop Maybe something could still be done about it r r 0 tit a A I E U y yr r 1 J a o c But dont don't let it happen again Remember Im I'm keeping my eye on you Next morning t I wore my new Easter bonnet a pink flyaway con con- On my radio ONeill O'Neill was giving deliriously with Time Waits for No One My heart went as I approached the crossing on Broadway There stood my nice giant in a shaft of sunlight I drove straight through the red light At the blast of that tin whistle I jammed on the brake He sauntered over twirling twirling twirling twirl twirl- ing his shiny toy Well V ell sister he said sternly if youre you're gonna make it a habit I have to take steps Lets Let's see your li li- li cense I looked at him in sheer dismay ONeill O'Neill went crooning on but my traffic cop seemed deaf this morn morn- ing Make it snappy So I fumbled In my imitation alligator bag and fished out the license folder Beryl Thompson he read and took down the number name and address handed it to me Here you are You conceited goon I told myself myself myself my my- self hotly watching his broad back Serves you right The low ceiling depression that hung lung over me all that day was lifted at 5 35 when I 1 got back to my room and found a message to call calI Mr Burnham at the radio station I flew to the hall phone Be at the studio tomorrow night at sharp he said over the phone The next day I was on hand long before six Its a transcription program program program pro pro- gram Mr Burnham explained I Miss Miles the studio accompanist accompanist accompanist is out sick and her substitutes substitute's having a baby the program Mr Burnham Burnham Burnham Burn- Burn ham The Hour Studio B. B Heres Here's the music You'll have plenty of time tune to rU run 1 through it before ONeill O'Neill gets here ONeill But he broadcasts mornings doesn't he He records at 6 the night be be- fore A AS S THE green baize door of Studio 1 A B closed soundlessly behind me I felt like turning cartwheels A little before 6 30 a familiar voice broke up my practicing Hello sister I looked up and my fingers began to prickle There was my traffic cop bareheaded and in shirtsleeves Pardon the attire he said with mock politeness Im not supposed to wear my coat off duty Are you Tom ONeill O'Neill Professionally speaking yes He came over and began polishing with his hand the badge on his blue shirt which read The Singing Cop Nobody knows about it except except except ex ex- ex- ex the gang here I told em it had to be that way or else If U the boys down at the station knew I was a crooning canary life wouldn't be worth livin I sat still looking slightly ga Say he said his eyes twinkling a fine reception considering that I finagled you a radio aradio job You did I gasped But Mr Burnham said said said- He waved his big hand at me I know When I heard about Miss Miles I asked him to give you a try- try out He looked up at the clock Okay beautiful Lets Let's try that old number Why Dont Don't You Fall inLove in inLove inLove Love With Me I obeyed mechanically As I said before I have a deep respect for forlaw forlaw forlaw law and order z rv rE r i Sj f WHEN YOU ADMIRE ADl YOU ARE HAPPY A man who was my friend is gone He was a man everyone loved He could go into any company company company com com- pany and inside of five minutes win every person in that company as his friend His genius was the genius for expressing his warm and friendly friend friend- ly personality Last night when I was thinking over our friendship for each other and trying to analyze to see if I could discover the true secret of his i gift I hit upon something that hadn't ever occurred to me before His genius was the genius of knowing how to admire Ive I've never known anyone who was wasso wasso wasso so filled with admiration and enthusiasm enthusiasm enthusiasm for everything in the wide world as he was About things that you and I take for granted he went into raptures In the lowliest and meanest of lives he saw qualities to o praise Yes Im I'm sure his genius was the genius for admiration and that that was what made him liked and popular and happy for you know what I am telling you that he was a happy man How could he be otherwise when he found all all' the world and its contents infinitely beautiful and exciting ex- ex citing As I was thinking about him last night I couldn't help comparing him contrasting him rather with rather with another another another an an- other friend In his friends this other friend of mine finds nothing to admire ad ad- admire mire absolutely nothing He attacks everything The institutions which men have founded are grounded on stupidity The heads of our government government govern govern- ment are crooks Is he happy You know he is not I think it probably is easier to be belike belike belike like the second man I have told you about than the first for it seems to tobe tobe tobe be one of the traits of human nature to like to find fault rather than to find things that are good Yet I am convinced that anyone with a little practice and attention to the job fob can acquire part of the genius of the man I started telling you about in this little article the article the theman man who had the genius for admira admira- tion Just as an experiment suppose for forone forone forone one day only you do not criticize anything or anybody Look for something to admire and praise If you look liard hard enough for something to praise you can find it but if you dont don't find it right off dont don't say saya a word of criticism just criticism just keep still if you cant can't praise Its It's amazing the effect this has on your life and on your outlook on the world One man to whom I gave this advice advice advice ad ad- vice a short time ago said it was like going out into the sunlight after leaving a darkened room when he beg began n to see the world as an admirer admirer ad ad- mir r rather than as a fault Consider that an experiment of this kind will take just lust one day of your time and not cost one cent Dont Don't you think its it's worthwhile |