Radio Mirror: The Magazine of Radio Romances (Jan-June 1943)

WE sat there until the last possible minute, close together, not speaking, pretending those few moments were forever, and that there was no such thing in the world as parting for lovers. Jerry took a deep breath. "Well, darling," he said finally, "this is it. I've got to go now." There was a roaring in my ears, as if the war had suddenly hurled itself into the crowded confines of our taxi and were bursting about our heads. And I clung to Jerry frantically, suddenly realizing fully, for the first time, what this meant. I'd told myself that I wouldn't cry, that I wouldn't make it any harder for Jerry, but I did cry. I couldn't help it. This was the end of my world, my new and wonderful world, which had been mine so short a time. Jerry's mouth was close to my ear, buried against my hair. "Eileen— dearest! It's all right— you mustn't cry. I'll be back. It isn't as if it were for good." I tried to smile, a smile that was dead before it was born. "I—I'm sorry. Jerry, I didn't mean to — " His arm caught me closer. "I'll tell you something, he whispered. "I'd have been very disappointed if you hadn't cried a little." He took my face between his hands, staring hard at me as .f he would force his mind to bear my image with him. my vo'uGOOHPbywdar!in8 Always ren*mber I love door nf tt kTd,me quickly' tenderly The door of the cab slammed sharply behind him rwprrem^rr^Xea£E ctmg^tuSaSStd^ = I cpu.dn't stand the shut-m SinTth^^K gave me, and I jumped out afttr Cab and started walking. "** a moment I wasn't going anywhere— there wasn't . where to go. I wished poignantlv f£ V" to talk to, someone who^uld understan^60^ help me over these first wretched h! ~ and wasn't anyone. I'd met Z^ofi^^T of course, since we'd been „ oJerry s fnends, had kept pretty m^^o^g?**™ the precious little time left Zl \ hoar<»ng gether before Jerry would hi H 1 t0 be to" had both known he wouM h. 3fted' aS we was a shock to realize tittr^ci/; A. "Manhattan °t Midnight precious thing I have," her husband had said. Did this give him the right to accuse her of living « lie? T f iJ ■! °nly °ne person X knew well. And I couldn't go to Sam Waller-not after what Jerry and I,had done to him ehfh"^11? W3S the manaSer of the night Jerrv rZ* r used }°s^ before I marrLi Jerry. The Crossroads Cafe wasn't what you'd call an exclusive place, but it was fairly respectable as night clubs go, and Sam Waller was easy going and a pleasant man to work for <Jm wT £Ut fr°m back home to si"S f°r Sam Waller because jobs were scarce— and the salary Sam offered was good. I intended to stay just a month, but I stayed for six, and then 1 left only because of Jerry. If anyone had told me, when I left home that I wouldn't be back, I'd have laughed at them Oh, it wasn't that I was conscious of the glamour of being a singer— that's overrated anyway— or ambitious for fame, or anything like that. But singing was my job. It was the only thing I knew how to do, and I did it well Besides, the pay was good— better than any Id get working in an office. And, after five years of it, I'd got to a point where I could be fairly sure of a steady income and regular engagements. So, as I say, I was just going to stay at the Crossroads Cafe for a little while —just to fill in. You see, I didn't know then that there was anyone like Jerry anywhere in the world. I suppose falling in love is always a sort of a shock to a girl— oh, we women dream and dream, but when the dreams materialize it's always surprising. Love had no place whatever in my schemes. Somewhere in the back of my mind was the notion that someday I'd be married, but that was all. I was even too busy to daydream about it much, and besides, there wasn't any person upon whom I could' fasten my dreams. But all that changed The first time I met Jerry, he made me furious. He came into the Crossroads Cafe with a group of men, noisy and boisterous. They interrupted one of my numbers with their heavy laughter until I was thoroughly angry with the whole lot of them. And then I noticed Jerry — he, of the whole group, had the grace to look a bit uncomfortable at the scene. He was the only one who wasn't contributing his share to the noise and confusion. I remember that I wondered what he was doing there at all. Somehow, skin with that wind-kissed color, 37