“What a man!** breathed Sally than she
the first time.
She had always known that she
towered over everyone in the lunch
bi*.
itw Billie for
But Billie! Hr
— — room whea he clomped
in. She •tapM, at him, all one hundred and seventy pound*
of her alert and tremendously interested
And it was muscle, too. she noted with approval. His
Texas A. A M. .cadet uniform fitted his immense frame
superbly. The brass buttysw t Winked and glittered as he
came across the room; the Sam Hrowne beMstas like a
brown backed flexible mirror crossing the clean, heavy
khaki tunic. —tnj*
He sat down at oneialf the tables, adjusted the raso.-
like creases of his trousers carefully. ' —'
The chair groaned—made a valient effort to support his
great weight, ( then gave way completely. He ;sprawled oa
the floor, shewing it, rattling the glasaes at the surrounding
tables.
One of the oil-spattered spectators laughed.
Billie climbed to his feet; Wrath moved over his face
like slow clouds piling up for a storm He took a deep breath
and the buttons of his tunic Jumped forward. Clenching his
fiats, he said softly, “Did I hear som’body laugh f"
He was Thor with his hammer poised, and the sudden
quiet,jthich filled the room was an intense thiqg. • Not even
the oil field workers, noted for their readiness to do battle,
would oppose this khaki-clad man mountain.
Sally leaned toward him, long-lashed blue eyes sparkling.*
as he picked up his cap, stepped over and sat down at the
counter. ‘'What will you have, big man?**
His round eyes took in the exposed portion of her gen-
erous frame. Then he grummL j The confidential grin that
exists between two Big Peeplt. r »
“Gimme four hamburgers and—to start with, one cup o’
Cawfee.**
Sally laughed in genuine delight. This was a man! Sb«
waa noted for her hamburgers and sandwiches, but she never
before took as much care in preparing four hamburgers as
she did these for Billie.
She was amply rewarded by the manner m which he
ate them. He was slow aboui it; slow, and easy, and veity
thoughtful, down to the -last little crumbs. And the evident
admiration for her hamburgers increased the rapid thumping
of her heart, r . j;
“May I say,” he smiled, “that those hamburgers were,
without the slightest doubt, the best I have eaten in many
a day." ( [* - W
“Thank you. Stranger. Cocne in again sometime.**
"You can rest assured that I will, ma’m.’’
His enormous bulk filled the doorway—and then he was
gone. And a great temparary regret filled her soul. Regret
because men like him did net come in often. Temporary
because she knew that he would be back She knew >the kin 1
of food that big folks liked. And she kfcew that instinctively
he had^t'nown it. ' j
• S' I
He did come back. Began to come |hack often.
He introduced himself the third, time that he came in.
His name was Billie Thomas jJaffersoa Rugglesby. He was
named “Billie” after his mother—after kis mother and fathei !
had almost divorced over it. The 'ThoiUM* Jefferson” was a
concession to his father’s political ideals. He had grown up ]
on an old plantation “juat outside” Gmensburg, Georgia.
All this he explained in slow and hrrious voice. He had
spent the Thanksgiving holidays with his room-mate, who
lived in Corsicana, and there he had diet the one and only
girl. And from what Sally gathered, t K * girl was all that
Sally mas suddenly afraid ||^a| she Srould be: Small and
Blonde, and very, very beautiful.
.•if
BIG PEOPLE
h
18
L
-
Billie was a senior at A. A M., and he hitch-hiked to
Corsicana every week-end to visit this girl. And. since it
was not far from Corsicana, and directly on the h - . t
( ollege Station, Billie began to make it a point to stop at
Sally's Superb Sandwich Stand. :
It was not long before Thelma. Billie's girl in Corsicana,
began to detect a change in him. a certain undercurrent of
unrest that waa definitely disturbing. * .
It worraij her. It was like she told Gertie—Gertie sms
the beauty parlor operator who marcelled her hair every
Friday. She knew all about Thelma and Billie.
“It s juat like I say, Gertie.” Thelma exclaimed, as she
started on a fresh stick of Juick Fruit -Here I am. Here 1
am. I mean the way I used to be ... .”
Gertie nodded understanding!y. “Of course.”
“Popular! My goodness, I bet I had four steady feltgn .1
before I met Billie. But what happened? What happened?
Gertie made sympathetic noises in her throat !| A
“Of course, my other hoy friends wanted dates ;L|
Thanksgiving But there I was. Entertaining a King Kong. .
After all—I couldn’t act rude. You know—after all—he is
niU-pm Champion of the Southwest.” She giggled **1 don’t
know where they put the shot but it seems to be awTly
1 important!” j . y]
Gertie laughed politely.
“But there 1 was. All that my other boy friends could
see Christmas was this nice big mammoth following me
around. He just scared ’em all away. Now where am I? I
„ you?” i • 1
“Getting the swellest wave in towd!” They* both laughed
it Gertie’s wit. T
“Don’t he sil', Gert! But t wtogs are coming to a bend
next week-end. He’s been acting strange lately. And he’s
just got to propose next Week, Gertie! He’s just got tf!
Mamie got married last week y’ know—and Ruby Kennedy
ia announcing .Mr —mdgement Thursday. And. or, thtltijv
she acts now! Sto Snooty!
I just feel left out of our old crowd now, not being
even engaged. Sides, I’d like being engaged to a champMl
athlete —it sounds so nice to tell everybody. And he is sweet,
and kind and cute—even if be is so bi|. Y* know, really and
truly, ythink that I may be in love with him.”
"Sure enough?”
y "Yes, I dott T
“My father’s cousin married a big man like that. Thelms
and—do you know what?”
) Thelma popped the chewing gum with her thumb ami
teeth, shook her head. . j
“Ac weighed two hundred and seventy-nine pounds when
they got married and he gained three hundred pounds in the
next three years!”
The wad of gum in Thehna’s mouth dropped back to her
tonsils; 1 she jerked upright, coughing,
Geriie giggled. "But it was all rijt*. after all. He got a
I job as a fdt man in a side show, and he’s been making good
money ever sinea. l^flcr all, there isn’t any depression In
the freak business as 1 know of.** *
Thelma sat motionless, her carefuBy drawn mouth
^idf. Horrible thoughts concerning the future with a
1 snow filled her mind. She put them out resolutely.
“Cm going to marry him,” she said somewhat
“For better and not for worse, too! ,L| . Oh, if I could
get a proposal eut of him. , .
i I I J i IH "
THE BATTALION
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