Evening star., 1939-04-02
THIS WEEK MAGAZINE

The money provided billowing
white silk marquisette frock with a
hoop skirt, pair of tiny high-heeled
satin slippers, and an up-coiffure with
a distracting little net chignon. shot
with silver stars. Rosemary pied a
last-minute rehearsal with her team
mates. and dressed herself tremblingly
in her gym locker.
She looked at herself in the mirror
where the physical education instruc-
tor was accustomed to pointing out
defects in posture. Suddenly she was
little frightened of what she was
about to do. She was going to sell
Susan B. Anthony. Lucy Stone,
Emeline Pankhurst and her own
mother down the river. But maybe
they hadn't known everything about
women. Maybe they hadn't ever been
lucky enough to be in love with boy
like Johnny Apple Core.
Rosemary's own mother did not
recognize her on the platform. But
Rosemary's father did, which was
strange because he was very near
sighted. Rosemary did not once look
at them. She stood up and talked
unconvincingly about feminisn, look
ing as little like it as anyof thecharmed
sisterhood who have sung men to
sleep with the Establishments of their
spells.
Rosemary muffed her arguments
and stammered through her points,
and was utterly, breathtakingly
lovely. 1t was as if she barely touched
the ground at all. but f1oated gently
above it with little pink-edged clouds
trailing from her shoulders And on
her face shone translucent glow that
was mixed of star dust. and old
dreams and new birth.
Actually the glory radiated from
couple of dollars worth of gold. pinned
among the ruffles of her dress. Johnny's
fraternity pin! He had given it to her
just before they filed out on the plat
form. For Johnny. he had been singu-
larly free of wisecracks He stared and
stared at her as if she were the Woman
from Mars Then he fumbled for the
pin on his vest pocket When he opened
his mouth his voice broke, going all
high and squeaky at first and then
plunging like the stock market to a
new low. Cad" he chirped. Find
ing's keepingsw He staked out his
claim like De Soto planting his flag
on the banks of the Mississippi.
After that, Rosemary simply handed
him the debate on silver platter.
Her mind was beautiful blank. Her
team. bewildered by their leaders
desertion, went down like ninepins.
Johnny. invincible on the football
field and the dance floor. was no in
tellectual giant. Anyone could have
picked great holes in his arguments.
They we're thin as cambria tea. But
Rosemary's were as weak as the
terrible strength of love.
The captains we're given few mo-
ments to sum up their rebuttals. Rose
mary. closeted alone in a room at the
back of the stage, fshed out her COM
pact and tucked curl into place. At
first the murmur of voices from
behind the paper-thin partition did
not penetrate her state of blessedness.
Wouldn't you think she'd tumble
to herself? Johnny used psychology.
We all helped him plan the campaign.
He sewed her up so she'd let him walk
away with the debate But just watch
him nose her down to forced landing
after tonight! With the debate in his
pocket, he has enough points to make
the Year Book as the most outstand-
ing student "
Rosemary's hand went blindly to
the pin. No! 1t wasn't so! But a fierce
and sickening wisdom told her that it
was so. She wanted to cry and could
not shed tear. All in one awful mo-