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THE WALRUS SAID

By Daniel B. Jacobs

A blue convertible Cadillac coups atopped before the south door of Memorial Hall yesterday afternoon. For a half hour or tonger a crowd had been collecting hoping to get into the already filled building. The tall lady who alighted from the car could not make her way through the people intent on entering; a crowed of backs barred her way. Finally a policeman appeared and helped Mrs. Roosevelt through the crowd and into Sanders Theatre.

Some of these inside bad waited more than an hour to make sure of getting a seat; first outside in the cold, then patiently in the straight backed pews of the theatre. As Mrs. Roosevelt came onto the stage from the left rear door the people arose, clapping spontancously. Outside many of the hundreds who had come only a half-hour or less before the scheduled hour drifted away.

Provost Buck was introduced, and in turn introduced Mrs. Roosevelt. As the began to speak the audience grew silent. Those in the rear leaned forward to hear every world. All was quiet except for the gentle rising and falling of her voice. Then came a tapping. It repeated. And another tapping. Everyone must have been conscious of it. A few shifted in their seats and looked around. But it took a moment for the realization to spread that the tappings were coming from those left outside, knocking hopefully on one of the exit-doors at the rear of the balcony--hoping that there might be one more scat inside. The man who had charge of such things would pull back the curtain on the door and tell them to go away. But later there would come another tapping on another door--always a rather pathetic sound in the filled hall as the tappings resounded between the pauses in Mrs. Roosevelt's speech.

The audience arose once again at the close of the speech, and many crowded up on the stage for a few words with Mrs. Roosevelt. The rest pushed their way out through the narrow doors. Outside those who had been waiting caught a glimpse of Mrs. Roosevelt as she walked down the steps and climbed into the blue convertible which sped away toward Quincy Street.

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