12 Sports Aces, May 1943 — page 46: what you’re looking at

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

Ms 12 SPORTS ACES : 2 * eer ter er entero Gr Re Benen ee re eaten tes Bee Be BeBe Geers G+ Borin Ba Per hese res Ores Greer G9 BiG een NITE INE IIS “You punch-drunk, Battler? By Judas!” | The face of the man tugging at Mathew Rourke. Brian wrinkled in a worried scowl. He glared sidewise over a humped and crooked nose while he snaked Brian away from Faculty Lounge. “The faculty big-wigs ever find out I had anything to do with a common pug desecratin’ their holy-of-holies, they’ll have a lower opinion of Spike Babb than they got now! Why, they’d even throw me outa there—and the boxin’ coach ought to rate a kinda step-brother faculty standing. I been havin’ you paged for twenty minutes, How’d you happen to—” Spike Babb broke off suddenly because Mathew Rourke Brian stopped and firmly removed the hand tugging af his sleeve. An amused twinkle was in Brian’s pleas- ant brown eyes and a grin suddenly broke across his broad face. He ran the long fingers of a big hand through the crisp eurly hair that was neither light nor dark but just brown, looked down at Spike Babb. “Evidently you have made a mistake in identity, Mr. Babb.” “What do you mean?” Spike Babb jerked his gaze to the bigger man. “Get this, Alders; This is the first time I’m face to face with you, and I want to tell you that in my book you and the guy shoving you both stink. B. J. Benson swings a heavy drag around here and he jammed you down my throat for the headliner of our ring show, but I ain’t playin’ fall guy for nona your squirrelly publicity stunts. You got any notion you can pull the funny stuff on Spike Babb, get it outa your nut. You ain’t gonna—” - Babb broke off short, peered sharply at Mathew Rourke Brian and his eyes wid- ened. 3 *" “By Judas! You ain’t Battler Alders!” “You are correct. I certainly am not Battler Alders.” : “Tab me for a cockeyed ring-post!” Babb groaned. “I can see you ain’t—now. You got the same build and the Battler is sportin’ the quiet tweeds like you’re wearin’ in his newest gag, but—say, you jook like him in the face, too.” The little boxing coaeh shrugged, tried to cover his blunder. “I pulled a bull, I guess, but I still done you a favor, lad. You go bargin’ in the Lounge, you'll run inte grief. Students ain’t allowed in Faculty Lounge.” “I'm not a student, Mr. Babb.” The big man ran his fingers through his hair again, grinned a little self-consciously. “My name is Brian. k am to be on the staff of the Mathematics Bepartment.” He glanced at his strap watch. It was five to three and he had an appointment at three with the president of exclusive Rux- ford College—to be officially welcomed as Assistant Professor of Mathematics. The army had already deferred him for this purpose; as they considered mathe matics all-important, More to make part- ing conversation than anything else, he said: 3 “A new faculty member shouldn’t be late for an appointment with the head man, either, The office of the president is in Administration Hall, isn’t it?” “Yeah.” Spike Babb nodded. “Down the street a coupla blocks.” His gaze flicked over Mathew Rourke Brian again. A kind of puzziement was in Babb’s eyes. “By Judas,” he said. “You sure look like Alders and you remind me of some- body else, too. Can’t put my finger on it right now, but— Say, you ain’t pullin’ my leg, fella? You ain’t some bird hap- yvens to look some like Alders that he sent down here? That’s about Alders’ idea of somethin’ clever to get him in the papers or—”’ “Believe me, Mr. Babb, I am no pugi- list nor am I an impersonator. I never heard of Battler Alders.” Mathew Rourke Brian grinned that wide grin again, made a friendly gesture with his hand, “Perhaps I’ll see you around and you can tell me how you come out in. your search for the elusive boxer.” RIAN swung.up the wide steps of - Administration Hall. He did not see the well-dressed, paunch-bellied man just inside the massive glass doors look sharp- ly at him and give a signal to a husky _ pair outside. One of the pair sauntered Gomichbooks (E(0)