Radio and television mirror (July-Dec 1942)

way. It was Peggy. She wondered how long Peggy had been there, how much she had heard. The girl's face was so white that even the small amount of lipstick she wore stood out sharply like a scarlet gash. For a long minute, Peggy just stood there, looking at the lawyer. "I heard you," Peggy said at last. "I heard what you said. I don't know who you are, but you know Carter's father, don't you?" There was no response. "Don't you?" Peggy cried, clutching his sleeve. MRS. YOUNG could feel how close Peggy was to breaking. "It doesn't matter, Peggy, dear," she said, trying to draw the girl away. "Yes, it does," Peggy cried. She turned to the lawyer. "You do know him, don't you?" Mr. Taylor nodded. "I'm his lawyer." Peggy laughed sobbingly. "I want you to tell Mr. Trent something for me," she said. "Tell him I wouldn't marry Carter now for anything in the world! And tell him he doesn't have to pay me a penny! Not one single penny!" She turned suddenly and ran from the room. "Please go now, Mr. Taylor," Mrs. Young said. She went toward the hall. She saw Peggy collide blindly with Pepper and saw Pepper scowl, watching his sister stumble up the stairs. Mrs. Young realized he couldn't have heard very much, or he wouldn't look so bewildered. "Peggy — Mom," Pepper said. "What's the matter?" "It's nothing, Pepper," she said wearily. "Mr. Taylor here is just leaving. He — he seems to have made a mistake." After the door closed, Mrs. Young collapsed into a chair and buried her face in her hands. She was conscious of Pepper hovering over her, but she couldn't bring herself to speak until the sickening pounding of her heart had quieted down a little. Then, briefly she told Pepper what had happened. Pepper was standing beside her, stiff and angry. "Sis is lucky," he said. "I'm glad she found out what kind of people they are before she married Carter." It was so wrong, Mrs. Young thought. Carter and Peggy loved each other. What right had they, any of them, to meddle with their happiness? What right had the Trents to interfere, to decide whether they should marry or not? Suddenly, she saw that it didn't actually matter what was right or wrong. The harm had been done. And she had let it happen. "If only Sam had been here!" 40 Mrs. Young didn't even know she had said it aloud, until Pepper spoke. "Dad would have knocked his block off!" Pepper said. Mrs. Young wasn't listening. She was thinking how differently Sam would have handled the whole thing. And she wished sadly that she hadn't been in such a hurry to talk Sam into going to Chicago. If only he had waited a few more days, all this might have been avoided. However, it was useless to think what might have been. Sam had not been there and she had made a mess of things and she didn't know what to do now. She didn't know what to say to Peggy, how to help her, how to ease her pain. Mrs. Young glanced at the clock. Six-thirty. If she hurried, she At last Peggy took a deep breath and sighed. She turned her troubled misty gray eyes on her mother. "Oh, if it's only true,'' she whispered might catch Sam at Curt's hotel, before they went out for dinner. She stood up and went to the telephone. "Long distance, please," she said to the operator. Already, she felt a little better. She was doing something. "Mary!" she heard Curt's voice, Curt saying happily, "How are you? How's Biff?" "Curt, listen," Mrs. Young didn't quite know how to go on from there. "Is Sam with you? I've got to talk to him. Something's happened." "You're all right?" Curt asked anxiously. "Oh, yes — " Mrs. Young said. "Oh Curt," she went on quickly, "We've had a terrible time. You know about Peggy's engagement to Carter Trent?" "Yes," Curt broke in, "I think it's