Show r eil theodofe PRATT I 1 11 RELEASE aciner THE STORY FAR I 1 I 1 forty four our year old wilbert winkle who it if the pro ol at a general beneral repair shop hop to the lie i alley back of bli ati 1 home li Is notified by his bit draft board that he li Is in la IA n he 1 had 1 ad thought though 4 th that t the doctor who ex exam m ined hiew him would 0 old not ov overlook e r I 1 oak his ala la his hl near ne and his caved in ghent chest he breaks break the bad news new to his wile wit amy and goes foe to work without kiss kin las loger her goodby doaby the next day a newspaper photographer calls on him at his shop and takes take his picture which appears later on the front aront aage paie under tie the caption winkle proud proudly to lo fight the tory story explains that winkle vias wai the birst married se lectie in Spring springville ville to be called III th the telephones telephone i been ringing ever since the paper came out she annoula announced ced people I 1 seen or heard of in years have called one domant woman I 1 know at all 1 1 mean she was a perfect stranger what did she want asked mr winkle amy looked baffled 1 I dont know she As ie replied plied she said she just jus felt she hadbo had to call As tt if oh ob wilbert as if you were dead already mrs winkle had often glared at him as if herself wishing him dead dead si the Petti grews were first to arrive mrs pettigrew was red eyed from weeping and now her concern that he might be killed seemed a little outlandish mr winkle winkl e in merely er ely said well im not dead allbert Wl lbert ilbert how do you really leel feel thilbert Tj this as morning there time to L tad find ou out V mrs winkle gazed at him doubtfully again at her hesitancy at this suggestion that the upper band was being returned to gimmi him mr Mi winkle had an impulse to remind her of certain things and again he retrained fra trained ined not thinking the urge was quite deci decent nt but he did protest amyl amy dont you look at me like that like what she asked As if I 1 that mouse look he accused shi she looked abis abashed bed at ai first mr winkle could not hot accept the fact that the expression wis was on her face 1 I mean to she replied she sounded humble 1 I cant help being the way I 1 am mr winkle stated OPe ot course ourse dear no one can mr winkle was amazed but still he say anything about the miracle occurring before his very vera eyes he caie care to embarrass amy tl 1 I feel he said in answer to io her previous question like taking two doses formy tor my dyspepsia lie he tumbled fumbled to in his pocket lor for his pills and brought them out some people are coming in to night mrs winkle revealed cs as sh she bustled to iet get dinner just the folks on the street astounded mr winkle asked what lor for well they wanted to see you especially we the Petti grews their boy jack mai has been called too hes twenty you k know n ov hell be going off with you the evening when it came around was something ot of a combination of a funeral a wedding a union 1 anda and a celebration ele bration I 1 tor for a person leave on a dangerous expedition the grews were the firotto first firs tto to arrive mrs pettigrew was red eyed aam from weeping and she burst into new tears when she saw mr winkle they probably wont take you she he wept but jack Jack take him and hii hes only a baby mr pettigrew himself said laid this Is crazy winkle heres jack hardly over sucking his thumbs and heres here you yau old enough to be his bis father mr winkle and jack eyed each bother ther thi the boy was wai self bell conscious as i the young are in the presence of their elders who discuss them mr winkle in his hl position as an adult felt called upon to say something even though he be really had nothing to say ay ka wen well jack lip bp told the boy ill it looks as an it U were being called by sw country yes air jack said lie he could make nomore of mr winkle being dratted drafted along with him than mr winkle could make of jack being selected aloni with him hommr mr winkle wished that the boy be quite so respectful more people came they chattered and gazed curiously at mrs winkle as if they believe what their eyes saw borwhat nor what their ears heard some of them thein were earnest about mr winkles predicament some wondered and others were amused mr winkle liked the last least of all he see why people should laugh at him mr wescott their next door neighbor a rather pompous individual cornered mr winkle and stated if youre the kind of soldier were going to have god help us he stared at mr winkle as tt if to ask him how he ev ever ergot got himself into this I 1 mr winkle think this was very patriotic mr wescott who was prone to tell anybody all about how anything was conducted and who could well afford to inform mr i winkle about his future because he as was over forty five and not subject to military duty wen went t on to say of course you know they the wont use you as a combatant you you dont think so mr winkle asked hopefully think it out tor for yourself man mr wescott lectured have enough young fellows to do the actual fighting they want men in their proper places according to their abilities why calling you in the first place so you can release a fighting man to fight mr winkle was encouraged they wont waste you as a killer mr wescott assured him mr winkle know whether to feel flattered or insulted his neighbor looked at him critically as if gauging him for the first time you be any good anyway use you in some kind of mechanical work well said mr winkle 1 I could handle that his courage took hold of him at this talk but un understand dern sta d me if I 1 thought f was capable of using a gun id do it anywhere they say no sir mr wescott went on never see active service I 1 can tell you that you dont have to worry about that tora fora minute mr winkle ceased to worry but only for the allowed min minute u te for mr mi wescott then looked thoughtful tho u and amended of course men of y your our age are being used tor for combat in all the and tt if get to that stage with us I 1 suppose youve got to consider that you might have to do a little shooting or bayonet work when it was time for their visitors to leave they shook mr winkles hand as if bidding him goodby before he went into action mrs pet tigress ti grews tears had dried but her perturbation remained she pleaded 0 of mr winkle look after jack wont you mr winkle despite all his timidity and ineffectual outer character could appreciate the humor in a situation a 1 I think he said jack ought to look after me he and jack glanced at each other and both smiled the condemned men had at least that mutual understanding der standing it was nearly eleven before the last of the guests left pen penelope lope came out from the comer where there she had sulked all evening at the invasion of her own peaceful life mr winkle out of habit took her to the back yard when he came in again he started for the radio to turn it on for the nightly war news broadcast he usually favored then he stopped and ga go near it but turned toward the stairs arent you going to listen to the war news mrs winkle asked 1 I dont think I 1 will tonight but why mrs winkle began to speak as it if she were the same person as adof of before this morning but she caught herself and then said merely oh mr winkle felt like pinching himself to be sure he be was awake and that this was amy showing such tact and consideration he smiled a little but not so she could see him and he decided that it was very nice indeed to have her this way they went upstairs and there while they prepared themselves tor for the night mrs winkle commented in ina a small voice that seemed to indicate she had other things to say but say them it was a nice party 10 it except said mr MF winkle 1 I dont see exactly why it was held mr winkle found his bis imagination running away with itself until his mind was possessed ot of a nightmare he saw himself packed into a troop transport he had seen pictures ot of how bow it was done the banks bunk sone ane on top of another to in many tiers with only a narrow aisle between made the men look like sardines sai across the ocean the ihl ship throbbed and then in the night there was a dull jarring thud the ship shuddered it bebau begau to list 1181 its engines stopped flames rose and men pushed and teu fell ava screamed and struck and jumped mr winkle was in the tbt water paler which wax coveted thickly with oll OIL the oil caught tire ore and the names flames raced toward him he tried to blot out this picture but it came a again ga I 1 n a and nd made mad e h him I 1 m cold all over he was bathed in perspiration he began to shake slightly and found he control it no matter how much he tried at that he learned how tar far amys reformation had gone and he how w real it was and that she was goodheart good heart ed ill all along as he always knew and that now he was to become a col 01 dier she was willing to express her feelings about it even it only silently without a word far airs 8 winkle turned in the bed beside him she slipped a soft warm arm under his neck and put the other over his chest and held him tightly she seemed to understand mr winkle was ashamed that she did but greatly comforted too the president of the united states to wilbert george winkle greet greeting 14 9 having submitted yourself to a local board composed of el your neighbors for the purpose e of f determining your availability tor f or training and service in the armed forces of the united states you or are re hereby notified that you have now been selected for training and service in the army mr winkle had never before received a communication from the president following his prominent newspaper appearance and the gathering of the people of maple avenue he be would look very foolish indeed if he be were turned down and returned home alter after being sent to the induction center he understood that even though accepted he had bad the privilege of returning 1 home for a week to put his affairs in order before lea leaving v ing a gain again lor for good but his fellow draftees had all announced d their intention of f waiving the weeks furlough and now he followed suit he had bad heard the jokes to the effect that if you could breathe or were warm the army would accept you and though he like to believe them he prepared for going away and staying away As a precaution against a drastic circumstance c mr winkle made mad his bis will a ceremony that not even penelope regarded as a happy one ne he finished the few jobs h he ha had d in thi the shop and aad would take no more he packed away his toots tools in grease and oil and tacked up heavy pa vigo I 1 la in its place over the he doon doers he placid placed a small sign closed per over the windows he took in his bis sign and placed it on the floor boor with its face against the wall in ID its place over the doors he be placed a small sign glen saying closed he reflected that people who know his establish establishment know what was closed because he had taken in the other sign but finally anally decided that this mat ter in the least H he was ready to leave the evening before his departure he investigated the bag amy had packed for dimand him and brought downstairs in it she had bad put those few articles listed in hi a pamphlet mr winkle had purchased at a newsstand tor for guidance travel light mr this advised vont dont load uj up with baggage because you wont havi have any use for or it the th army Is going to clothe you mr complete to underwear acks and handkerchiefs only on one point had mrs winkle deviated from the instructions upon examining her packing ur mr winkle found that she had included his bis rubbers he now took them out firmly showing nga a spark of her hei old spirit mrs mr winkle put them back again re wrapping pint them in the tissue paper he tripped stripped away with the rubber shortage she said the army may not loave have a pair for every man 1 I dont think they have rubber in the army mr winkle protested they wont let me wear thew them TO BE CONT CONTINUED INVin |