Romance at the SSCA

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Part of The Cross

Title: Romance at the SSCA
extracted text: 54 THE CROSS "Eternity is a long time" for Romance at the SSCA by Rev. Herbert O'H. Walker, S.J. from the Queen’s Work I was seated in a yawning leather chair a few yards from the elevator doors on the first floor of Hotel Mor rison in Chicago. We had worked diligently all afternoon setting up our exhibits ond everything was in readi ness for the formal opening of the SSCA in the morning. It wos grati fying now to sit back, relax, and catch the first joyful cries of surprise and appreciation of the teen-agers as the elevotor doors opened upon the glory of the Mural Room and the Sodality displays. Wide-eyed with excitement, drink ing in the beauty of the place, they slowly gravitated over the bollroom floor where an informal, get-acquainted dance was in progress. The registration desk, just off the Em bassy Room on the mezzanine, wos open and many of the lads and lassies were flashing their name cards. Happy, smiling, well-mannered, ond beautifully dressed, they arrived in a steady flow, stepping lightly from the five elevators that were servicing this section of the building. I had a stack of cards on the toble beside me, and now ond then 'when a group paused to chat, I would in quire about their home town, school, how they enjoyed the trip to Chicago, and sign up one of them to be a coeditor for The Queen's Work dur ing the coming year. I had just finished greeting a fine group of sharp-looking boys when an elevator door flashed open and five pretty girls in party dresses came into the room. Al Goodmoor, wb.o was bent over filling out a coeditor cord, and I looked up and caught their smiles. They hurried over to say hello. "Girls," I said "I know you want to meet Al here. He is going to be a coeditor next year on TOW." Al straightened up: "It's a pleasure," lie beamed. The girls smiled up to him and then looked from one to another until a brave little spirit with mis chievous blue eyes and brunette hair spoke up. "We're from Goretti Acad emy," she cheered. "And from left to right we ore Ruth Doherty, Mary Wilson, Henrietta Smith, Donna DECEMBER, 1952 55 Holmes, and I'm Noreen Collohan. Isn't it just thrilling? And we don't know a soul." Al looked across the carpeted flpor ing and sow his pals watching the dancers. "Hey, Pete and Joe," he called, "bring the fellows over here." Quickly he filled in the remaining information on the card and then led the -Goretti girls over to meet his friends. I watched as they joyfully went through the introductions and with a lot of excited, nervous laughter paired off and began dancing. Soon they were out on the huge floor and lost among the hundreds of moving bodies. The next morning os I waited ot the door of the Walnut Room to start my lecture on editing Sodality papers, Noreen stopped to talk. "You know whet?" she soid. 'That A.I Goodmoor is a cute fellow. Wouldn't it be wonderful if I hod to be eter nally grateful to you for introducing us?" "It certainly would," I agreed. "I'd expect you to drop by ond say ycur thanks at 1eost dnee in every ten thousand years." Noreen shook her heod slowly— the gold of o hoir clasp wos bright os it caught the light. "It might get monotonous at thot," she said sadly. "Yes, eternity is on awful long stretch. Better be certain you like him a deal." Her smile was bright. "I haven't much time to find out—so I'd better get going." Al and his pols came to my class on "Parliamentary Low" ond added a lot of punch to it. After briefing the crowd on the fundamentals, we begon to practice a bit-to find if the information had token root. I noticed Al among those clamoring for the floor ond recognized him. "I move," he soid clearly end deliberately, "thot we take up a collection and buy cars for all those in the front row." There was a delightful explosion of ooprovol ond during the uproar I quickly glanced at the people in the front row. Right in the center in front of the apron of the stage were the Goretti girls. Their heads were tilted bock and they were showing plenty of tooth pcste. I stated the question ond asked for the pleasure of the closs. Playing olong with Al, I recognized his pal, a toll, blond lod with a tight crew cut. "I move to omend the motion," he cried, "by introducing the word kitty before the cars." The Casino rocked with spon taneous laughter ond the fun conti nued as Noreen Callahan stood up and waved her right arm menacingly at the lad who had offered the omendment. Or course, when the previous ques tion was carried, it wos obvious how the voting would go. After a roar of oyes thot made a ripple in the heavy backdrop, I called for the negative vote. In the big amphitheater there was a concerted ond unified scream of five voices. The Goretti girls voted no to a man, but their cry seemed so pole after the other vote, so thin in the vast silence that it was really funny. The crowd laughed and gave them a hepvy round of 56 THE 'CROSS applause. And Noreen stood up to accept it, raising her clasped hand9above her head like a boxer who has won a match. She was flushed with victory in her defeat. Thot evening I stopped by the Mural Room to watch the social mix ers and square dances and pick up some more coeditors. The Goodmoors and Callahans were in the thick of things. Excitement seemed a tonic for them and the flavor of the wine of youth was in the air. During on intermission, Noreen came over. "I've had seven dances already," she con fided, evidently considering that a very fine score. "And two with you know who," she added with an ap proving arch of her right eyebrow. "Don't be too hosty," I said with a mock seriousness. "Eternity is a mighty long time to be in my debt." I didn't get to talk to Noreen or any of the Gorettis all day Tuesday. But that evening in the lobby, as I was buying a paper, I saw them sail in through the revolving door. When Noreen sow me, they hustled over. "We've hod the grandest time," she declared excitedly. "You know, we walked down to the late front by the Chicago Yatch Club and we met Al and his friends with Father Ryan. He's their Sodality director. He drove them here in his cor. Well, while we were talking, a big cabin cruiser come by and the owner called out to Father asking if we'd like to take a ride. We had to walk down the sidewalk to o landing place to get on and the man made all of us girls take off our shoes. "It wos a really beautiful boat— it's called 'Gomecock II.' He let Al steer it when we got out beyond the breakwater. He gave us Cokes ond cookies and Father had a Scotch and water. The sun wos going down be hind all the big buildings and it wos just breath-taking. I thought for a while I was going to get seasick, the water was so choppy and all, but I didn't. The boys had a wonderful time too. ■ Ruth and Pete and Joe and Mary were in the lost seot, right above the propellers. Boy, I'll never forget it." There was no need for me to say anything. She poured out her en thusiasm without any pause. It would hove been sacrilegious to interrupt it. Noreen was certainly alive, at tractive, ond a born leader. The Goretti girls revolved around her like electrons. "Thot was a wonderful experience," I agreed. "I envy that Father Ryan. He must be a grand priest." "I'll soy he is," they chorused, and turning awoy, swept oveh to the ele vators. On Wednesday I called on Al to try his hand ot conducting a meeting and made him chairman for the finol minutes of the class. He wos per-, fectly at ease and ron things pretty smoothly. The four hundred teen agers gove him a hand for it. "Noreen Callahan is a great fan of yours," he said, as we were leaving the stage. 'You know, thot little girl from Goretti Academy we met Sun day night?" "Oh yes, I remember her very DECEMBER, 1952 57 well," I said. "Whot is she saying "When you hove a free afternoon, let me know, and I'll tell you," he replied with a laugh. "You must be talking to her quite a bit, then," I suggested. 'Yes. I was just thinking during lunch how I always seem to be com ing along just as she is." "That's quite a coincidence," I agreed. "In fact, it actually verges on the miraculous when you consider the hundreds of boys ond girls around After the Amoteur Show on Thurs day night the two passed me in the lobby. Noreen's arm was hooked in with Al's. She raised her right elbow to me ond touched her index finger to her thumb and gave me a wink. It wos a pretty sight ond enough to wind up my busy day. Friday afternoon Fother Ryan came to the circulation desk and put in his order for The Queen's Work. "How's everything going?" I asked. "I'm worn out," he said limply. "Whoever said thot there are six days you'll never forget and six nights you never sleep wos certainly correct. I ^expected to get a little vacation out of this but now I'll need one. But it's certainly wonderful. The spirit here is beyond description. And the lecturers ore absolutely the best. I think I've learned more this week than I did all through high school and college." You are evidently more tired than you think," I replied. "When do you start back?" "I'm going to drive the boys out to Mundelein tomorrow after the last closs. I want to show them the semi nary where I made my studies. Then we'll heod on home right from there. Don't tell Al and the fellows though. I want it to be a surprise." "You can count on me," I said cheerfully, but down in my heort I wondered if he knew how great a surprise it might be for them. During the farewell dance thot night I was making a final check on coeditors ond Al ond Noreen stopped ot the desk to chat. "I guess this wraps up everything for the week," I suggested. "Not quite," Al said. "We've mode plans for tomorrow afternoon." "Our train doesn't leave until seven-thirty and thot gives us over three hours after the last session," Noreen said brightly. "We're going to hove dinner to gether. The Goretti girls ond the fellows from St. Joe's," Al announced. "We are pooling our funds for quite a splash. How about coming with "I'd love to," I replied, "but my train leaves at four-thirty. I'll be well on my way to St. Louis by the time you sit down to eat." "That's a shame," Noreen said with real disappointment. "We were counting on you. It's going to be real special. We are all going to autograph each other's menu and write in our addresses and telephone numbers." "It might be smarter to get that information right away," I cautioned 58 THE CROSS them. "After all, something might turn up to change your pions ond there you'd be without some very important data." "We're not worried," Al replied. "It will add so much fun and make the dinner more memorable." "Suit yourselves," I told them, "but- if something goes wrong, please remember I warned you." I felt a little guilty as they return ed to the dance. The afternoon as I was check ing out, a disconsolate Noreen was slumped on the lounge by the eleva tors. I went over to say good-by. "Why all the gloom?" I asked. "Do you know whot happened? Thot awful Fother Ryan left and he took Al and the boys with him. Al left a note in my mailbox. Here," she said, pushing it at me, "read it." "Sorry, Noreen," I read aloud, "but we have to leave right away with Fother Ryan. We're going to visit Mundelein Seminary. Be sure to write. In a hurry. Al." "Be sure to write," she repeated, and I saw her lips quiver. "How can I write when the big goof didn't leave his address?" "Oh, cheer up," I said. "I can get it for you. It's on his coeditor cord. Just drop me a line and I'll send it." "Oh, you're wonderful," she .soid, jumping up, her old spirit back again. "Will you?" "Eternity is a long time," I soid, picking up my suitcase. "I don't care," she answered and pressed my hand hard. The much preoccupied professor walked into the borber shop ond sat in a chair next to a woman who was having her hair bobbed. "Haircut, please." "Certoinly," said the barber, "but if you really want o haircut, would you mind taking off your hat first?" The customer removed his hat. "I'm sorry," he apologized as he looked around, "I didn't know there was a lady present!" An Englishman asked a Scotchman: "Whot would you be weren't you a Scot?" The Scotsman said: "Why an Englishman, of course." Then the Englishman turned to an Irish and asked: "And what would you be weren't you an Irishman?" The Irishman thought for a moment ond said: "I'd be ashomed of myself!" * * * Which hos more legs, a horse or no horse? A horse hos four legs, no horse has five legs.
Date: 1952
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