One day in 1939 I was sitting on a bench by Columbia, waiting for my date with Lou to take me to the World’s Fair. I was very particular when I went on dates. I made sure the guy had a car and money!

While I was waiting for Lou to pick me up, Barney drove up to me and said, “Come over here, I want to talk to you.”

I said, “You want to talk to me? You have to get out of the car and come over here.”

So he sat on the bench with me and said, “You look so pretty, sitting there in your blue dress.” I still have the dress!

I called Lou up and told him my mother was coming to visit from Pennsylvania and I couldn’t go to the World’s Fair with him.

I took a chance! I got in the car with Barney and went to the World’s Fair. We had a wonderful time. He worked for The Daily News, he told me. He started talking about marriage, “What kind of wedding do you want?” He wanted me to meet his mother and father.

On the way home, I asked him what his last name was. He said, “Smith.”

I said, “See you later!” I thought that Smith was a made up name.