Radio romances (July-Dec 1945)

words, grateful beyond words for having found me, and I clung to him, thrilled as always at his nearness, at being close to him. Close to him — I know now how far apart we really were, and I wonder that we could have misunderstood each other so completely for as long as we did. You see, when John spoke of buying the farm some day, I took "some day" to be far in the future — ten years, fiSieen years — a kind of place to retire to, ?,s Mother had retired to Florida. When he brought home books on agriculture, when he turned the dial of the radio to farm programs, I listened to his comments about them with interest; I cut clippings, saved any bits of information I came across if they had anything to do with farming. But my interest was that of a woman who indulges her husband's hobby. When we used precious gasoline to drive in the country on Sunday afternoons, I admired the big barns and the trim white houses, but I looked at them as a bride in modest circumstances looks at expensive homes and thinks that they would be nice to have — sometime in the future. THE first I knew how serious John was about changing our way of living, and changing it soon, was in November, when we drove out to the Eldridge farm to buy a turkey for our Thanksgiving dinner. We had chosen our turkey, and Mr. Eldridge had promised to have it dressed and delivered to us, when he said to John, "You know, old man Corwin is planning to sell his land and move into town." John's face lighted, but he said scoff ingly, "He's been talking about that for months. He'll never do it." Mr. Eldridge shifted his pipe. "I think he means it, this time. He's already bought a house in Saybury, and he plans to move in next spring. Why don't you drop over and see him?" John looked at me. "Do you want .to, Betsey?" I nodded. "Of course. It isn't out of our way." I knew the Corwin place — a toy farm it looked, with a doll-sized house set behind a neat scrap of lawn, with flower beds and shrubs laid out with the charming precision of a miniature garden. We reached it by turning off the highway, driving down a country lane. A tall lilac hedge, brown and feathery now in the chill November wind, shielded the house from the lane; on one side was an orchard. John's eyes swept the place lovingly. "Do you think you'd be happy here, Betsey?" "Anyone would. It's a dear little place." "Not so little. It's plenty of work for one man — that's why Corwin's giving it up. It's just what I want. We could have a cow and chickens for our own butter and eggs, and the truck garden would support us." I sat in the house with Mrs. Corwin while John and Mr. Corwin walked around the grounds. They were gone so long that I began to get restless, and I rose as soon as they came in. John's face was jubilant; he seemed hardly able to contain himself until we were alone, on our way to the car. "We can do it!" he exclaimed. "Do what?" "Buy it — the farm. Old Corwin set a high price, and although I don't blame him, especially in these times, I did my best to talk him down. And it worked. I can manage part of what he wants now, and by spring, when we can move in, I'll have more. The rest New -Design Sanitary Napkin Gives You l) £V / '(& (* And SANAPAK Gives You &ffia> CemffoP, too! K * / BOTH THESE BIG "EXTRAS" -AT NO EXTRA COST! 400MBI$^ : '< 1 1? -■ So secy SANAPAK. ^*>\ ^* l) 5^1 * «. NAILS' ATA MOMENT'S NOTICE > Have you torn, thin, short, or discolored Nails? don't worry! Just apply nu-nails and in a jiffy you have long, tapering fingernails. Can be worn any length and polished any shade. Will not harm nor soften naturalnails.W&tetptoof. Removed at will. So natural thty even have half-mooml Set of ten, 20c. At all 5c and 10c stores. Nil MAM C ARTIFICIAL U'NMIL3 FINGERNAILS 5251 W. Harrison St., Dept 16-M. Chicago Ckiam oftt! f \* d * . Am *o Order «and'Maa|fced «ith PerS°: « S T NAME a M Y f ' R . aA smo*ne« Patented and Manufactured by ON GUARD, 30 Irving ' Place," New York 3, N. / SEND NO MONEY' Fay postman $3.95 plus tax and j small postage fee on delivery. . MAIL COUPON TODATm ON GUARD Dept. 210 I 30 Irving Place, New York 3, N. Y. | Send the ON GUARD SWORD PIN. | Name desired is I I On delivery, I will pay postman I $3.95 plus tax and postage. Name J Address ■ City & State ■ 101