Photoplay (Jan - Jun 1943)

AS the truck carrying Carolyn and Jones climbed to the rocky crest of the divide overlooking the valley where Tan Ying lived, they saw black smoke spiraling up in the direction of the farm. Their eyes met in a single unspoken fear. Jones's face tensed as he jammed his foot on the accelerator, rocketing the truck down the tortuous road to the plains below. As they reached the turn-in of the farm house, he cut the ignition. "I want to go in quietly," he explained, "just in case. . . ." He hopped out. Carolyn followed. "Get back in the car." "No." Carolyn's chin was set. Her eyes blazed. "I'm coming with you." Jones saw the futility of argument. He shrugged, reached into the cab and pulled out the Mauser pistol. He handed it to her. "Have you ever handled one of these?" "Yes." "Come on, then. And stay close." She obeyed. With his submachine gun in the crook of his left arm, Jones crept stealthily toward the house. Just ahead" of Carolyn, he came upon the sight of the dead farmer. He tried to stop her but she was too quick for him. He saw the horror in her face, but no sign of faltering. Together they approached the doorway. There sprawled across the doorstep were the bodies of Tai Shen and Donald Duck. Carolyn uttered a soft cry. Jones reached for her arm. "Steady — steady," he murmured. Carolyn drew a deep breath. "I'm all right," she said, between clenched teeth. FROM the interior came a piercing scream. Carolyn and Jones froze, then dashed in the direction of the sound. Leaning against the wall in the meager living room were the submachine guns of the Jap soldiers. On the table were their steel helmets. Emerging from an inner room, the three startled monkey-faced men saw Jones and Carolyn. Little treacherous grins of nervousness twisted their lips as Jones poised his machine gun. "All right— over against the wall!" Jones ordered between his teeth. Carolyn looked at him, wondering, waiting for the answer I to some questions she had been asking herself, questions strangely and suddenly important to her. He made a gesture toward the inner room. Tan Ying. Of course, Tan Ying. She ran toward the room, her heart heavy with foreboding. One of the soldiers spoke: "Please — you English?" A hard smile froze on Jones's lips: "American," he said. With evident relief, the Jap grinned, nodded to the others. Their nervous, cackling chuckle filled the silence. "Then please," said the talkative Jap, "everything all rioht! Japanese and Americans good friends. Yes?" ''Yeah — sure," said Jones softly. He kept waiting for a sound from the other room. He tried to shake off that feeling of desperate concern, that sense of suddenly being a part of something. It was all tied up very tightly with this Carolyn dame who had somehow suddenly opened ' a room in him that had been empty for years, maybe all his life. He looked j at the little evil eyes of the Japs before 1 him. With a curious smile, a faraway 1 look in his eyes, his finger tightened on 1 the trigger. . . . A war could never disturb Jones — but a woman could. Especially a woman as daring as Carolyn Brent. For the surprising conclusion of this moving love story See July Photoplay-Movie Mirror 2 Th&H.m/m I «eFRiSHJf**w'/ 2*^"*"' :_ Three sizes 50*-25*-10* NEW DOUBLE-DUTY CREAM .See how effectively Fresh** stops perspiration-pre^ gWorgreasy.Won'troteveo delicate fabrics! Make your omn test! V -> don't agree that Fresh *-£ best underarm «~J^ ever used, your deaiei gladly refund full price. Hin STOPS MsmMW • mm ooo« 71 ■