Radio Digest (Oct 1926-Jan 1928)

-RAD I O ■ D I G E S T— Illustrated 9 G70RCH o/ Q/OUTH ^4 N EXPERIMENT with Death Affords Karl His Priceless Opportunity— Eden Holds Its Secret— Shirley Seeks a Higher Solace and the Pinks Come Home at Dawn Previously Published RESTLESS and seeking to establish a single standard of morality for men and women, the Lady Pinks of Ivanhoe University proclaim a new era for women. Their theories are voiced in an interview of Wanda Nevens, the "Little Corporal" of the order, who defends Shirlev Buckhaven, who was taken in a raid on a roadhouse with her companion, Nicky Sanders. Called to account by the dean and the president of the school, she is rescued by Uncle Joe Grant, the steel magnate whose millions are the cornerstone of the university. Babe Garden, football hero, and from Wanda's home town in Minnesota, falls into the clutches of Nate Weiss, a bootlegger. He assists in the robbery of a load of alcohol from the laboratory and is aided by Karl Boescher, a ruthless student of science. Weiss invites the two men to bring their girl friends to the opening of Eden Garden, a mammoth resort in the sand dunes, enclosing a tropical garden and a small lake. Wanda and her roommate, .Stella Gwynne, accompany Babe and Karl to the party. There they accidentally meet Shirley and Nicky. Shirley flirts with Babe to annoy Nicky, who is morose. Nicky, somewhat intoxicated, finds himself left behind and drowns himself in the little lake. Shirley is overcome with remorse and drops unconscious beside him as other batthers try to resuscitate him. By Qriswold q/^aer CHAPTER VII. Ruthless Science WHAT happens when the last word has been said? It is the old question come down from the first prattling of primeval man. Where goes the ego, the I, the animating force of the living human clay? Two figures lay insensate to all their surroundings on the sand, there in that man-made magical garden of Eden. In one ebbed the red current that meant life, in the other the red fluid was still, stagnant and already beginning to chemically resolve itself into the elements of the earth. Where had flown, that other thing that had inhabited this house, which had suddenly been disorganized and destroyed by a little water? What had been the last thought to trickle through that brain — that precise and delicately balanced organism still almost the same as it had been an hour ago? Was it still fluttering through the air seeking another tuned and vibrant aerial that would respond and understand? What force had created and projected that last thought? Did that force still exist in any form? Had the years of welding it together been infinitely dissipated in that one disastrous moment? Or did it, as some undiscovered unit of energy, still cohere and persist, unclothed in itself, but still capable of articulation through the material medium of another human similarly attuned as a Radio receiver is attuned to the wave energy of a transmitter? Thus thought Karl Boescher as he stood at the feet of the late Nicky Sanders and looked into the half closed eyes. The others had given up in their efforts to evacuate the lungs of wat^er and restore respiration. Four men with two stretchers suddenly appeared from the shadows of the cliff beneath the entrance balcony. Garden stood up from a useless movement of arms and chest of the drowned man. He wiped the perspiration from his brow with . his hairy arm. "Not a spark of life left," he said. Karl bent low over the figure. 660 ANDERS! Sanders! You "must come ^ to yourself. You can and you *^ MUST inhale the air. You MUST. Inhale! Inhale! DRAW!" Karl almost screamed. Not a twitch or flicker of. movement responded. "Blood's gone," he said, "too much poison. Just think, everything but that." "Don't forget," Babe reminded, "he was through. He didn't want to come back." "Yes, that is a very important factor. I wish it had been a person who did want to come back. This would have been a wonderful opportunity. What a fool I was to leave him. I knew he was melancholy, but — " "It is no use to reproach yourself now," said Stella, forcing herself to believe that Karl's regrets were humanitarian. Wanda was bending over Shirley, who seemed to have gone into a deep stupor. The stretcher bearers came up, deftly lifted their burdens and started toward a narrow crevasse in the wall without asking questions, but seemingly to effect the greatest haste and quietness. "Let's go along," said Karl. Without a word the others followed quickly in the train of the two inert forms. They soon discovered that the rocky cliff was but little thicker than a stage setting, behind which was a white calcimined room. Instead of violets and wild flowers there was the unmistakable odor of a hospital, disinfectants and medicines. Half a dozen hospital cots were lined along the wall in an immaculate row. "All set for emergencies, drunks and fights, I suppose," said Karl as they en poor thing. She is asking for the man — the man who was with her and she seems to think he is near. Don't let her know he is gone. It might kill her, in her condition." "Then, by all means, let me take charge here," said Karl, stepping forward boldly and making a show of taking Shirley's pulse and listening to her heart and breathing-. Babe looked up with a quick and suspicious scowl. «a» iiiiii ' '■ Mi ■■:„,'.... '<*@mmi THE above hale and hearty maiden with the slanty eyes and the pearly teeth has been heard by tens of thousands of Radio listeners over the large chain stations. Whether she is in the studio or on the stage her voice always comes through the air with the same full tone that is neither too loud nor too soft but just right to distinguish every word and portray every inflection. You will remember the name as announced by Bobby Griffin of WBCN, Chicago, "Miss Isobel Brown singing from the stage of the Tivoli Theater and broadcast by WBCN, Chicago." She has been heard throughout the Publix Theater system and is directed by Boris Petroff. tered. They stood back while two uniformed nurses placed Shirley in one of the beds. The other stretcher had not been brought into the room. They hesitated to come forward until presently the elder gray haired matronly nurse came to them. "You are friends of the young woman?" she asked. "Yes," answered Karl and Wanda together. "She seems to have suffered severe nervous shock. The doctor will be here in a minute. He is making an examination of the other, the other patient — is it true that he is really dead?" "Absolutely," said Karl. "How bad is our friend here?" "She is a little delirious. Had she been drinking earlier in the evening?" "If you don't mind I'm something of a doctor myself, and I'd like to look at her. I ma,y be able to do something — " Karl thrust himself forward, ignoring the question. 64TT)ERHAPS you had better. I may as |~"^well confess, the doctor we had ex pected here tonight did not come, and they are out now trying to get one. Only I must ask that you try to sooth the "We'd better go up there, too," he said to Wanda. "I don't trust that man now. He is utterly ruthless and capable of anything for a scientific experiment." "Oh, I can't realize it. I'm still in a trance. It is all so unreal— it has been the whole evening." Wanda, naturally quick in her perceptions, seemed to have suffered a dull daze as a keen edged knife is turned by a hard, rough obstacle. But now she saw the need of action and forgot all else. She knelt by the side of the bed and took the unconscious girl's hand in her own. "My dear child, try to take it easy. We are here with you, now, and — " "Keep still, Wanda. Can't you see she is trying to say something. Listen, listen — get it — every word — I must know — now, go on, Shirley!" Cutting and imperiously Karl lifted his thick hand and demanded silence. The ghostly pale girl in the sheets turned her chalky face on the pillow, the damp yellow hair still clinging to her skin in pitiful wisps. "I'm going down," she gasped suddenly, "but — but— -nothing's worth while — but I say keep your head up, keep your head up, I'm coming, Nicky boy — don't be a fool — Oh — " and then she moaned into silence again. "Don't you see she's getting that last message?" whispered Karl. "But she's getting it mixed up with her own conceptions— now — don't whisper — shh." "I was just teasing. Why did you scare me like that? You know I was just teasing. Why do you look like that? Don't be so grim, boy. What do you mean, 'it's over.' Be yourself. Nicky, Nicky — take my hand — don't be silly — Nicky, the water's deep — and its cold. Nicky, here I am — " she reached her arm out from the sheet and waved it around blindly — "I won't say goodbye — Boescher, Karl Boescher — what — where are you? Everything's all right, boy. Old fashioned— the preacher, back home — no funeral, a wedding— don't joke — " AGAIN she moaned and fell silent. Karl's face was set as none had ever seen it before. His pale blue eyes were wide and as expressionless as the eyes in a dead catfish. "My poor darling — " Wanda began soothingly. "Stop!" Leaping suddenly from his rapt attention to a full consciousness of his surroundings Karl turned angrily and put his hand over Wanda's mouth. "That's too much!" said Babe, hoarsely, jerking Karl's hand to one side. "I will not stand for any more of this. The rest of us are somewhat human here — " "You go on out, go on out," snapped Karl, the veins standing out on his forehead. He looked like a maniac. "Go on out, all of you, you clods — this is priceless. I must not be bothered — " "Gentlemen, I can't permit such a scene here," the senior nurse expostulated. "The patient must not be disturbed — " Then the patient opened her eyes — wide brown eyes, that stared wonderingly. "Where is this?" she asked. "Never mind, my dear, you are all right. You fainted and we brought you in here to rest. Just forget and don't try to think of anything. All you need is a little sleep. You will soon be all right. Just go to sleep and when you wake up we will tell you all about it. Don't worry. Go to sleep — " "But it is all so queer. I don't understand. Where is he? I'm sick. Don't play any tricks. Where is Nicky? He was here a minute ago — just going to take my hand — and then he said 'goodbye.' Oh, dear, what's it all about?" "Are you sure you saw him?" Karl asked eagerly. "Why, certainly — but — but — " she seemed to be sinking into a stupor again. "Tell us, girl, what happened?" "Oh — you know — I won't! You can't make me, because I won't, Boescher — " "Go on, girl — " "It's dark, and I'm cold. I said he was going to kiss me, and the dark shadow came — Oh, I am so tired." "Shirley, you MUST answer me — " "Take that devil away." Wanda could contain herself no longer, her eyes blazed and she turned to Babe expectantly. "No nonsense here!" Karl snarled in reply as Babe put a heavy hand on his shoulder. "This is rounding out years — " "You have a lot to learn before you are a doctor," said the senior nurse, as she seemed to approve Babe's inclination to forcibly eject him from the room. "Karl, you will have to go. She can't endure any more of this, this — vivisection. If you don't come by yourself I'll drag you out — " The girl stirred again and they waited in silence as she slowly opened her eyes. "Wanda, honey, forgive me. You do, don't you. I never meant any harm to you — " Shirley now appeared to be fully rational, but desperately weak. After a moment's rest in the midst of a hush except for soothing assurances from the friend at her bedside, she continued: "I loved only Nicky, but I just felt a devilish whim to make him jealous — and I went too far. I feel like I have been away a long time. But it's just happened, hasn't it? Oh, yes, you are still in your bathing suits. Can I get up now?" "No, you must keep perfectly quiet." But Shirley suddenly struggled to a sitting position. 66T WANT to go home," she said. "I I want to get away from all this. I want to get out of it. I want to forget. Wanda, come with me — Oh, what can I do? Tell me, is there a heaven? Is, (Continued on page 20')