Evening star., 1932-10-13
CHAPTER 25.


Dick was no longer connected
~ with Station WAOA 1t was a
mistake Everybody liked Dick.
He'd be there as long as he wanted to
be. But the chill rose in her heart.
The Burdette girl had said she'd make
trouble, and the blond girl and Elton
Day both said Iona Burdette could al
ways make trouble. And Elton Day had
laughed without any real amusement,
as at something too comic to contem-
plate quietly, just few minutes ago,
after he said II love you"
The telephone rang sharply, once
again. Judy heard Mrs. Malone call
ing. Judy. will you answer it, please?"
Yes" Judy said. 'Yes-hello. Oh,
Dick! I just tried to call you At the
station! Dick, they said you weren't
there any more! They said"
Dick Mason's voice was quiet, COOL a
thousand miles away.
Yes, Judy. They said I wasn't there
any more. And, of course, you didn't
know anything about it. Oh of course
not!"
He was laughing, with an ugly note
OF anger, of disgust, in his voice.
"Oh, I'm sure you didn't know, Judy
Well just called to say that I've al
ways known person couldn't afford
to help anybody around a radio studio.
But forgot. Long enough to give you
and Elton Day a chance To-"
Dick! Dick! I don't know what
you're talking about! Dick! What's
wrong? You sound $3.50 different.
You-tell me-tell me what's wrong. I
don't understand"
He was laughing. A boys sick, broken
laughter. The laughter of a boy who,
trusting deeply, has found his trust
meant nothing.
I'll not be seeing you again." he
said then. But I'm sure you won't
mind that. So, good-by."
He hung up.
Judy stared at the telephone in her
hands. Then, slowly, she put the phone
back on the table.
The landlady stood in the doorway.
"Who was it, Judy?"
1t was Dick Mason"
oh the landlad dimpled. Nice
boy. Dick. I hope you won't mind my
saying it, Judy. But I couldn't help
noticing how-well, how much you and
Dick have been together And I'm
awfully glad, Judy. You're just made
for each other. You ought to be
happy Why, Judy! Judy. you're
crying!"
Judy did not even hear her. She
climbed the stairs, slowly, blindly She
3OuAlO GI4C OOO1 w 1iGI lOUill, dllQ Sic
entered.
She was there. silent, staring out of
the window through dry and heart-sick
eyes, when Elsie came home, a long
time later, to tell her the rest of the
story of what had happened to Dick
Mason.
Elsie entered quietly, and for some
time she said nothing, only watched
Judy, only moved a little nearer, then
sat down and waited. Until at last
Judy said, well, Elsie?"
You heard about Dick?"
Eyes, heard"
"He called you?"
"Yes."
"What did he say?"
THAT he wouldn't be seeing me any
more. And that he should have known
better than to help anybody. That's
all"
Didn't he explain at all, Judy?"
Then you don't know what hap
pened?"
Il know it was something about the
station. And Elton Day had been here,
without saying what it was. But that's
all. Elsie
Dick lost his job"
"What?" Judy started up, moved
restlessly. Stood looking down at Elsie,
who seemed complacent as untouched,
as though her words had meant moth
ing at all. What, Elsie? You
don't It's nothing wrong! There's
a mistake Dick couldn't lose his job.
He's the best announcer they've got"
Hes lost his job" Elsie replied.
called him down to the station for.
Billys down there now to find out
where Dicks going and what it's all
about. Billy's going to come back soon
as he can, or call me. But, Judy! You
didn't have anything to do with it?"
Z" Judy grasped. Elsie. You
think was to blame for it? You think
I said something, or did something,
Or
Elsie said nothing.
Suddenly Judy felt new terror.
Whatever she was supposed to have
done, she knew she was not to blame.
Yet first Dick, now Elsie, seemed to
take it for granted she deliberately had
set out to ruin him. To ruin him! 1t
was so preposterouS, 1t was so unfair,
that suddenly she burst into hysterical
laughter 1t had been coming for
long while, that hysteria: ever since the
first words Elton Day said,
Now she rocked back and forth, Sit
IlCP on llle lOOI VI llCI OCO, a AAoAA~
kerchief held to her mouth, tears COM
ing from her eyes. Yet she laughed,
laugh as bitter as empty, as self-amused
as Elton Days. Until Elsie, frightened
now, caught her roughly by the shoul-
ders. shook her violently, saying, Judy!
Stop it! Stop!" Still Judy laughed.
Then all of a sudden her laughter
stopped.
She sat quietly, staring.
Elsie began the story, speaking In
laconic, broken sentences.
What you told me about that mix,
I'D over the audition-that got around
until finally the story got to DICKS noss:
And there wasn't any alibi. Dick dldnt
even know what was up at first when
they asked him about it, I guess. Be
cause they asked if he helped you IN
the addition, and he said. Yes, OF
course. And what if did?" He didn't
even know till somebody told him, after
it was all over and he was already flred.
They said it was because he faxed an
addition for you, got the operator to
help. The OPERATOR
Judy started up.
That operator knew better. Elton
Day put him in that control room. Not
Dick. Dick didn't even know anything
about him"
Elsie said, Never mind. That's what
Billy went down there for. You re-
member-Billy was in the control room
first, checking up the channels, he calls
them. when you first got there with
Dick?"
Yes"
well, the way Billy got it from one
of the other men at the station, the
story was that Billy helped Dick fix the