Radio and television mirror (July-Dec 1942)

huskily. "What do you mean?" Pauly giggled. "It would be an awful shame if she forgot about meeting you here and everything." Davy straightened his shoulders manfully. "Oh," he said, "she hasn't forgotten." "Is she really here, Dave?" Bill asked anxiously. "Well," Davy said. It was a long drawn out "well," followed by a sigh. "Yes. Yeah, she's here." Maudie smiled cruelly. "You don't say. Where is she?" "Why — she's — she's in there. Right there in the powder room." He added lamely. Maudie almost felt sorry for him. Almost, but not quite. "Oh, but I can't wait to see her," she said. "Come on, Pauly, let's drag her out." "Wait a minute," Davy protested. "Why don't you let her alone?" "We just can't wait any longer," Pauly said snidely. "Why don't you call her, Davy?" "Yes," Maudie urged, "please call her, Davy." Davy began to call "Honeycake" in a very weak voice and Maudie thought she'd simply choke if he kept it up a minute longer. I'll just have to stop this, she thought, there's simply no. sense in torturing the poor man beyond endurance. She walked over to Davy and smiled up into his eyes. And then she heard the most unbelievable, horrifying voice say, "Sorry to keep you-all waitin', sugah snoot!" Maudie whirled around and there before her stunned eyes was a luscious, yes, even cuddly blonde girl just a shade taller than herself coming toward Davy! Maudie swallowed. "Sorry to keep you waitin', Dayveh, dear," the awful thing said, taking Davy's arm! Bill was beaming. "Well, shut mah mouth!" he exclaimed. Davy's smile was gloating. "Folks," he said, "I'd like you to meet Miss Honeycake Honeycut!" To Maudie, the next few minutes were nightmarish. The girl smiled at her and at Pauly, who stood openmouthed, and at Bill, who was utterly devastated. "Come on, Day-veh," she finally said, "Put those big, grizzlybeah arms around me and dance me off into loveland." Maudie watched the girl whirl off in Davy's arms, she watched them floating over the dance floor until the tears in her eyes made it impossible to see them clearly. She wandered away in a daze, thinking it just couldn't have happened, it was just too impossible to have happened. How she got out to the balcony over-looking the lake, Maudie never knew. There, she sobbed as quietly as she could, her heart aching and her spirit completely crushed. T^ON'T cry, Maudie." It was Davy's " voice. "Oh, Davy!" she thought. "Go away," she sobbed, "I hate you!" Davy put his arms around her and Maudie wished mightily that she had the strength to shake them off. "Now look, lambface," he said. "Look me in the eyes. The joke is over now." "Go away," Maudie repeated, but she looked up at Davy's anxious pleading face and into his serious brown eyes. "What — what joke?" Davy looked at her reprovingly but tenderly. "Now don't pretend you don't know," he said. Maudie managed to n<-t Davy's handkerchief out of his breast coat pocket without leaving his arms and began patting her swollen eyes. "How did you find out about it?" she sniffled. Davy kissed her forehead. "Well, lambface," he said, "I may not be a quiz kid but a man in my position, an assistant editor of the Crimson and Gold, has to read the other newspapers. I happened to take in a little item about a week ago that said on account of the war a Georgia Peach Queen wasn't going to be elected this year!" Maudie looked up astounded. Then she lowered her eyes. "Then who is that awful girl?" she asked. "That's my cousin Bernice from Adamstown." Davy smiled. "Gee, lambface, I had to figure some way out of it. I didn't want to look like a dope in front of the whole school. So that's why I got the cousin to come buzzin' down here and make like Honeycake Honeycut!" "Oh," Maudie murmured. Sometimes, she thought, Davy was so wonderfully, brilliantly bright. And then for some reason she thought of the story her mother had told her about Mrs. Polk and her father. Maudie felt immeasurably better. "Hey, starfish," Davy said, tightening his grip. "Why so quiet?" "I was just thinking," Maudie said, looking up into his eyes again, "of a story I heard about a lemon phosphate with two straws." Davy looked worried. "Are you sure you're all right, Maudie?" "I never felt better in my life!" Maudie said and she kissed Davy thoroughly to prove it. ,rt Wrts «5W RAY BOLGER, CONSTANCE MOORE, BENAY VENUTA and RONALD GRAHAM— four bright stars in "By Jupiter" playing at the Shubert Theatre in New York City. • • • • Here you are, folks ; : : a couple of the biggest hits ever. "By Jupiter" for grand entertainment —and Pepsi-Cola for grand drink' ing. Pepsi-Cola's got everything. Grand taste, grand flavor and grand size — 12 full ounces to the bottle. Step up today . . . and treat yourself to a real drink. A nickel gets you plenty, plenty, plenty. if Pepsi-Cola is made only by Pepsi-Cola Company. Long Island City. N. Y. Bottled locally by Authorized Bottlers from coast to coast. * 57 OCTOBER, 1942