Present Address Satu, an able seaman, landed in port, rescued from a mined ship.
Seeing that his death had been announced in the paper, he rang up his home.
"Hello, dad," he said, "have you seen the announcement of my death in the paper?"
"Yes," replied a scared voice over the wire, "Where are you speaking from?"
Intrigue Among Sparrows Tur Sparrow's Wife, her eyes bright with the light of battle and lipstick on her beak for the first time, knocked sharply on the door of The Other Sparrow's Nest.
Inside a gay little voice was singing, "Yes siroc, yes siroc, yes siroc-e-e-e," and the Other Sparrow, a negligee of fresh green moss flung across her wings, came to the door jerking her body, rolling her eyes, and shaking a claw in a passable imitation of a jitterbug.
"Good morning," said The Sparrow's Wife.
"Good morning," said The Other Sparrow, "and what a lovely morning, too. Doesn't it make you feel good and peppy? Yes siroc, yes siroc, yes siroc-e-e-e."
"I didn't come here to discuss the weather," said The Sparrow's Wife.
You didn't?" said The Other Sparrow, "Well, what would you like to talk about? The war?"
"I came here to talk about my husband," said The Sparrow's Wife.
"Well, well, well," said The Other Sparrow. "I wonder which one that would be."
"Do you think this is an occasion to boast?" shed The Sparrow's Wife.
I wasn't boasting," said The Other Sparrow. "I was just wondering. Only yesterday a party called here about her husband. And was she burned up? Yes siroc, yes siroc, yes sire-e-e-e."
"We live," said The Sparrow's Wife, taking out her powder puff and dabbing nervously at her beak, "at The Nest."
"Oh," said The Other Sparrow, "so you're the wife of the fresh little guy that's always plastered? Well, I'll say you certainly have a tough proposition there. Come right in, honey, and let me fix you a drink."
"I don't drink," said The Sparrow's Wife.
"Well, come right in and sit down then," said The Other Sparrow. "And you don't have to sit on the edge of that chair. Sit right back and make yourself comfortable like your husband does."
"I came here," said The Sparrow's Wife, "to ask you to leave my husband alone."
"Well if that don't beat all," said The Other Sparrow. "I was just going to call on you to ask your husband to leave me alone."
"There are many ways of rejecting a man's advances" said The Sparrow's Wife.
"There certainly are said The Other Sparrow, "but not one to stop that little guy. He certainly is one hell of a little guy. Yes, madam.
"Are you an American sparrow by any chance?" asked The Sparrow's Wife.
"No, madam," said The Other Sparrow, "but I certainly get round to the pictures and listen
Selt" to records. You ought to get around more your-
"I have my home and children to look after," said The Sparrow's Wife.
"That's where you make a big mistake," said The Other Sparrow. "Nobody ever got any thanks for looking after children."
"I don't need any lectures from you," said The Sparrow's Wife.
"Thats O.K. with me," said The Other Sparrow, "but you might take a little advice about make-up. Is this the first time you've ever used lipstick?"
The Sparrow's Wife rose from her chair.
"I think TIl be going now," she said.
"Not before I've fixed you up," said The Other Sparrow. "Why, honey, you can't go about like that, with lipstick all over the place and powder in your eyes, looking like a clown."
"Ill trouble you to let me pass," said The Sparrow's Wife, a tear starting in her eye.
"For Pete's sake don't cry on top of that powder, said The Other Sparrow.
"Good morning," said The Sparrow's Wife.
"Good-bye," said The Other Sparrow, "and put your hat straight and don't carry that handbag under your wing. Swing it, honey, swing it. And put on your best perfume when you get home. And your best house coat, And put the children to bed. And fix those worms im a new way. Then Lil send that little guy right back where he belongs. So met ack s: long, honey Soon after The Sparrow's Wife had flown out of The Other Sparrow's Nest, The Sparrow flew in.
"Has she gone?" he asked.
Other Sparrow, Tert sane The "Yes siroc, yes siroc, yes sire-e-e-e,"
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.