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

gard for what was right — not breaking promises so much as evading them, refusing to admit that he had ever made them. But he was my husband. The night before, when I had quickened to his touch, had showed me that, no matter what he was, I was bound to him. Where he went, I would follow. That was the weapon he held over me. I stood up. "It's all right," I said in a quiet, dead voice. "It's done now, anyway." In the kitchen, I stood for a minute, looking at the window where I'd hung the little red-and-white curtains. They'd cost only a few cents, yet they were gay and gallant and young. Probably I would hang other curtains in the kitchen of the Gorman house, but these were a symbol. I knew that no other home I would ever have would mean quite as much to my heart as this one. AS IF fate wanted to prove to me "*■* that Gene had been right to dispose of the service station, luck was with him in the next few months. Ironically, we prospered. France had fallen, months before, and England was, it seemed, being beaten to her knees by daily, nightly attacks from the air. America's factories were humming, smoking. Things were booming — and Gene was picked up on the wave of new activity and landed in just the kind of job he had always wanted. A small electric-instrument plant at Belden, fifteen miles from our town, suddenly came to life. It was hiring men, preparing to make radio equipment for airplanes. New money was being spent for more buildings, more equipment. . . . It was Mrs. Chandler who told us about it, even before the news was in the papers — Mrs. Chandler, the eccentric old lady who had been one of our most loyal customers at the station. Gene had never liked her much, and she didn't care a great deal for him, but I was fond of her and went on seeing her now and then after we gave up the station. She was always full of gossip, and when she told me about the Belden factory's plans — I gathered that she was investing her own money in the expansion — I repeated the news to Gene. I told him simply as a matter of interest. He'd never done any radio work, and it didn't occur to me that he'd think of getting a job there. But he caught fire at once, and before I knew it he'd driven to Belden and been hired. He was laughing, elated, when he told me about it. "Old Marconi himself— that's me," he said. "The interviewer said they were looking for experienced radio men, so I looked wise and tossed him a few cracks I remembered from my high school physics course. He swallowed it like it was candy." I felt sick. It was so easy to see that it wasn't having a job that pleased him so much, as that he'd got the job under false pretenses. Then he added thoughtfully, "Besides, I guess they want married men, with this fool draft law coming up." This fool draft law. I shuddered. Everything about the war raging in Europe was, to Gene, a subject for scornful laughter. The dopes in Washington wanted to drag America into it, but they couldn't fool Gene. He knew that wars were just moneymaking schemes anyway. Now I buy good-looking, durable CLOPAYS at the 5< and 10« store AND KEEP CRISP, FRESH SHADES AT MY WINDOWS ALL THE TIME HONESTLY, THEY LOOK just like costly cloth shades! They're made of magical cellulose fiber, and cost So little — 10<S, 15<*, 29c — you can afford new CLOPAY window shades every year. WHY PAY SO MUCH for window shades that you feel you have to live with' them when they get dirty and drab ? Join the millions of women who buy good-looking, durable Clopay Window Shades. They cost so little — you can change them, have fresh, clean, new shades every year. Get them at 5^f and 10^ and neighborhood stores everywhere. Clopay Shademores still 10^, Lintones 15^, OilFinish Washables 29$?, for the 36 in. x 6 ft. size, ready to attach. USE YOUR OLD ROLLERS! It's as easy as sealing a letter to attach CLOPAYS to old rollers. Just moisten the curved gummed strip. Smooth on. No tacks or tools needed. Saves money. Saves metal. FINE FOR DAYLIGHT SLEEPERS. CLOPAY Blackout Shades keep light out during day, keep light in at night — permit normal living during dimouts and blackouts. Cost only 39^ up, with hold-down clips. Clopay WINDOW SHADES If yoo find your store temporarily out of a particular size or color, we know you'll understand. An increasing part of ClOPAY production is devoted to direct war work. 75