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’You wanted to see roup who still called the Chicago Baron by his first nae Do you think you could keep the hotels ticking along for a few months if I were to take a leave of absence?’

’Sure I can,’ said George - Vhy, are you finally going to take that vacation you promised yourself?’

’No,’replied Abel ’I’e ’What?’ he repeated

’I’ to enlist in the aret yourself killed!

’That isn’t what I had insoettheet me now’

George continued to protest that America could win the ithout Abel

Zaphia protested too; she hated the very thought of war and little Florentyna, just turned eight years old, burst into tears She did not quite knoar o away for a very long tiht to New York the next day All of A in different directions and he found the city full of youngtheir farewells to parents, sweethearts and wives, all assuring each other that the ould be over in a feeeks but none of the it

Abel arrived at the New York Baron in tiirls clinging desperately to soldiers, sailors and airmen, while Frank Sinatra crooned to the rhyth people on the dance floor, he wondered howlike this again He couldn’t help re how he had become maitre d’ at the Plaza The three men senior to hi between thein to knoar was really like He didn’t join in the celebration - if that’s what it was He went to his roo, he dressed in a plain dark suit and went down to the recruiting office in Times Square He had chosen to enlist in New York because he feared soo and all he could hope to end up ould be a swivel chair ’Me office was even ht before, but here no one was clinging on to anyone else Abel hung around the entirein order to fill out one form that would have taken him threethat all the other recruits looked fitter than he He then stood in line for two eant who asked I - Liement,’ said Abel, and went on to tell the officer of his experiences in the first war The sergeant stared silently at the five foot seven, one hundred and ninety pound man with an expression of incredulity If Abel had told hio Baron, the officer would not have doubted his stories of imprisonment and escape, but he chose to keep this information to himself and be treated like any of his fellow countrymen

’You’ll have to take a full physical toeant said at the end of Abel’s h he felt the comment was no less than his duty, ’Thank you for volunteering’

The next day Abel had to wait several e was fairly blunt about Abel’s general condition He had been protected from such comments for several years by his,position and success It ca when the doctor classified hiood, your heart is weak, and you limp Frankly, Rosnovski, youre plain unfit We can’t take soldiers into battle who are likely to have a heart attack even before they find the enemy That doesn’t mean we can’t use your talents; there’s a lot of paperwork to be done in this war if you are interested’

Abel wanted to hit hinee but he knew that wouldn’t help get him into uniform

’No, thank yousir,’ he said ’I want to fight the Germans, not send letters to the despondent, but Abel decided that he wasn’t licked yet The next day he tried again, going to another recruiting office, but he came back to the Baron with the same result Admittedly, the second doctor had been a little more polite, but he was every bit as firain Abel had ended up with a 4F It was obvious to Abel that he was not going to be allowed to fight anybody in his present state of health