The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1940-07-10
Ticket to
Hollywood

he had signed a Dig movie con-
tract -.
Yes she said tonelessly, its
pretty"
"Prettier than Elspeth CITY he
probed.
II guess so"
Gusty sighed. We'll. suppose
If this is where you want 10 live
I'd better take the job
Me ," Francie said. II Don't
understand. Gusty."
Wen. holy smokes. do have
to draw you a diagram? Look.
Francie, what happened when
got banged up? l started yelling
for you and wanting you TO have
the ticket. What did you do?
Why, you tossed away your big
chance to come to the hospital"
Franeie said, "Gusty, you
mean :"
We'll, it's darn funny. amt it?'
Yes. Yes, it is. 1t it
seems like each one or us was
thinking of the other instead of
ourselves
Gusty nodded. Were pretty
young. of course, but if you want
me TO stay in Hollywood I could
send for you some day
"Gusty, do you want to stay
here ?"
DO you?"
Francie frowned. "Everything's
sort of changed, Gusty. I'm not
sure | even want to be a singer
except Just for fun. Like with
Duke Meyers or someone"
Gusty's hand frightened around
hers. We'll heck, why didn't you
say go, Francie? Because
I feel like that too. Course. I
want to go on playing my old hot
trumpet and maybe work out new
ticks and play with Duke. But
fixing autos is a good business. It's
solid. If you're good You can
always make enough to-well, run
a home"
"Oh. Gusty"
He Strengthened. Say, know
what night it is, Francie? It's
Friday I'll bet Maws got a raft
of new records. Wouldn't mind
sitting in on the old jam session
right now"
Gee, it'd be swell. Gusty,"
Francie said. Maybe Pops was
right after all. He said the hap
piest girls stay in their Elspeth
Cities and marry their Gu" She
broke off, checks crimson.
Marry their who ~
''fE said their Gusty CARS"
We'll, why not?' Gusty said
fiercely. Il guess if we want to
do things that way it's our BUSH
ness. Maybe we're just getting
a little sense. In year or so.
maybe
Francie laid her head on Gusty's
shoulder. He had changed so. He
wasn't afraid to like her any more.
Hard-boiled Gusty talking about
love and getting married. Fran
cie's heart seemed to have wings.
Aunt Hat paused at the door to
look at them. She emitted
sonorous "humph" But there was
io -. har that
belied her disgust. Her lemon
colored head bobbed away, occu-
pied perhaps with somewhat
gentler thoughts than usual of the
man who had blighted her career.
Francie fumbled in her bag. I've
still got your wallet, Gusty, and
your little trumpet pin. found it
the night Blubber robbed you. L
was afraid you might lose 1t"
well, I'll be- Gusty fingered
his beloved pin. Am I glad to-
have it back"
Francie said, The tickets still.
in there, Gusty."
He pulled it out. examined it,
Francie watched him with clear.
unsfraid eyes. Even Pops had
agreed it was better for Gusty-
never to know she'd taken it.
Gusty said softly, It'd like
you to keep the pin, Francie."
"Gusty, not really p"
Yes he said gravely, Sumbling
az he pinned it on her bLuse. 1T
sort of makes all the things we've
planned seem kind of near and
real"
Then he bent and kissed her.
II was not a movie kiss. II had no
glamor. II was just a plain, or
binary kiss, but it filled Francies
eyes with ecstatic tears and made
her happier than all the expert
kisses Jerry Finney had given her.
And as if the tears had washed
all the stardust from her eyes, she
saw quite clearly that the ticket
was nothing but bit Of worthless
pasteboard. II had made her de-
ceive Gusty, but she would never
do It again. Unless. of course, IL
was for his OWL good .. and that
was a womans privilege.
smuggling close to him, Frsncie
said, "Gustv. let's frame this old
thing and hang it in the living
room Of our house back in Elspeth
City
THE END