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

I told myself, to lose Jeff than to lose my sense of values. So I left him, never having known him at all. I found myself one day possessed of a document which read, ". . . on motion of attorney for plaintiff, it is hereby adjudged and decreed that the bonds of matrimony heretofore existing between Lila Baudry Mason and Jefferson Kern Mason be, and the same are, hereby dissolved, and said parties absolutely divorced from each other." That document, and a new job, and no Jeff and no laughter anywhere in my world. Only the memory of how sweet his kisses had been, how great a haven his arms; only the memory of one momentary glimpse past the laughter in him — the look his face had worn when I told him that we had come to the end of us. IT wasn't any part of Jeff's character 1 to try to see me when I had told him I didn't want to see him, so that all 1 knew of him after that was what I heard. Heard, with a little stab of pain, that he was growing thin. Heard, and hated hearing it, that he was dating the script girl. Heard, at last, and with a wave of unreasonable resentment against him, that he had enlisted in the Army — resentment because, this being months before Pearl Harbor, and I was certain that we would never get into the war, I was sure that he considered being in the Army just another new and fascinating game to play. It was only a few days after I was told that Jeff had enlisted that the manager of WKKL called me. Tears Are So Real Continued from page 21 "Like your new job?" he asked. "Why, ye-es." "Would you rather have your old one back?" Work alone where once I had worked with Jeff? No! "I — I — no, I don't think so." An urgency came into the manager's voice. "I wish you'd think it over very seriously, Lila. Ralph Clark has been promoted to continuity director, and he very badly needs someone to help him out — someone who really knows the ropes around here. The girl we hired when you left to get married just hasn't panned out. There's a good raise in it for you, and we really need you." It was partly -he money, partly the feeling of importance it gav? me to kncv that I was really needed — and partly, I suppose, that way women have of torturing themselves. Anyway, I went back to WKKL. And that's how I happened to be sorting letters for "A Word F om the Wise" that awful, everything-going-wrong morning when I heard footsteps in the corridor outside and a sound I hadn't heard for too long. He never could remember the words of a song. . . . The footsteps came briskly along in march time to the meaningless syllables which replaced the words of the song. "Pum-pum-pum-pum, pum-pumpum-pum, good-by, my lover, goodby. . . ." Jeff. Very slowly I put down the letter in my hand. The familiar footsteps were just outside the door. And then they had gone beyond. "Pum-pum-pum-pum — " The closing of a door put an end to the footsteps and the _ jng alike. I sat very still until I could convince myself that they had never been. And then Ralph Clark's buzzer sounded. I gathered up the sheaf of letters and my notebook and pencils and went into his office. Ralph's round, pleasant face creased with a brief smile of greeting. And then he hid the smile in a handkerchief and mopped ' :erably at his nose. "All set?" he asked. And then added unnecessarily, "Wretched cold I've got." I let one nod serve as answer for both and pulled up a chair, my pencil poised. But Ralph wasn't quite ready to go to work. "Have a good time Tuesday night?" he asked. For the life of me I couldn't remember right then where I'd been Tuesday night or what I'd done. I could just remember footsteps and . . . "Yes," I said. "Oh, yes!" RALPH glowed. "I thought you'd like that place," he said. "Pretty good food — and not expensive." Of course I remembered then. Ralph had taken me to dinner. Ralph had taken me to dinner rather a lot lately. I liked Ralph. He was the sort of man I'd always had in the back of my mind, I guess, when I thought of the future — of a home and a husband. "Dinner again tonight?" It was more a statement than a question. H ow MUCH are YOU smoking? * Government figures show smoking at all-time peak. WHETHER you are smoking more — or smoking less— note this: When smokers changed to PHILIP MORRIS, every case of irritation of nose or throat— due to smoking— either cleared up completely or definitely improved! That was reported in medical journals by distinguished doctors— their findings in work with actual men and women smokers. NOTE we do not claim curative power for Philip Morris. But this evidence clearly proves them less irritating to the nose and throat. FOR PHILIP MORRIS America's FINEST Cigarette 6]