Show M WIN K 4 Z THEARE THEODORE PRATT RELEASE CHAP CHAPTER TERil I 1 it never in the world ever occurred ell rea to mr Mi winkle that hi he would be drafted and ana sent off to the wars war W a r was for young men not lor for a se settled married man ot of f forty 0 arty four there was talk ot of the Ar army mynot not wanting the older men but nothing had yet been done about this the thing being don done a w was as what mr win me kle received in iii this mornings mall mail when he be reached in the mailbox and took out the communication from his raft f board his hands trembled a atle peering through his metal rimmed glasses he read that he was classified I 1 A he knew what that meant alter after ten days time he was subject for induction into the united states army he stood there on the front steps ot of his bis house a small man engulfed by a tremendous event that toppled over his hia world aldand and sent it lt bowling wo off on into a space p ce like a cannon b ball all he thought diot not he ghobad been married lor for twenty years not he a former careful accod accountant 11 tant who was now the conservative proprietor ot of a modest general repair shop located in the a alley back of his bis house not he with his overly active and morbid imagination not he be who was no man of action but wa was s aar afraid a id to death of guns or violence violen c a 4 of f any sort not lie kio with his stored up mem memory of how bow BS as a boy boj with his 22 tl peering through his metal rimmed glasses be read he was classified IA rifle he had shot a squirrel the tiny animal fell from the high branch where he aimed at it landing with a thud on the hard ground when he held the warm fuzzy body in his hanche hand han dhe he was sick at heart at what he be had done in later life when he stepped on an ant or squashed a spider or even swatted a flyer by fly mr winkle felt squeamish at taking ule life upon being called by his draft board last week for physical examination mr winkle had bad thought that the strange doctor appreciated his bis dyspepsia his hii nearsightedness his caved in chest his good beginning on a paunch even though otherwise he was skinny enough to be underweight his lumped jumped up pul pulse seat at the slightest exertion and his general makeup make ulof up of no great muscularity never before had mr air winkle known himself to be such a physical wreck thi the doctor pursed his lips at the visual evidences of this close approach p to the grave he frowned in such a manner as to give mr winkle reason for counting on his bis not being recommended and though the doctor and the members of the draft board working their my mysterious sterl u s ways had not committed themselves se 1 aeson on the result it still teemed eme d real to mr winkle that he i rould ad b be seriously considered as i a Fold ler the notice mean him he looked booked at it again to see if possibly the there had been some mistake but be I 1 saw his name typed out boldly aubert george winkle i the te thought though t of going in andrell and telling Mr about it swept over him tile the prospect of this was one fc bf both panic and intense interest certainly it would take a lot of the strong wind out of her satis sails mrs mra winkle during dureg recent years had deve developed loped into intha a positive individual who was prone to run her husband the way a locomotive engineer kept his hia hand on the throttle mr winkle never liked to put as i into the actual term of henking but nevertheless that was W e tru estate of affairs now he wondered how amy would take it there was little she could lo do about it she be able to lo argue with this ncr npr impose her will in iny my way upon it he felt i etue wry dorher Jor or her for he be knew that deep down to in spite of her ber sharp words and orders she loved him and he loved her beyond his speculation on how she would receive the news he had a reluctance about telling her yet he see what else he could do with a sigh he went into the house mrs mrs winkle was already b behind e hind her half of the newspaper in the bre breakfast a keast nook which was all the dining room their small house possessed mr winkle in his mind could look right through the paper and see her a well filled out lady of exactly his own age to a I 1 person seeing her for or the first time she appeared dainty in iii i spite of her plumpness quite feminine and of an eminently good nature it was a shock upon second glance to notice the way her lips pressed themselves together and the perpetual frown that creased the otherwise pink skin between her blue eyes I 1 amy paid no attention as mr winkle carefully stepped over penelope the third member of the family their sad eyed spaniel was settled on thi the floor with her black muzzle resting on her paws at eight penelope in her dog world was approximately mr winkles comparative age in the human world she was as amiable and mild as mr winkle himself never hav having in g b been e en rowed allowed a husband she had a rather droopy disposition now in her mid dle die age she had given up hope and ana na longer pretended to any interest at the sight of a male but simply sniffed loftily or ignored the meeting altogether penelope mr winkle thought was wag no more prepared tor for the large adventurous and dangerous things of life such as war than he be he sat heavily in his ls place in the breakfast nook from behind her paper mrs winkle demanded anything for me noo no o 0 answered mr winkle at his bis drawing out of the word mrs winkle put her paper aside and looked at her husband she see what he had received for he be held it below the table but from the look of mr winkle tone of his voice she knew at once mrs winkle was the first to speak a again aln her frown deepened and her ups lips were tight when she stated disapprovingly wilbert your notice has come silently mr winkle handed over the notice to her mrs winkle took it anat in at a single ga glance ance her face went white her frown disappeared and her mouth softened bened she looked bewildered as it if props had been knocked out from under her and she had no solid ground to stand on she said breathlessly as if caught off guard youre going to war mr winkle cleared his throat so as to be sure hi he could control his own voice trying it out this way without first chancing how it might sound it means he explained im just being passed on to the army doctors youre going to war mrs winkle repeated in a whisper now she looked actually frightened amazed and hurt it had been years since mr winkle had seen such espres expressions on en his cifes face they al affected him deeply he began now amy be kil kluegl ledl mrs winkle walled wailed at this excitement and perhaps at the new strange tone in mrs winkles voice penelope began to howl mr winkle had counted on no such behavior on the part of his wife he had become so accustomed to her shrewish ways that he pictured them being punctured so abruptly he realized what a blow it was to her she was threatened with not having him around to order about to have him removed from her and sent off to war dest destroyed Toyed her defenses and left her bewildered and alone it revealed the basic affection she had lor for him mr winkle reflected that it was taking the greatest war in history hestor to accomplish this from the look on her face mr winkle almost expected amy to begin weeping but she she just sat thore there staring at him her eyes bright and wide and dry and he sat staring at her they regarded each other awesomely while penelope continued to howl bowl penelope was waa interrupted by the shrill ringing of the telephone mr winkle made a movement to go into the living room to answer it but mrs winkle with a rather wild look on hereace her face started before he did she appeared appear edito to want lantto to do something definite sitting in the breakfast nook mr winkle heard her voice why yes I 1 suppose so she faltered just a minute any hesitancy sound like amy at all rather it sounded like the amy of years ago when mr winkle married her hervoich Her Heri voice came again calling ta li to ahlm pits if a the newspaper they want to come out and interview I 1 you alarmed Alarm eif at this and at amy asking ingals his advice about something instead of 0 deciding it herself mr amri winkle asked me now here mrs winkle gave an affirmative answer to each of these questions h her er words sounding like strangled chirps mr winkle thought desperately suddenly he wanted to lash out at something certainly not he said 1 I cant wait around here ive got to get to the shop and I 1 dont tell them I 1 dont want to be interviewed mrs winkle passed on his views over the telephone they seem to make much impression for mrs winkle after listening to what was said in reply kept agreeing doubtfully yes yes but oh I 1 can see probably right she hung bung up and came back she appeared to be slightly dazed they said she told mr winkle that youre already something of a celebrity from being the first married r rie d man in the older mens classification to be drafted and that its YO your ur patriotic duty to set a good ex example m ale coming out here to take pictures of of asboth us both 1 I wont do it he said and you but wilbert Wl lbert mrs winkle protested it wont look right if we dont 1 I dont care how it looks wheres my hat he was emboldened to toe be peremptory wheres nay my lunch box boxt he saw them both where they were kept ready for his departure to 0 o business he snatched them up almost savagely and clamped the lat hat on his head he felt so aroused for many years he quite know what to make of the way ow P I 1 0 it until he bud bad gone game some ray lay that it occurred to him he had forgotten ire otten to kiss his wife goodby lie be felt tor for there was fear mixed in him too along alone with his bis unaccustomed anger mainly there was the sense of being unnerved by an unsure amy he turned and marched to the front door mrs winkle followed him wilbert WU bert she said weakly you have to and you know it bythe by the time he reached the ate steps pa ou outside aside mr winkle had somewhat calmed his small storm was near nearly over he bi blinked inked ii 07 suppose e he admitted ill have to do a lot of things I 1 dont feel eel like doing abruptly he be strode away down the walk and then along the street it until he be had gone some way that it occurred to him he had forgotten lor gotten to kiss his wile wife goodby it was the first time he had neglected this ritual in their whole married life ordinarily he would have been called back and given instructions but there was no sound from amy guiltily he glanced once behind to see her still standing on we the steps her hand band at her throat wate watching hing him depart penelope was at her feet staring after him mourn mournfully fally it may seem curious that though mr winkles place of business was located right in I 1 ba back cleof of his house bouse he be go eo out through the rear door and across the fifty feet of yard to reach his shop to the winkles this strange at all there was quite a good reason for ih it it or originated froni from mr Vin winkles kles career as asa a public accountant having disappeared during the depression secretly he war just as glad for or he had never cared much for dealing in long rows of someone alses figures he greatly preferred tinkering with mechanical things tor for which he had bad a decided flair and a delicate touch 1 TO BE BB CONTINUED |