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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 6, 1940)
THE DAILY NEBRASKAN 5 Article ; Contributions from the student body. Verse Wednesday, March 6, 1940 Jr A Saturday Morning 'rom bard to t I verse t J There's a girl in my heart And I know she's a part Of the dreams That I pray will come true. I have looked far and wide Yet I'm not satisfied That the girl in my heart Isn't you. I want to convey That I want you to stay Around, Till I find out for sure. For it takes time to see If perchance you could be Exactly, The image of her. Any student wishing to con tribute material to this page may do so by sending It to the DAILY offices in care of Paul Svoboda. Contributions should not exceed 2,500 words and must be typewritten ana aou Uble spaced. The page editor re serves all rights of publication and it is understood that all material will not be returned unless called for at the DAILY offices. The Wrath of the Gods Was if By Paul Svoboda. He tmdeed slowly up the dust beaten path to the house. A milk pail, half filled, swung easily from his bear-like arms, browned and hardened from the days behind the plow under the late summer ' Z 1 farm that squatted squarely in the 1U1UU1C VJl tilt Villi, V WVVWVll ... Bluffs. He had never married con- 1 .;..nM. anA not worth all the fuss and bother thoy required. To him they were like chicks hatched in the dead of winter always chirping and prone to sickness. Tom had quit plowing long be M Ik. V1.4 llMnlf KV.tmy4 4VlA IUIC llie BUII JUU nai'll uuimiia hills, for every Saturday he tmH ,V,at,-0r V, rtninir and went cheerfully about his creeth4ly.. wace.cu u. nu.ae. ..u sruawking chickens their rations to it that all the to 11 tnat an tne yi .lc nv, Kllt'U IIU I'aaiuic fcaics nvit closed and after milk ng the lean C ,v a' .1 .V mZLu T hi. bathe and clothe himself in his Sunday best-a suit of blue and well-shined serge. a. . . His one diversion. Tom had but one diversion, Each week he went to town to visit the local crystal gazer who mystically foretold the future and retold the past. Tom had been go- ing wecKiy to mis particular ior- a i .i- ' 1.1 iune teucr ror almost inree yeura enng ngni 01 a uacu iiy tanuii;. nc to discover what the future had in neither looked or moved with store for him and just what day Tom's entrance but began at once he should plant his corn, potatoes, to speak. and other crops. The results ob- "I see, miserable one, that tained were most always satisfac- trouble, bad trouble is hidden in toiy if never amazing. your future. It the picture grows Of late he never chanced a new dim the gods must have their re venture without first consulting compense." the Amah for advice and guidance. Tom put the five dollar bill Tom was narrow minded. He was which he held in readiness into the Vie slow plodding type; never outstretched palm of the crystal bright enough to realize the sly- gazer, ness with which Amah played his "Ah, the picture is again bright, hand. Oh, miserable one, with sorrow I Tom stood with a look of antlcl- must tell you that the gods have pation on the steps of the great ordained your life to end three one's home which consisted of days hence." With that the Amah three rooms behind the white turned his back to the terror By Kal Kemper. well on his way to the MacBeam- "Yessir!" shrilled Henry, bound- ish building, that double-door of ing up to the desk In a clatter of opportunity which stared him in youthful enthusiasm and show of the face. Henry was well ac energy calculated to impress. The quainted with the wily parlay and city editor, calm, unhurried, even prim, eyed Henry with vaguely astonished contempt. "Yessir!" Henry repeated. A week on the Examiner and still no assignment nothing good, that is. Visits to the city morgue twice daily; some dull re-write work, if the facts of a story shifted a little and some proof-reading; a trip to the airport when nobody important was expected. Maybe this call meant an assignment opportunity at the brass knocker. "Fellow named Bulb A. Bulb third floor MacBeamish building." The city editor's precise, flat voice always reminded Henry of Exam iner headlines, informative, upper case, dignified. "He's won a foot ball parlay paying one thousand to one, according to a tip. True or not, there's a possible sports feature for you. Report back in three-quarters of an hour, before you lunch or go to the morgue." The honor ribbon legion A sports feature, since Damon Runyon, is the legion of honor ribbon which elevates any journal ist above his peers. Overwhelmed as he was, Henry didn't see, until fate or just coincidence? painted meat market. Eagerly he waited an answer to his' ring. His washed, well-scrubbed face anQ careiuwy pressea sun oore no resemblance to the Tom Janek of w,,cc "uu't au- , , , . . The door opened slowly, yhs" thA . ... , , i an .J1', l ' 1, Ah, miserable one, you have e' &m Jlht nd UU111 UL uui uiaaict, Luc Kicai Amah." The white clothed figure spoke slowly and almost ominously as he arose from his squatting po sition on the three legged stool which rested before a, small oil . , ,,T . .11 lf., ,,nnn mm lanin- 8' J'!4 U,n.." masters leaim nnu i.ciaiu yuui presence. the blackness of the rear room. Tom wa9 truly eXCited nOW, He rubbed one shoe against the other ..,.....,;.. TnA ennmrrnh self-consciously The enumerable Uf un had been enactcd d,d not'eradicate exact procedure Tom's pleasurable sense of antici- ' . ,.,, Pation and cism The Amah bears intrusion. The other figure re-entered the m flnd announccd gravely the great Amah would bear intrusion now. Tom walked into the even more dark room than the one he had Just left. Behind a shiny spherical ball sat the fortune teucr, nis race weira in iw mm- . . . i 1 .. Jl T T an accomplished Saturday morning quarterback. Saturday, for exam- pie, the cataclysmic failure of rally in the last quarter had made Henry's modest paycheck only a WaI firtinn Aa far na ho was cnn. cerned, pay day came next week. ' j j Perhaps a little tact with Com- , . . . rade Bulb, a bouquet of praise for his athletic horse-senae, and in- quiry after the wife and kiddies plus the obvious flattery of being interviewed for a newspaper-and uacivicwtu iui & newajjayti anu Henry would possess a sure-fire schedule of winners for this Sat urday's meeting of young college men in a game designed to develop their bodies and minds. Double helping of advice Henry didn't mind admitting, with the season half over and no victories behind, that he needed a double helping of advice this week on Nebraska and Clemson. For tne man wno nad picked sixteen winners Davinff a thousand to one. such a trifling problem would be ,,ou'e ruin "nexpecieuiy, is nav mere child's play. inS lunch." Henry, a little breath less from the impact of the man A. Bulb was listed in the Mac- and the office on his eyes, said Beamish directory as being on nothing. He stared. ftivth flAftr vathnr than Vn.f ' u.iU, iu HMrv' faith In tho .if,, required him to tour third quickly, struck farmer Indicating the In Tl1!0'88..0: As he rode home the words of th(? Amah lurned oyer gnd ovcr in his heaVy mind. He was plainly friirhtpnpfl Ypt ho rnolinrl h must escape his destiny. Somehow he had to hide from the hands of fate. He straightened up from his slumped position over the wheel as thought struck him. Yes. he would hide for the next three days. In a very safe place. The steel walled granary. He would take enough food and water to last the next seventy-two hours and not once would he venture from his rendez vous. A grin flickered across his face when he thought of how he had outwitted the gods. lain 111 of the three rooms Six days later in the smallest behind tne white painted butcher shop the great Amah sprawled very un graciously on a bed reading the paper, looking nothing like the vl,ona , ,he crvstal ball ..Whflt IHlons n tne cijsiai pan. wnat mysterious individual who saw are we eating for dinner tonight, Frank?" he called to his helper who sat ignobly munching an apple. Hash for dinner. "Hash made from the leftovers of yesterday. That dumb Janek better show up tomorrow or we'll starve." The other man made no comment but fell back to reading the paper. Suddenly he jumped up as j he had got a shock. The old bed squeaked out its protestations 8S he moved cxcitedlv about ' ' "C'mere! C'mere! Look at this." FARMER FOUND DEAD. Thomas Janek, 43, was dis covered dead by neighbors in the granary of his home yester day evening. Fear for the safety of the farmer caused neighbors to investigate the unexplained absence of Mr. Janek from his farm. The body was found behind the latched door of a steel granary by the son of Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Hudkins. Mr. Janek had evidently en tered the granary and the door closed lorking itself shut, ac cording to Sheniff Bccson. Quarterback glancing at the office doors. The sign on sixth read: A. Bulb Fine Fertilizers at Fair Prices Walk In! Henry, eagerness and faith shin ing in his cub's eyes, obeyed the imperative. He walked in." Henry ill prepared The MflrRpamlah hnilrlino' was not tne city.a most impoSing office structure; perhaps it was not even averaere. Henrv was ill prepared. wuever;, .for the c,ha,os which e Bulb office revealed. Once the equipment of the long room had been c h r o m i u m-bright, shiny, smart in its rectangular lines and bright colors. Now it was tattered and frayed and dull, and the trim "nts 01 inV .c.". . nAa y if ncomfortab. bu,Ses: the fIinS cabinets were dinev: typewriters, cabinets were dingy; typewriters, silent and venerable, bore ancient names Henry did not recognize; the desks were rickety from age and use. The man who sat at the clut tered desk at the bead of the de serted room fitted the office like its furniture. There was a kind of faded grandeur and depraved nobility about him; the look of eaeles in his eye and of W. C. Fields about his nose and mouth. Out to lunch "My office force," rumbled the -.. it . 1 t... say irienu. me husky ineuow volce flowed cn "y are. 1 note of fine fertilizers. Fine fertiliz- prs rnntpd the vni r,uttinr a capital on the Ts" "at fair prices. Oh, I might say, Fancy Fertilizers at Fair prices. Ah, permit me!" Tria Kullv frr rAQA naa thf Iracted a bottle from a drawer in the nearest filing cabinet, and produced two small rlasses from the recesses of the desk. Liquid splashed in the glasses. "Fertiliz- ers!" the voice murmured. "Your health, sir! A, Bulb. I presume" Henry K,ass 68 winced, looking in though suspecting his the presence of fertilizer. None lOO c,ean- the Plass was not beyond suspicion. The tag-line of a fa- mous meeting leaped to his mind He sank into a chair, setting the untouched glass on the desk. "A. Bulb, I presume?" he queried. A. Bulb," agreed the man be hind the desk. "A. Bulb, Fine Fertilizers at.." "I'm from the Examiner," Henry put in quickly. "We won deredthat is, I thought its about that parlay you picked. Six tpcn consecutive winners paying a tnousand to one. Annoyance crept on A. Bulb's brows, clouded his eyes. An arm "hot out to gather the finger and . , , hm un.. v, a haif of liquid Henry had placed on his desk. Screwing up his face, gigantic head on one side, A. Bulb deftly poured the whiskey back into the narrow bottle-mouth. A single drop splashed into the muddle of papers below. Bulb winced. The bottle and glasses disappeared. A dazed feeling Henry gathered himself to gether with an effort. He bobbed his head as though to shake off a ,,ized feeling. This was the man after all, who had picked sixteen beautiful winners, including such ones as Cornell over Ohio State and Iowa over Minnesota. Where the common parlay player saw darkly until Saturday night, A. Bulb saw face to face with the scoreboard before ever a whistle blew or a box-office opened. One must overlook, nay, sympathize with the trappings and eccentrici ties of genius. One must, if necessary, imitate them. "Mr. Bulb," Henry began In a midden rush of enthusiasm, "I don't know whether you realize it, but you're quite a hero to every football fan in this town. Why, when my city editor said to me, 'Boy' er, that is 'Henry, drop in the MacBeamish building for an exclusive interview with Mr. Bulb,' why, honestly, I thought..." "I understand." "Not at all, sir. not at all!" snorted the genius. "I quite un derstand. Make yourself at home, my boy. Relax! At ease! Used to r an "'uiiewayapei man mysen, in a way-" Mr. Bulb's eye fell on the cabinet door into which the bottle had disappeared; but, tho Henry eyed him hopefully, nothing happened. "How long you been picking parlays, Mr. Bulb?" A. Bulbs large J'g took in Henry, his face his clothes, his build. "Couldn't have been much oldc-r n you when t .. t j I began my career." he mused. "No older'n you. Some smarter, maybe." "Yes, sir!" said Henry. Would the great man reveal his method? Dear Pounceby high. "Well, I remember that course in technical journalism..." "What?" rasped wildered and stung. Henry, be- 'English 13, to be exact," ex plained Bulb. "In dear old Pounce- by high school, now razed and ob- ineraieu, uui lomieiiy at nine teen and Highfruit Streets. We finished the straight feature story, when I dropped school. I had learned all I cared to know. Straight news the ovy kind, :j if- tj.,iu ; f jau, aiu 011, duiu hi a. tun; -. kind)y admonition, "worth writ- . .. . "Mr. Bulb," begged Henry plaintively, looting ai nis waicii, "the city editor u give me neu if..." "So I walked into the offices of the Clarion!" boomed A. Bulb. He looked at Henry reprovingly, as ne mignt nave queueu pipsqueak of a nephew who inter- "Pd his,.bed-t,nlef 8tryf H""" ear saia- Ink-stained wretch. "I said to that ink-stained wretch, 'Sir, you seek a successor to your city editor who resigned ll&l WWI. Oil, A ftm iimv. Henry made an inarticulate sound, squirming in his chair. A, Bulb fixed h'm with his eyes. "This short-sighted man ex plained with a derisive smile that he required someone of mature years, a man with experience and news sense. I was chagrined, cut to the quick. But I took a revenge. I said, searching my memory for a suitable family name, one 1 would not be ashamed of. "Please, Mr. Bulb!" Henry cried, Tkase. I've got to be at the of fice by 12:30 to check on the moigue. Now if you'll. .." By brother Waldo. "I said, 'My brother, Waldo,' I said to the editor, 'worked three years for Hearst. He was with the A.P. nine years. Until a few months ago he was city editor of the New York Post.' "The editor took an interest in me for the first time. He stopped smiling. 'I should like very much to see your brother,' he said. 'Is h in the city now?' " Sir, I said sternly, 'he has been dead three months.' 'Oh!' said the editor. A little silence fell, and a portrait of Horace Greely above the editor's desk brooded over the scene. " Well, good bye,' I said. The edi tor said good bye. He said he was sorry about Waldo. I told him it was all right. Two weeks later I formed my connection with the fertilizer business and now 1 am scOe owner. But from my early press connections, during what I often call my journalistic phase, I have kept a ready sympathy with you newspaper men. I feel I understand our problems. I feel. in a tense, I am one of you."