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Show win the D.S.C., but they're fighting, fight-ing, just the same and it's up o you to give their womenfolk a message of hope and faith. You've jot no private life anymore. You belong to those wives and mothers." She shoved past Bennett md threw open the door. "Come in, boys!" she called, as Mrs. Had-:ey Had-:ey glared. "I am afraid I have nothing to say," Mrs. Hadley informed the reporters as they clustered around her. "Have you heard from your son lately?" one asked her. "I had a letter the other day," Mrs. Hadley admitted begrudg-ingly. begrudg-ingly. "The letter was personal. I really can't see the object of going go-ing on with this. You know all the facts." "If Mrs. Winters was willing to give us an interview, you certainly ought to be," a reporter said. "Some people like publicity," said Stella stood transfixed, a glow on 4 her face. She held out her hand for the letter. Elliott handed it to her wih a tender smile. Stella read the letter in silence, cherishing cherish-ing each word. Suddenly she took; Elliott's hand and pressed it. "Oh, Elliott," she said warmly, "to think of his finding time to write me with all the things he has to do. He must be a remarkable remark-able man." Stella now Mrs. Elliott Fulton was garbed in a Red Cross uniform uni-form some months later as she gave final instructions. "Now while I'm away, Laura Winters will be in charge," she told the living room filled with women, "and I'm sure all of you are going to work just as hard as if I were here." Mrs. Fitzpatrick, dressed In travelling clothes and obviously very nervous looked anxiously at her watch. "Stella, it's four o'clock. Oughtn't we to be leaving?" "Not until Elliott gets here." ; -':- y-,. A ' . . - - - .,'.'-,- A ... ; . -,. . r ' - ' j y t '' r : i. ; f" ' " - ' .! SA, i ur-C " " , 1 K 2 ' ; J A f ft i:J-u , V - j , . vt ; h V-' -?. r-- - .'- i - - A 1 , ',. t--,r w- 1 JTl f-Sf.,ri j ' , ' , ! ' '" , f . J "My son hat received the D S. C" said Mrj. Hadley. proudly. ITHE WAR AGAINST 1 MRS. HADLEY Adapted from the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Picture by WILLIAM McCORMICK CAST OF CHARACTERS Elliott Fulton ... - - rdward Arnold Stella Hadley . - . . . Fay Bai'nfer Theodore Hadley - - . r Richard Ney Patricia Hadley - - - - - Jean Rogers Mrs. Michael Fitzpatrick - - Sara Allgood Cecilia Talbot ..... Spring Byington Michael Fitzpatrick ... - Van Johnson Mrs. Laura Winters .... fsobef Esom Sally ------- Frances Rafferty Midi ------- Dorothy Morris Cook ------- Connie Gilchrist Loui ....... "Rags" Ragland Ism," she read. "Theodora Hadley received Distinguished Distinguish-ed Service Cross." She read eagerly, anxious to learn whether her son had been injured. "Corporal Theodore Hadley was cited for conspicuous bravery under fire . . . had been instructed to seek out location of enemy machine gun emplacement . . . After the other four men in his unit had been shot down by Jap snipers. Corporal Hadley continued alone . . . locating the machine gun nest and wiping it out with a hand grenade . . . He returned unharmed un-harmed to his company . . ." Stella sighed with relief. "Corporal Hadley Is the son SYNOPSIS: The War, which she considers a personal affront, ha3 collapsed the imrrow little world of Mrs. Stella Hadley, a Washington society matron and staunch Republican Re-publican of the old school. She has lost servants in the draft, her daugher, Patricia, has married mar-ried Sergeant Michael Fitzpatrick Fitzpat-rick against her mother's wishes; her son, Ted, has been shunted into active service by Elliott Fulton, oldest and closest friend of the family and even her closest friend, Cecilia Talbot, Tal-bot, has deserted Mrs. Hadley to do war work. Chapter Three Mrs. Hadley told her calmly. She turned to the group. "Any questions?" ques-tions?" she asked. Cecilia Talbot held up her hand timidly. "Stella," she asked sadly, "do -I have to take the first aid course over again?" "You'll have to keep taking it until you pass your examination." "Oh, dear, I'm so tired of being bandaged." "How- long will you be gone?" Mrs. Winters inquired. "Probably not more than a week. I'll fly back right after the baby is born." "It'll be born before we get there, If we don't hurry," Mrs. Fitzpatrick fretted. "All right, Maggie," Stella agreed. "I just have to see Bennett a moment." mo-ment." The women looked after her admiringly ad-miringly as she left the room. "I'll bet she has the baby doing Civilian Defense work before he's an hour old," one of them said laughingly. Mrs. Hadley stepped Into the dining room, where an air raid warden meeting was being presided pre-sided over by Bennett seated at the late Nathaneal Hadley's place. As the men rose, one of them carelessly brushed his hand against one of the coffee service cups and the gift from President Coolidge went crashing to the floor. Bennett turned in horror. "Gosh," exclaimed the man in horror, "I I've broken your cup!" "It doesn't matter in the least," Stella said. "Millie will clean it up." Mrs. Fitzpatrick barged in. "Stella, "Stel-la, we'll never make it," she complained. com-plained. "Where's that husband of yours?" "He's probably held up in a conference con-ference at the Department. Millie, you'd better call a taxi." "Where's your car?" Mrs. Fitz-rjatriok Fitz-rjatriok ankprl. of the late Nathaniel Hadley, once owner of the Washington Chronicle, and of Mrs. Hadley, the former Stella Livingston." Mrs. Hadley grasped the paper tightly. "Bennett, I want you to go out and get all the papers," she instructed in-structed excitedly. "Right away." "Even even the Washington Chronicle?" asked the butler worriedly. wor-riedly. "I want them all," Mrs. Hadley said impatiently. "Hurry!" "Yes, Madam," Bennett acknowledged acknowl-edged as he hurried from the room thunderstruck. Mrs. Fitzpatrick called as Bennett Ben-nett was buying the papers. Stella greeted her hesitantly. "T onnnnqo vmi'vp. hp.flrrl t.hft "OOd Stella Icily. A deadly hush fell over the group. The reporters looked at each other horrified. "I wouldn't call losing a son good publicity," said one of the newspapermen, coldly contemptuous. contemptu-ous. "I guess we'd better call it a day." "Wait a minute, please," Stella begged frantically. "I didn't know . . . the other day Teddy wrote about him. They were great friends. I I'd like to read parts of that letter to you especially the part about Tony Winters." Mrs. Hadley summoned her car when the last reporter had left. "Drive me to the home of Mrs. Laura Winters," she instructed. As thn butler ushered her in to The cook placed the finishing touches on the huge cake, inscribed: in-scribed: "Happy Birthday I Theodore Hadley". "Why does she need a cake this size for just her and Dr. Meech-!am?" Meech-!am?" she grumped. "I call it downright down-right wasteful. In her bedroom, Stella was reading read-ing a telegram. "Congratulations on Ted's birthday. We wish we could be with you. Love." The telegram was signed "Pat and Mike." Stella rose wearily to meet Dr. Meecham, the sole luncheon guest. As she passed the telephone stand in the hall, Bennett placed his , hand over the receiver. "It's Miss Cecilia Talbot, Madam," he said almost pleadingly. "She she wants to congratulate you." Stella hesitated but a moment. "Tell her I'm not in," she said firmly. ' Even before luncheon had start- I ed, Stella's sole guest Dr. Meecham i had been called away. I "Emergency case Mrs. Stanton, Stan-ton, wife of the oil magnate," he explained as he bustled away. As Stella pecked at the food in almost splendid solitude, she read and re-read the letter from Ted. Particularly that paragraph i which said: "Tony Winters is in our company. I know how you feel about his mother, but Tony's a real gentleman and we've become be-come great friends. In fact, knowing know-ing him has been the swellest thing that's happened to me in the : Armv " news?" asked Mike's mother happily. hap-pily. "Yes I've just read it in the paper." "In the paper, is it?" Mrs. Fitzpatrick Fitz-patrick exclaimed indignantly. "Is nothing sacred to those gossip-mongers?" gossip-mongers?" "I'm afraid I don't understand, Stella replied in bewilderment. "I was speaking of my son. He's been awarded the Distinguished Service Cross." "May the saints preserve us! And it's proud you should be, having hav-ing a hero for a son. Think of the fine stories we'll be able to tell our grandchild about his uncle." "Patricia's having a baby? I haven't heard a word about it." "That isn't like Pat," Mrs. Fitzpatrick Fitz-patrick insisted. "No matter what may have happened between you, it's still your grandchild she's bear-in bear-in " Mrs. Winters, Stella stood for a moment in the doorway, embarrassed embar-rassed and at a loss what to do. "I I hope I'm not intruding," she said hesitantly. "I I had a letter from my son. I brought, it with me I I thought you might like to hear what it said." She read Laura Winters that portion por-tion of Ted's letter relating to Tony. "I can't tell you how much this means to me," Mrs. Winters said gratefully. "We should both be proud of our sons." Stella started to sob quietly. "Please don't cry," said Mrs. Winters tenderly. "I've just had word they're giving Tony the Distinguished Dis-tinguished Service Cross, too." "I'm so glad," said Stella, wiping her eyes. "And so sorry for so many things." - Elliott Fulton was waiting for Mrs. Hadlev when she returned "Elliott and I decided to put it up for the duration on account of the tire shortage." Fulton entered. "Thank heaven!" exclaimed Mrs. Fitzpatrick. "Never mind the taxi, Millie," Mrs. Hadley instructed the maid. Fulton kissed his wife. "Sorry I'm late," he apologized. 'Tm sure you couldn't help it," Stella said. "Oh, before I forget it, this man tried to sell one of the girls four new tires. I want you to turn his name into the proper authorities." She handed him a slip with the name written on it. "All right, dear, we'd better hop," urged Fulton, taking the slip of paper. Stella hurried to the living room and shouted a "Goodbye, girls." A chorus of "Goodbyes" and "Best Her eyes wandered to the closing clos-ing paragraph: "Don't worry about me, I'm in the pink. The only thing that bothers me is the thought that you may be lonely." "If Ted only knew," she thought A few days later, Bennett received re-ceived a telegram at the door. The messenger boy handed him the daily paper from the stoop. As the butler went to a side table to pick up a silver tray for the telegram, he opened the paper. Suddenly, his eyes popped wide in excitement. He dropped the telegram on the table, grabbed the paper and hurried hur-ried toward Mrs. Hadley in the living room. "Mrs. Hadley!" he cried excitedly, excited-ly, "Mrs. Hadley, it's Mr. Theodore!" Theo-dore!" Stella blanched. "What's happened happen-ed to him?" she asked fearfully. "Nothing I mean everything! He's a hero! It says so in the paper!" He handed her the paper. "Washington boy cited for hero- Bennett appeared at the door. "I beg your pardon, Mrs. Hadley," Had-ley," he appologized. "In the excitement ex-citement about Mr. Theodore I forgot to give you this telegram." "You are going to be a grandmother grand-mother in October," the telegram read. "We love you and miss you very much. Pat and Mike." "Not a word did they say in my telegram about missing me," Mrs. Fitzpatrick grinned. Bennett again entered the room this time obviously perturbed. "Madam, it's the reporters," he told Mrs. Hadley, breathlessly. "Six of them. They insist upon seeing you about Mr. Theodore." "I have nothing to say." "Of course you have," interrupted Mrs. Fitzpatrick. "You're forgetting forget-ting you're the mother of a hero. There's a war going on and there's hundreds of thousands of wives and mothers needing all the courage they can get Their men can't all to her home. "Stella, I'm here on official business," busi-ness," he explained. "The President sent me." "The President?" "He asked me to deliver this to to you," Fulton said, handing her a letter. "Would you read it to me?" Fulton put on his glasses and read: "My Dear Mrs. Hadley: I want to offer my congratulations on the valor shown by your son and on the award of the Distinguished Distin-guished Service Cross, which he has earned so heroically. I had the pleasure of knowing your husband, and though he opposed many of my policies, I always found hin a fair opponent and a fearless fight I am glad he has handed down this heritage to his son. I know that every American must share with, you in your justifiable pride. Yours sincerely. Franklin D. Roosevelt" of lucks" answered her. "Those Japs and those Nazis better bet-ter look out now that Stella's in the war," Cecilia said feelingly as Mrs. Hadley left The front door suddenly burst open. Mrs. Fitzpatrick and Fulton were framed in the doorway waiting wait-ing impatiently. Mrs. Hadley tore into the room, rushed to the sideboard side-board and grabbed an envelope, as the women looked on in amazement. amaze-ment. , "Almost forgot to take my letter from the President" she said breathlessly as she rushed out again amid a renewed chorus of goodbyes. THE END. Feinted to. TLB. A. orwrtstit 1SU by txv'i Inc. |