Part 1 (1/2)
Dave Dawson at Casablanca
by Robert Sydney Bowen
CHAPTER ONE
_The Man in Gray_
The four-faced clock over the information booth on the Upper Level of the Grand Central Station in New York City showed exactly twenty-fiveup and down to look at it for the hundredth tihed heavily, and made noises deep in his throat
”Where is that Freddy Farrated to hi shoe leather here waiting for hi at a place on time But he's probably lost And if he is, he can stay lost for all I care”
With a sharp nod for eht a bar of candy The Union News lad back of the counter glanced at the row of decoration ribbons under Dawson's wings, and gave him a smile and the kind of look that said he'd like to hear about sonored the look, however, and turned away He didn't want to talk about the war In fact, he didn't even want to think about it Freddy and he were enjoying a o And until those four days had coone, the war could be on another world as far as he was concerned Right! The heck with it for four more days!
For the hundred-and-first time Dawson looked at the information-booth clock The hands said twenty-seven minutes of four now, and Dave ame tickets out of his tunic pocket and looked at theet soo with me!”
he muttered ”I should have drawn the buet over here from Times Square He--”
He let the rest trail off as he saw Freddy Far toward him from the direction of the IRT shuttle train to Tiusted eye and watched hihtly flushed
”Waiting for soreeted Dave
”No!” Dawson snapped ”And ers So scra of your New York cops,” Freddy Farmer chuckled, ”I wouldn't be here now, if it hadn't been for a bobby in the Bronx”
”Bronx?” Dawson exploded ”What the heck were you doing up there? Thisto hear Benny Goodman's band over at the Paramount Theatre”
”And so I did,” Freddy replied with a nod ”And it was absolutely topping But--”
”Topping, he says!” Dawson snorted ”You should show your passport when you use words like that You roove, or on the beam, or strictly the nuts But what about the Bronx? Did Goodman lead a parade?”
”If you'll be so kind as to shut that big mouth of yours, I'll explain!” Freddy snapped ”After the show I had souess _that_!” Dawson grunted ”And so?”
”And so when I calish youth said ”And--”
”Snowing, in _January_?” Dawson asped and widened his eyes ”Well, what do you know about that? So you just stood there and watched it snowing in January, of all ti for you!”
”Do you want to listen, or would you rather give that tongue of yours exercise?” Freddy Farhed ”I've got two tickets for the Ranger-Chicago Hawks hockey gaoes with rief! Noe've got four!”
”Four what?” Dawson deuess?”
”Four tickets to the hockey game,” Freddy Farmer said, and produced two froet the tickets So after I came out of the restaurant, I walked up to Madison Square Garden and got two tickets just to be sure And--What's the ?”