The Wilmington morning star., 1941-02-04
CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT
FIfTTE rok ANp RHEAsD BY
DTRAi PRESS ASSOCIATION

show" Vance went on. "1'm going
to call on one of our beloved sa
wants, DR.. Hartpence, noted au
thority on international politics. Or
Ken Speed to do his radio routine
for us. On Miss Gloria LIE Brun,
known to you as one of our great
est screen tragediennes. I'm gong
to give away a secret. Miss LIE
Brun is a mimic whose delightful
performances are tops in ne
funbled- in drollery. VIII you
do it, Gloria? Thanks. .
And now, DR.. Hartpence, we'd like
to hear your views on the Euro
pean situation today.
The professor stepped to the
platform.
The hands of the clock pointed
to twenty minutes of eleven.
Gloria LIE Brun, the English wit,
the radio comedian, all had done
their turns. Vance was beginning
to feel anYiety. He thought he had
caught the acrid odor of smoke
family.
He said, Folks, I think I ought
to explain why we are standing
still. One of our engines b k e
down. The repair work is being
speeded up and we should be un-
der way shortly" Wyncoop had
forbidden him to tell them that
the Georgian was coming to them.
t"1f they know we've radioed for
her to intercept us, they Il not
believe anything you'd say. Better
wait until they can see for them
selves.'') meanwhile our show
will go on"
There wasn't much to 60 on
with. There was rising news
paper colunlnist, named Jonas, in
the crowd. His stuff, which was
pretty funny, was known to Vance.
He called on him.
AS he had hoped, Jonas wa S
amusing, but Vance knew that the
dreaded moment was getting close
there was an oninous movement
in the crowd, twisting of necks,
a shuffling of feet, an hysterical
note in the laughter.
Jonas was running down. Vance
thanked him with bright speech,
his voice steeled against anxiety,
his eyes seeking Wyncoop in t h e
companionWay.
Suddenly his false smile sick
ened.
Kit, her head lifted, was coming
through that door. Coming direct
ly to the stage.
To Jonas he pleaded in a whis-
per. lone more yarn-quick!"
He lowered himself from the
platform.
Introduce me. 1 can hold
them" Kit whispered.
60 away, my dearest, at once!
You'll be finished if you get ur
there" he said, trying to shield
her face from the crowd with his
shoulders.
A woman rose, scream on her
lips.
He leaped to the platform and
gave Kit his hand, pulling her up.
He said simply, This star needs
no introduction.
A voice from the crowd said
loudly, Its Kitty O'Reilly!"
Good evening, everybody" she
said with her sweet, shy smile. ''It
IS Kitty O'ReiLy. In show bust
ness we call the last act the flash.
I'm not going to be the flash to-
night. YOU are! First, We'll sing
my theme song. Then We'll sing
anything you want. But I want you
all to sing. Remember the story
-about the man who said he
couldn't sing good, but he could
sing good and loud? All right,
everybody, here we go
Just song at twilight
When the lights are low. -
:. Vance slipped through the COM
panionway and walked across the
deck to the rail. Back of him he
heard voices lifted in Kits song.
He felt sick.
Dlmly he was conscious of foot
steps hurrying on the deck above
him.
Then he saw it. A great, white
ship steaming toward them.
ealne on. shine on har-
= vest moon for me
and my gal"
They were still singing Justify
back in the salon.
Kit had done it.
= Ihe music was muted. There
were a few minutes of silence.
Then cheers and applause rent the
air. Men and women were pouring
out Of the doors to the deck,
sweeping him along with them in
their excitement to see the Geor-
gian. The excitement, he realized
with that part of him that was not
numb, was the excitement of curl.
osity, not the excitement of fear.
He looked for Kit in the desert-
ed salon. She was not there.
He found her in his sitting room,
seated on the lounge where he had
found her four nights before.
II had to do it, Vance," she said
simply.
He nodded dumbly.
Poor kid" he said. 1T was a
Ead day when you met up with the
likes of me. I guess things are