[legendsport]

June 14, 1940: Brooklyn, NY:

Gloria Barrell glanced at her watch as she stood outside the single, unadorned door that she knew led into a tunnel-like hallway inside Kings County Ballpark. At the end of that hallway was a door leading into the visitor's clubhouse. The clubhouse where her twin brother was likely breaking something after losing to the Brooklyn Kings by a score of 3-2, a walkoff win that surely stung her brother's pride. It was nearing six o'clock and though she stood in the shade of the massive wall of the ballpark, it was warm, almost uncomfortably so.

Gloria waited in a clump of people, most of them friends and family of Cincinnati Cannons players and staff. Gloria recognized most of the faces around her, and knew there wouldn't be many fans - the Cannons were not much loved outside of Cincinnati and their Baltimore days were not exactly far in the distant past.

"Gloria! How are you?" she heard from behind her. Startled out of her reverie, she turned and saw her cousin Agnes shouldering past an older woman who threw her an annoyed look. Agnes didn't even notice.

"Hi, Aggie! I'm fine. What are you doing here?" she said. Then she lowered her voice and pointed out that Agnes had just nearly run over the wife of pitching coach "Big George" Johnson.

Aggie shrugged. Either her time in New York as a student at Bigsby College was changing her, or she was just channeling the "full-steam-ahead" mentality of her hockey-playing father Jack.

"I'm here to see you," she said and then added as an afterthought, "And your brother of course."

Gloria chuckled. She knew Aggie thought Rufus, or "Cousin Deucey" as she said in her inimitable nearly-French accent, was a hot-headed blowhard.

"You, erm, weren't at the game, were you?" Gloria asked.

"No, I was working."

"Working?" Gloria didn't know her cousin was a working girl.

Agnes waved a hand dismissively as she said, "Papa said I could only stay in New York if I found some, as he put it, 'worthwhile employment' to help pay for it. Mama, naturally, agreed with him." She shook her head and finished, "So I am a secretary at a publishing house."

Gloria found herself a bit jealous. She was living with Deuce, charged with keeping him "on the straight and narrow." Now she discovered that she found the thought of having a "real job" exciting. "Oh, that sounds very interesting," she said.

Aggie barked a short laugh and shook her head. "It isn't," she said. "Interesting, that is. What it is, is tedious. And the man I work for is like an octopus, if you know what I mean."

Gloria's eyes widened. "Well, I hope you put him in his place," she said.

"Oh, I certainly don't encourage it," Aggie told her. "But I need this job."

Gloria shook her head. "I could mention this to Deuce...." she said.

"No, no, no, I don't need any help," was Aggie's response. "Besides," she said with a wicked gleam in her eye, "I could always introduce Papa to him. He'll be in New York for a visit next week."

Gloria grinned, knowing that her uncle Jack was, despite being in his forties, still an imposing man who'd made a living playing not one, but two, physical and sometimes violent sports. Much like Gloria's father who had always exuded a quiet, but palpable sense of physical menace.

"Excuse me, ladies, is this the visitor's clubhouse door?" asked a voice. Gloria saw Aggie's face as her eyes shifted to the man who had spoken, a man Gloria couldn't see because he had approached her from behind. Aggie's wide-eyed look made Gloria turn around quickly.

Behind her was a man in a shining white uniform, obviously a naval officer. Gloria immediately appreciated her cousin's reaction, the man was good-looking in that sort of boy-next-door kind of way. Gloria herself had always been more interested in the rough-and-tumble sort, something her mother said was "looking for a man like your father." Joe Barrell had certainly been rough-and-tumble (and then some).

"Yes, this is the visitor's clubhouse," Gloria said, shooting a frown at Agnes, whose mouth was open as she stared.

The man either didn't notice, or was nice enough not to say anything. He stuck out a hand and as Gloria looked down, thinking "ah, a modern mindset" he said, "My name's Bill. Bill McCullough. My brother Charley plays for the Cannons."

Gloria shook his hand, giving him a firm grip that she hoped said, "I'm no delicate flower."

"I'm Gloria Barrell. My brother Rufus is a pitcher for the Cannons, and I know your brother."

Bill McCullough laughed, "Oh, yes, I've heard all about Deuce. My brother says they're fast friends."

"That they are," Gloria said with a smile. She glanced at Aggie who was still staring. "This is my cousin, Agnes Barrell."

Bill thrust his hand out again and Aggie shook herself out of her... whatever it was... and shook his hand.

Gloria looked at Bill's uniform, for that was certainly what it was. "So, you're a Navy man, apparently," she said.

Bill laughed and said, "Yes, afraid so."

Gloria pointed at the black epaulets on Bill's shoulder. "I'm afraid I can't tell what that means," she said, quickly adding, "I know it's your rank, but...."

Bill nodded and said, "I'm a Lieutenant."

Gloria said, "If you say so..." and laughed.

The door they had all been waiting on finally swung open. First out was George Theobald. The old man was tall and thin - too thin in Gloria's opinion (someone needs to feed that man, she had told Deuce several times). Behind him was the pitching coach, whose wife whispered in his ear and pointed at Agnes. For her part, Agnes was oblivious, still enchanted by Bill McCullough.

Fred Galloway came out, and made a point of stopping to talk with Gloria. Deuce had already told her that Freddie was sweet on her. She had known this of course; she wasn't blind. But Galloway was short - just 5'5 and Gloria had a couple of inches on him. That wouldn't do, even if he was kind of cute. She politely talked to him for a few minutes, then he wandered over to the team bus, idling just far enough away that the group of family and friends wasn't suffocating in its fumes.

Deuce emerged, walking with Charley. Neither man was speaking and Deuce had a frown on his face. Yep, he was still angry about losing the game.

"Get over it, Rufus," Gloria told him before saying anything else. He glowered at her. "You know that's what gramps would say," she added. He nodded, but the frown stayed in place.

Meanwhile Charley and his brother were hugging and backslapping, while Aggie continued to eye Bill.

"OK, two questions," Deuce said. Gloria raised an eyebrow in response.

"First, what's she doing here," he pointed at Agnes. "And second, why does she look like she got hit in the head by a fastball?"

Gloria laughed and explained that Aggie had come to see her, knowing she'd be at the game. And she had been poleaxed by Bill McCullough's appearance on the scene.

Deuce laughed and said, "Oh, poor Aggie."

"Poor Aggie, why?" Gloria asked.

"Well, Bill's on leave. He's only here for a few days."

"So?"

"So, he's in the Navy, serves on a battleship and that ship is based at Pearl Harbor."

"Pearl Harbor? Where's that?" Gloria asked.

"Hawaii," Deuce told her. Gloria hadn't been much for geography in school, but she did know that Hawaii was very, very far away from New York. Poor Aggie indeed.

Deuce leaned over and whispered in her ear. "Charley's been mooning over you again, sis."

Gloria sighed. This had become something of a theme. Charley McCullough was a nice enough fellow, and though he was just 5'9, that was taller than she was (unless she was wearing heels) and wasn't half-bad looking. But he was also a "nice guy" and lacked that certain element of danger that Gloria found interesting.

"Maybe he should date Aggie," Gloria told her brother.

Deuce shook his head. "Look, Gloria. Aggie's sweet, but Charley only has eyes for you. And he is a good guy."

Gloria took a half-step back and eyed her brother. "Since when are you so set on pairing me up with your buddy?"

"Aww, come on, Gloria..." Deuce moaned. "Don't be so difficult. Just think about it."

Gloria folded her arms. "Oh, I am thinking. And what I'm thinking is that he should be man enough to tell me these things himself."

Deuce shrugged and looked over his shoulder. Charley was still talking with his brother and thankfully hadn't heard any of that exchange between Deuce and his sister. And Aggie was still standing a few feet away, trying - and failing - to not look like she was staring at Lt. Bill McCullough of the USS Arizona.

.