The Wilmington morning star., 1940-04-03
CHAPTER

Through September things moved
along on an ever keel. October came
and there was no swimming in the
lake, but warm unreasonable days
kept the grass green and the flowers
blooming after the leaves had gone
from the trees along South Shore
drive and in Hyde park.
Romany was well established in
the part of Celeste, and saw BaX
seldom, hence there was little ex-
cuse for him 10 coach her in the
scripts. When she phoned him he
found an excuse not to join them
for supper. Romany felt this was be-
cause he was having no luck and she
worried often about whether he had
enough money for the things he
needed.
She knew Bax had lost all hope
of Paradise Is Here" being re-
corded the second time. He had sold
only a couple of half-hour scripts
through New York or Hollywood dur
ing the fall.
Cholly tried ~valiantly to hide her
own Encouragement. But Romany
often heard her signing and tossing
at night. She knew it was because
Charlotte worried about whether
her mother was able to feed and
clothe her seven brothers and sisters
properly on what she was able to
send them from her meager salary.
No word had been received from
their father since he had gone away
four months before.
Romany offered to loan Cholly
money, but she would not take it.
Borrowing, she would say, was too
often the end of a close friendship.
She had a superstition about it, too.
Cholly had not mentioned Terry
since the night they had met him
with Myra Moves at Landau's. She
seemed to prefer not talking about
the past, and Romany hoped that
she was forgetting.
Dover remained attentive. Nelson,
Romany, Cholly and Dove frequently
went yachting on the Loreiei or dane
ing at the different night spots.
Romany watched the Hayworth-
O'Neil friendship with a jealousy
maternal eye, hoping always that she
would see a sign that they were fall
ing in love. But they seemed to re-
main only the best of friends.
1t seemed to Romany she must
have known Brent all her life. She
trusted him implicitly to guide her
radio career, and his judgment
seemed e to have failed. She
was a bit mystified as to why Myra
apparently decided suddenly to call
off the fued, but in that little mat
ter she was willing to let we'll enough
alone.
Myra did not speak to Romany.
Romany's questions as to how
Brent had got the lump OF the side
of his head. after the fracas with
Myra, he had explained that he trip
ped over an end table in the dark
and hit his head on the sharp edge
of another table. She had no reason
to doubt him.
Romany would rot have been so
happy had she known the gossip that
was going on behind her back. Even
Nelson was not aware of it.
The three persons whom Joe Tell.
ing had talked with the night Myra
told him Romany was not an heiress
had told several others, and radio
circles were abuzz with the tale that
Brent Nelson had paid for Romany
Haile's %television contest pictures.
The story had been enlarged until it
had grown to the point where the
announcer was said to be paying
other bills, too.
Myra had been approached several
times and asked if this tale were
true. Because she was afraid to
break her promise tt Brent not to
talk about Romany, she merely look
ed wise and assured the tale bearers
she wasn't the least bit interested
in her former fiance's affairs.
1t al late October and tine fan
magazine Television Weekly had just
begun to print the television bal.
lots. The week before there had been
a television broadcast from Chicago
in which all the six Interstate CON
testants appeared and bowed to a
small but enthusiastic public with
sets equipped to receive them in their
homes.
Romany had frequently appeared
On other b~roadcasts besides "Twi.
light of Love-" thanks to Hal Trotter,
He was planning on starring her in
the first new daytime serial that