The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1943-12-27
Loftily she added, Il think that
u

is most unlikely"
She was glad Prism could not
see her in Washington. Set down
md LEFT DOWN until there was
a vacant seat on a plane going in
the same general direction. S
Gown, before I'm even out of New
York, she exaggerated to herSf.
Her seat had been given to wor-
ried looking man with two brief
Cases who wore a crumpled suit
and hat that looked mistreated.
Mallory had no way of knowing his
trip would speed war production.
To her he simply was a man who
could stand a haircut and mas
sage.
Now, if it had been some young
chap in uniform, someone rushing
on strategic mission, better still
re a furlough with his sweetheart
SWEETHEART. The word made
her think of David, made her re-
member her broken heart. She
glanced into her mirror and shud-
dered. There had been no time in
the early New York dawn to fix
her face.
Mallory headed for the ladies'
lounge and lost no time in pulling
off the tiny beret and face-envelop-
ing veil. In the lid of her dressing
case were various bottles and jars.
She dipped cotton into a liquid
cleanser and rubbed it across her
face. She grinned at her freckles,
lie a congratulatory way.
And when Malloy Baker re-
moves her makeup, a bakers doz-
eli freckles, golden as her voice,
make little sunny pathway across
her nose" That had been in Mag
gle Duff's feature column the first
week she had appeared at the
Metropolitan.
"Freckles" Tod Patrick had
snorted. Mallory Baker has
freckles. Lord, they say it as if
they'd discovered gold-the dopes.
Why, I've known you were a
freckle-faced fish face for years. "
Mallory had been as disguised at
him for berating her freckles as
she had been with Maggie Duff
for lauding them. Hollywood also
mad played up Mallory B k r.
freckles as if those dusty toned
spots were proof that she, of the
voice as gloriously smooth as Ben
edictine and brandy wasn't really
an import from the land of angels,
hut a human who ate meat and
potatoes and pumpkin pie.
Yes, Mallory's freckles had
meant a great deal to press and
public, but right now she was busy
covering them with powder base.
1t took an extra dab on each gold
en- spot. Her powder was a deep
creamy shade. She put on great
deal of the amper-red lipstick, no
rouge. Her naturally colorless
iashes were kept tinted always.
She curled them with little metal
appliance, then dropped one eyelid.
The lashes pleased her, heavy
rlnge slanti1g toward her deep
ivory cheek. She'd keep her eyelids
down, she planned, and depict a
tired, very sad soul.
With expert fingers she quickly
tied her brown mesh veil about her
newly done, lowell face. AS quickly
she took it off. She had forgotten
her topaz ornaments for her ears.
The ones Tod Patrick had given
her for Christmas tn e pevious
year. She took them from her
purse and began to put them into
her ears. Just as she had done on
Christmas Eve when Tod gave
them to her.
They're gorgeous. Tod"
They're real Mallory!" When
she hadn't answered he had said
again. They're real, Mallory"
I heard you,' she had replied
calmly, working with the other ear
ring.
Then say something-do some
thing. You behave as if you were
putting a pair ii doo-dads from the
five and ten into your beautiful
ears. For lords sake, act excit-
ed!'
Mallory was dressed for Christ
mas Eve appearance at one of the
settlement houses in a black vel
vet dress trimmed with white err
mine. She had lifted the heavy