THE ELEVENTH HOUR

by Jo Allyn

Hazel leaned against the wall and felt again for the letter in her pocket. The counter was clean and empty; there were only occasional customers this time of the afternoon in the little coffee shop. She brushed short, blonde hair back; it was hot and she was weary after the noon.rush.

For the tenth time she pulled the letter from her uniform pocket and read it.

"Wednesday will be our first anniversary," it said, "You know I want you to be with me. Navy life isn't the best gone as much as I've been

thing for marriage, not with me lately. But the ship will be tied up in San Diego for ten days and we can spend that time together if you'll come down. I know I haven't been a very good husband, Hazel, but give me this chance to make it up to you. Love, Jim."

Another chance....she sighed. How like Jim. Always wanting another chance to make up for the bad times, the loneliness, the indifference and neglect, the quarrels.

Heaven knew she had given him enough chanoes, She'd also stayed here in the little college town working, as he wanted her to, instead of following when the ship went to the East Coast last winter.

You

"Your family is here," he had argued when she suggested going with him. "Besides you've got a good job here. might not find another one back there that pays as well."

Money meant a lot to Jim. Her wages kept the car payments up, among other things. Jim liked driving the late-model convertible he'd bought in New York, and he liked having plenty of "green stuff" to spend drinking with his sea-going buddies.

On the other hand, settling down to marriage didn't appear to mean so much. There were problems of adjustment that, after a year of being too seldom together, still remained

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