The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1943-09-15

Brenda laughed. vt was purely
business, Jack. He's going to let
me look through the old files OF
the Gazette to get some historical
data for stories about Linville. :"
well, that's all right then, l
forgive you. Is that material for
your stories you have with you?"
mo, this is the manuscript OF
Peter Platt's play. We had meet
ing tonight, and I've been asked
TO 60 over it and polish it up here
ana there"
You mean Mrs. Platt's going
yes" brenda replied. "And
tc put it on?" asked Ruth.
you and Jack will probably be
called upon to play the two juve-
nile roles"
LAS an actor, l make a good
tool1naker,' said Jack.
Il love playing!" said Ruth.
But everybody's so busy nova
days, l don't see now we can
spare the time for rehearsals. ="
You'll manage said Brenda.
Anyway, it's Tor the USO, and
you can't turn Mrs. Plat down. "
But about those stories you
want to write ABOUT Linville,' said
Jack You should turn your at
tention to Adam. He has more
4ocal history on the tip OF his
,cno,,e than the Gazette has in
a dozen files
so I've heard" said Brenda.
But Adam is too busy at the
factory to talk 10 me-
He finds time to play filler-in
for absent husbands said Jack,
so he ought to have time for
YOU.
Don't be silly, Jack said
Ruth Honestly, sometimes you
talk like matchmaker"
I'D turn matchmaker for n
fact" he said, IF 1 though
could marry Brenda off to Adam.
Now there is the perfect match.
MI. and Mrs. Adam North, living
in the old Leigh house. Mrs. North
writing swell Southern yarns, and
NIr. North running a factory and
puttering around his garden. Say,
Brenda, did you know Adam likes
to garden?"
No, l didn't Brenda replied
And I'm not going to intrude
any longer. The idea, neglecting
Ruth and your own love affair
while you try to marry me off
to Adam North
We'll, l still say it's swell
ideal" said Jack. And if you're
honest, you'll say you agree with
me-"
Adams a fine man." Brenda
said. Il grant you that. But mod
ern though l be, Jack, I'm still
mid-Victorian when if comes to
proposals. l still think that pro-
posing is the mans JOB"
Il reckon you're right" Jack
agreed. Then, grinning, he added,
you know, of course, that ask
ing Adam is an old Linville Gus.
ton."
80 I've heard" said Brenda.
Then why don't you join up
and dc some asking?" Jack went
on. Maybe Adam would like be-
ing asked to marry, for change,
instead OF being asked to fill in
at dinner or bridge party"
Brenda laughed. IN waste no
more time listening to your non
sense She got up and started
toward the door. Good night, you
two--and pleasant dreams!"
Same to you," Jack said. stand
ing and watching her 60. He sigh
ed. "a darned fine gal if ever
there was one." he said when he
had reseated himself. Adam
North must be blind as a bat not
to see it."
Ruth pushed back her chair and
got to her feet. ~ you're through
trying to marry off people, she
said, you can take me home.'
Sure said Jack. Then, as they
went out into the street, he said,
well, I'll at least be able to
make love to you in the play, if
we get roles
How do you know you will?"
well probably be cast as the
romantic interest-that's why"
But suppose we are cast as
brother and sister,"
Heaven Forbid Jack ex-
claimed. Pm getting pretty tired
of having you treat me like a
brother
During the next few days Bren-
da Leigh discovered that there was
a great deal more work to be
done on Peter Platt's play than
she had realized when conserving
to undertake the rewriting Job.
But she stuck steadily at it. For
one thing, she was glad to have
something to keep her busy, so
that she wouldn't have so much
time to think Of Jack Vinton's
talk about her and Adam North.
That talk had depressed her no
end, and it still depressed h G 7
whenever she let the memory of
it come to mind. To make it even
worse, it was hard to understand
just why she should feel depress-
ed. But when she recalled what
Jack had said about Mrs. North
and "Mr. North living out at
the old Leigh place, she found her
self wondering if she had made a
mistake in going after career:
IN. lx:.a<x ..l,o1,t ln11x nlaaS2Qt II