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

frightened me, but it fascinated me. "You know, you're very sweet," he whispered. "I've wanted to kiss you ever since I first met you." Suddenly he let my hands go and caught me close to him, bending to meet my lips. "Tom! Please don't!" I said, but he only laughed again. I didn't want him to kiss me — I felt no emotion toward him at all, just gratitude for the help he'd given me. And gratitude isn't a good enough basis for what I saw in Tom's eyes, then. His eyes were blazing, hungry — and I remembered that this was the man who always got what he wanted. I forced my hands up against his shoulders. "No, Tom, no!" He laughed at me a little, and then his face grew grim when he found that I meant it, when he found that my trying to escape him wasn't just a flirtatious trick, but a real desire to be free of his arms. He caught my wrists then and held them tightly behind my back with one hand, and with the other under my chin he forced my face up and turned my lips to his. And his voice was ugly, when he said, "Don't you think I deserve a little thanks for all that I've done for you today, Jennie? Don't — " T'D believed him when he'd said that * I wouldn't have to worry about paying him for taking Mike's case. Oh, it didn't matter how much he'd helped me when I needed help most, I couldn't pay him this way — not this way! I threw all my strength against him, trying to escape his seeking mouth, his questing hands. From far away, I heard Mrs. Mecinski calling, "Jennie! Jennie!" Her voice broke the spell. Tom's arms relaxed, and I twisted out of their clasp, threw myself at the door. "It must be the court-house calling," I gasped, and ran to the stairs. But halfway down them I stopped. Barrett Morgan stood in the hall. He had been smiling at first, but then his eyes went past me to Tom, standing at the head of the stair well, and his face went blank. "Hello, Miss Rae," he said. "I came to see you about Mike." Mechanically putting one foot in front of the other, I came the rest of the way down and went into the living room. He followed me, and so did Tom. I wished Tom would go — I would never see Barrett Morgan again, and I longed to have this last, unimportant moment with him alone — but I couldn't tell Tom to leave. He stopped just inside the door, leaning against the frame, watching Barry with a cool sort of triumph. "I'll only keep you a minute," Barry said impersonally. "The judge suspended Mike's sentence, but he doesn't think he should come back here to live. They talked things over, and the judge suggested that Mike join the Navy. He didn't like the idea much, at first, but the judge explained that in the Navy he'd have a chance to learn a trade and really make something of himself. Then he got really enthusiastic." "The Navy?" I said aghast. "But Mike's so young — " "Of course, he'll need your father's consent. But you can talk it over with him this evening when he gets home. I think when you see how anxious he is to go you'll agree that it's best." "Where is Mike now?" I asked. "At the recruiting station. He couldn't wait to go through the preliminaries, so he asked me to stop in ,7 t. Captured by Her Evening in Paris Make-up Fair target for the delightful devastation wrought by her loveliness! And what man could resist such enchantment? Mist-softness of Evening in Paris face powder . . . delicate blush of velvety rouge . . . brilliant silken allure of lips touched with Evening in Paris lipstick. Sureiy this is a loveliness combination to capture the heart of the bravest hero! Face Powder, $1.00 • Lipstick, 50c • Rouge, 50c • Perfume, $1.25 to $10 c^# IAII prices plus tax) o fo \7<zt &ZC0 Distributed by BOURJOIS Help your Government conserve fine metals . . . save your rouge and lipstick containers and buy refills. 71 i