MISS DRAFT DODGER

I had read entirely too much about World War 1 to want to become involved in World War 2. My fear of being an act- ive participant in a war knew no bounds. Yet a month after I had been examined, I was notified I was 1A and told to hold myself ready. Frantically I sought a means to evade Army responsibilities. It was too late now to achieve examption by getting a job in an essential war industry and besides, I hated work almost as much as I did war. It was then that I saw those ads in the Personal Columns where women advertized for husbands. I thought, why not? This might be the very thing. So, I answered one of the ads.

Constance was a very beautiful woman, exceedingly smart in her black dress, her diamond clips, her blue-green eyes, her hair beautifully dressed, each lacquered strand artfully in place. Her make-up was exquisite and artistic but her throat betrayed her. It was slender but it had lines. Her whole person had the slightly drawn appearance of a determined woman reluctantly approaching the 40's. She was a beautiful woman for that age but lacking the dewy freshness of young girlhood. She was easily ten years my senior but I figured she was a bar- gain, especially as she was not only working but had an important executive position at a high salary. So we were married.

I asked for reclassification. After three weeks of ex- planations I was transferred to 3A- for two weeks! Married men without dependents were to be taken immediate- ly so I was placed back in 1A. This tedious business had not ended yet I was sure. It would drag on for another six months I thought. Meanwhile Constance, my wife, had been supporting me. She claimed it was no burden and she wanted me to enjoy all the liberty to read and do all the delightful things I would be unable to do in the Army. Constance, at this time, was a quiet woman. We never had any visitors, I had no friends or relations in this city