12 Sports Aces, May 1943 — page 10: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

8 12 SPORTS ACES Chipman had gambled on filling them to get at Lou Bracker’s third sacker, Ottler. Otiler had hit into the double play, and the Metros came in with fire in their eyes. YROWNELL got the first Metro hit- ter to lift a weak fly to the infield. Seffler came up and drew a walk. Lou Bracker yelled at Brownell, told him it was all over. Chipman’s catcher, Micky Rowe, belt- ed one to short that the third sacker gob- bled up. He threw to Lou and the man- ager pivoted to toss to Lombard, but Seffier came in and spilled him, Lou got up and dusted himself off, waved angry Blues away from him. “Okay, Georgie,” Lou said to Seffier. “I'll be waiting to return the compli- ment.” He reached down and examined the spike wound under the rip in his pants. “You like to play rough, don’t you, Seffler?” — “T get along,” Seffler said. “Yeah. That’s what puzzles me.” “Look, pal,” the Metro fielder said. “That’s twice this afternoon you’ve shot your face off. Once more and I'll knock you into the stands.” “Let’s see how it’s done,” Lou said, and threw his glove away. Lombard, Thur- - feau and Ottler moved in and Metro players came off the bench. Chipman came out and shoved Seffler away. “Break it up,” the umpire yelled and looked at his watch. “T’ll give you just . thirty seconds to get off the diamond, Chipman! You, too, Seffler!” The game went on. The Blues dug in and threw back the Metro bid. Micky Howe tried to go home on a double by Rizzetti and was nailed at the plate. Another near riot flared and the fans in the seats knew that it was going to be a knock-down and drag-out for the rest of the year be- tween Chipman and Bracker. Sure, you couldn’t blame Lou for wanting to lick the Metros. Brownell struck Chipman’s second sack- er out and the game was in for the Blues. Lou Bracker felt tired under the show- er. His legs ached a little and there was pain in the hip that Seffler had crashed into. A ballplayer is no stronger than his legs and legs don’t carry a man much past thirty-five. If they did, men like Cobb and Speaker and Lajoie might still be around. . CHAPTER II OU BRACKER called Madge Talbot when he got to his hotel room in Bos- ton. All the way from New York he had tried to tell himself to forget about. it. She was Lefty’s girl and you only had to look at her once to know she could nev- er be lonesome. But he had promised Lefty Boyle to look after Madge. Big Brother Bracker. Nuts: Her voice put more weakness in his legs when the operator made connections. “Oh, Lou, it’s nice to hear you again,” she said. “Two out of three against the Metros. That’s nice.” “Yeah. How’s the fashion artist?” Lou asked. “Hungry,” Madge said and laughed along the wire. “I wouldn’t be a wom- an—"”’ “Seven o’clock,” Lou Bracker said. “tT stop for you.” She had a little apartment just off New- bury Street that was a beautiful setting for a girl with dark hair and dark eyes. The drapes and the rugs were pastel and the lamp bases at either end of the divan were the color of her Hps. Lou felt sor- rier for Lefty Boyle when he closed the door behind him. “Rest your weary bones,” Madge said after taking her hand away from his strong grip. “You’re not kidding,” he said; and caught a glimpse of his face in a wall mirror. A face weather-beaten by a doz- en tough campaigns. Crows’ feet around the powder blue eyes and weariness around a wide mouth. They went over to the Statler for din- ner, There were a lot of officers in the dining room, carrying everything on their shoulders from gold bars to silver leaves. Lou said, “When they look at me, they seem to ask me what I’m doing 1n mufti, Madge. I can’t go around with a placard on my back saying Leu Bracker tried to get in. Nobody would believe I had some- thing wrong with my eyes.” = Gomicbooks €or