Hide Article Text (OCR)
/1! 1• SERIAL STORYWAR AND A WOMANCHAPTER Iif•JT’S queer,” Linda Storm said thoughtfully, as she stood beside .Marcia King near the car that was parked on the flying field at Pensacola. Back home, the university dominates the town. Everything depend* on the university. And here—the air station dominates. It’s a sort of university, too, isn’t it?*'‘TIL say it is!” Marcia answered. “The toughest air course Jn the world. Balpy, we turn out flyers!” Pride rang in her voice. E'er eyes swept skyward, to where a' long line of airplanes flew across the cloud-banked sky. The rear of their motors was strong-and full-throated. “A couple of months ago, the boys up there were green as grass. But now they’re on their way. And Jimmy helped put ’em where they are, and where they're going. I war.t to tell you, Linda, my Jimmy's the best flyer on this whole base. The best instructor! Oh, just wait till you meet him!Linda smiled at her. Her own eyes, wide -and golden, followed the clean, swift flight of those ships overhead. But she thought helplessly, that Marcia didn't quite understand what she meant. Marcia was a Navy girl. This was thrilling, glorious, to her.. But to Linda, who had been taught to see behind the scenes, it meant only one thing. The same thing she always heard, shuddering, behind the strains of martial music. The same thing she always saw, sadly, behind columns of marching men. War. .“■RUT maybe I'm wrong, she murmured. “Maybe those are Daddy's ideas, cropping out in me. Daddy could be wrong.” But she had never thought so before. It was confusing- to findherself questioning and,: doubting, when Marcia was so proud; when this whole air station was so solid 2nd impregnable, when every officer and every student here was so sure. . . .Marcia had told her how many bitterly disappointed lads werewashed out, in the first fewmonths. Marcia had explainedhow perfect they had to be, physically and mentally, even to be accepted at all.The university at home wasmore democratic. You could wear glasses and be knock-kneed; all they asked was that you possess a mind capable of learning.Linda sighed. To be prepared for death, it seemed you had to be the best of your kind. So the crime of it would be even greater. The waste of it even more pathetic.“What'a the matter, Linda? You look so queer!’* Marcia was saying. “Is it alt the noise? I’ve gotten so used to it, I can’t sleep without the sound of airplane motors in my ears.”As they drove through the sunny streets, Linda looked at the palm trees and the Spanish houses. 'It’s pretty here,” she said uncertainly. Even peaceful—away from the field.“Just think, it’s been two years since we've seen each other!” her friend prattled. “You’re just the same. Just as beautiful as ever.” She giggled. *T guess I’m just the same, too. Snub nose and carrot hair and freckles. I bet you never thought I’d hogtie me a beau! But, darling, wait till you see him! Just wait! I’m pinphing myself every minute to mdke sure it's real, because he’s so perfect. Linda!“And I've loved him since I was knee-high to a duck. When we were kids, our fathers served on the same stations, you know. I’ve played with Jimmy Cooper on naval stations from Norfolk to Hawaii and back.” She tramped on the brake suddenly as a truck crossed their path. “There I go. ellLinda s eyes followed the dean swift flight of those pijnes overhead. Jo Mrpraa, standing there on the running board, this was thrilling, glorious. - To Linda, it meant only one thing—WAR'nearly getting killed again. You’ll find it’s dangerous driving with me.* * •CHE was blithely unaware of Linda's inattention. “Now tell me ali about your own beau, darling! I’ve had my eye on that ring ever since you stepped ofT the train. It’s a beauty. Of course a Navy gal doesn’t rate a ring like that. Not unless there’s money lying around that isn’t connected with the service, and I can assure you, Daddy may be practically an admiral, but that doesn’t buy diamonds. And Jimmy’s pay ...”Linda roused herself. The ring on her finger glittered as she moved her hand. “Oh, my ring? George didn’t earn it either. I’m afraid. Scientists don’t make fortunes, But George’s grandfather invented a simply gadget that humanity couldn’t live without, orsomething.”“Tell me about George! You write such tiny letters!”“There’s not much to tell, Marcia. He’s sweet and serious and all wrapped up in his experiments and—and—” Her voice trailed oft. And he was devoting his life to fight against microbes, so that men could live longer and more useful lives. While here, hundreds of men devoted their lives to learning how to fly bombing planes so that—She couldn’t go on. “What's the matter with me?” she asked herself irritably. She had come here to be Marcia's maid of honor at the wedding two weeks sway. She had come because Marcia begged hei to, and because it was summer and Daddy, freed from the classroom, had buried himself in rare books. While George, unwilling to halt work on his experiments, locked himself up in the lab. She understood both of them, and loved them for it, but she had been just a little lonely. She had premised herself two weeks of gaiety. This was hardly an auspicious start.That night, as Marcia flew excitedly from her own room to the guest room in every imaginable _ state of undress, Linda shook off wrapped up in gabbling and'the first chill doubting. She hada new evening dross, white and gauzy and beautiful as a dream. Looking into the mirror, she knew that she was beautiful. As Mar-cfa said, playfully envious, “You’ve always backed me right off the map. I shouldn’t have asked you! You’ll slcol my wedding scene, you’re so lovely.”* * ♦TUT downstairs, in the room that was filled with white naval uniforms and the bare shoulders of gay Navy girls, Linda felt out of place. Everyone knew everyone else. Their very talk was unintelligible to her. “Pcor kid. it was thumbs down on the checkoff, and he’s blaming it on the instructor.’' “Did you see the new patrol ship? It’s a honey!”“Passed over? Oh no—that’s not what happened. When he left North Island—”Marcia and her mother were busy receiving the guests, Marcia whispered hastily that Jimmy had been held up on the station. “He'll be here later. Excuse me. ...”After a while, Linda drifted out to the porch. There were great white stars overhead, and the warm tropical night was so beautiful that sho put her head against a post and stared out, dreamily, to where a paim tree swayed against the sky.“Quecnsville was never like this,5' she murmured, harf aloud. “Oh, how lovely!”“Queensville?” asked a masculine voice beside her, startlingly.“Oh!” She jumped, and turned around quickly. A tail uniform was His lean, tanned in his brown eyes strange to her heart, moment they stared other’s eyes, and then he was asking, like a man in a daze, “Who are you? I've never seen you before. I—I've only dreamed you, even now, haven’t I? You can’t be real!”“I am real,” she whispered. “I’m Linda Storm. Who are you?” And then there was a shout behind them and Marcia's voice saying, “Jimmy! Why didn't you come straight on in. you -worm?” (To Be Continued)
Newspaper Details
Logansport Press
Logansport, Indiana, US
Thu, Jul 27, 1939
Page 7
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 13 Apr 2019
Other Publications Near Logansport, Indiana
Logansport Daily Reporter
Logansport Weekly Star
Logansport Daily Star
Logansport Democratic Pharos
Logansport Morning Journal
