THE SPANGLER AFFAIRE
His name . . . Spangler Arlington Brugh. Yeah, I know. Who in their right mind would hang a name like that on an infant? But, they did. I met Spangler as a freshman at Beatrice High School. That’s in Nebraska. It was 1927. Our affair would last three years until he graduated in 1929. It was several years later I learned his name had been changed to Robert Taylor by his Hollywood employer. His fame as an actor grew fast, far, and wide as did my melancholy for the loss of my first love. He loved Nebraska and came back as often as he could; always making a point of stopping by to say hi to me and Kadar who had grown into a beautiful Arabian stallion. Kadar, which means powerful, always remembered Robert in spite of his long absences. He would rear on his hind legs and whinny loudly when he saw his old friend. It was heartwarming to know I wasn’t the only one who missed him. The affair was over, at least for Spangler, even though he often hinted he regretted...