Show STATION identification i by JOHN H HOSE ed I 1 4 take tak a seat along the r mezzanine sir the next tour of radio city begins in approximate ly five minutes p ped the charming hostess as she handed the tour tickets to B bob ob johnson only two days remained of the week for wh ch bob had saved all year on in new york gosh it had been wonderful coney island grant grants s tomb statue of lib erty central park meals in greenwich village at the captain captains s bell and the night in chinatown only two th remained on bob s schedule a n ride on the staten island terry ferry and this tour of had rad 0 city bob was 2 25 5 tall blond an and d tagged as the rugged type by the home town bobby boxers after his grad nation from mascoutah Masco utah high school he had gone to work at carl may hew s fill ng stat on and garag everyone in the illino s town said that bob was a born mechanic al though bob had been to nearby bt louis many t mes he always had longed to come to tho big city now his dream visit had blossomed into reality but it was drawing rapidly to an end in 36 hours he would be on the pennsy speeding westward once again but it sure was worth it thought bob as he joined the group of 14 or 15 people which had gathered in the bezzan ne foyer of the ECA RCA building he only casually noticed the g rl A who berned so deeply en grossed in the showcase full of modeled hands of eminent NBC con doctors he bad had been looking at the unusual display only a few moments when the pet te tour guide cae ca called e please step forward to the elevator folks I 1 am helen barry were we re happy to welcome you to radio city in the course of this tour we shall visit the studios show you the inner wor workings kings of radio and conclude by attending an actual broadcast of the fred mating show now I 1 think it would be nice to know your names and especially especial lv where some of you are from we 11 let you begin sir she said as she po anted to the portly man mai i in the vanguard of the little group we re mr and mrs albert fisher from cedar rapids iowa from the dignia ed gentleman the others dutifully chimed in elmer petersen st paul minn eloise miller altoona penn bob johnson mascoutah Masco utah ill mr and mrs mark brown and sons ons gary and john chicago anne strong vandalia ill partly because she came from nearby vandalia but more because of the soft resonant ty of her voice bob turned quickly to inspect the young lady thus identified As he looked into her self confident smiling face he remembered the young lady whom he had noticed while waiting tor for the tour to begin her round face w th its even pleas ing features made him think of uli illi nois somehow it seemed that she was symbolic of the wide sweeping prairies of his home state almost a breath of refreshment in the crowded elevator As the group emerged from the cage after a rapid ascent bob crowded ahead among the others until he reached anne strong miss strong he stammered 1 I overheard you say you were from vandalia I 1 in from mascoutah Masco utah and I 1 ve been to vandalia lots of times yes bob I 1 heard you say you were from mascoutah Masco utah answered anne casually as though she and bob had been friends for years are you enjoying your visit here in new york she continued oh you betl replied bob I 1 m going back if you will step this way please we will enter the sound effects de apartment part ment interrupted the guide at this point and bob didn dian t quite finish his sentence please observe and I 1 shall dem on strate how sounds are simulated with the most simple devices the 9 rl A continued as she entered a glass enclosed booth for example to create the sound impression of a trotting horse we simply take these half cocoanut shells and clap them together sharp ly the plop plop plop comes through your radio at home just like the trotting hoof beats if we wish to make your mouth water with the sound of frying eggs we need only crinkle bits of cellophane before the microphone when we wish to reproduce tele phone calls we use the filter microphone the voice droned on and on but bob had lost interest in radio he was infinitely more aware of the slim shin young lady at his side her arm had brushed against bun him as the group crowded forward to watch the sound demonstration on the other side of the glass partition and bob was shaken by the gremour of ex cit ement aroused by this brief con tact anne strong too recognized that the remote flutter 0 04 excitement within her was due to this young man rather than the th e wonder wonders of rad 0 when anne left vandalla she had decided never to return it was such a provincial little town she thought and she felt sure she couldn t stand spending the rest of her life there of course she knew that one didn dian t go to the big city to achieve fame like a horatio aiger alger hero but at any rate she would be tree free from rom the petty gos sip and restrictions of small town life anne was considered the best beautician in vandalia so she was quite confident that she would woula ex peri ence no difficulty difficult yin find ng work in new york but for a few weeks she planned to see the sights be fore going to work only this very morning she had decided to see radio city As they left the sound effects room and moved along the corr dor toward the television demonstration bob and anne walked silently to gether each seemed to be deeply d engrossed in Us his own thoughts now we shall televise some of you the guide announced and you can observe how you might ap pear on a television broadcast would you like to be first miss she ed indicating anne ob oh I 1 guess so replied anne stepp ng forward As he watched her enter eiter the en closure under the glare of the lights tor for the television view bob again was aware of the undertones of feel ing created by anne s cibran per he couldn coulden t help but note 4 A IM it tv ap 0 0 01 i ne ar g 7 WI 14 91 Z t it tv I 1 anne ann e strong recognized that the remote fuetter of excitement with in her was due to this young man rather than the wonders of radio with possessive pride when he over heard the lady from Pew sylvan a remark about how lovely anne ap feared on the television screen then anne was was baca at his side how d d I 1 look bob was I 1 ter he inquired you were wonderful said bob and anne seemed to understand and interpret the feeling in his voice as ne when are you going back to vandalia anne aked eked bob as they followed the group along the corridor I 1 wasn gasn t planning to return to vandalia vandalla ever all the elation seemed to drain out of bob when she answered for the swiftly moving machinery which carries us so rapidly into the future already was busily at work creating fantasies for bob across the miles his thoughts had planned how he would borrow carls carl s car to drive to vandalia to see anne but anne wasn gasn t going back she was staying in new york that concludes our tour of radio city I 1 hope you have enjoyed your view behind the scenes in radio came from the girl guide to jerk erk bob back to reality turning to anne he asked since I 1 probably never see you again how about celebrating my last day in new york with me it can be your farewell salute to illinois anne said 0 K bob on the schedule somewhat sheepishly bob told her his plans and they set out together they visited the art museum lunched at the open air restaurant art in central park shared a bag of popcorn at the bronx zoo and en joyed dinner in a slovakian aklan ant below third avenue they brought the happy day to a close with the ride on the ferry As they walked slowly toward the hotel where anne was staying she asked quietly where do you live in mascoutah Masco utah boba S nee nce mother died replied bob I 1 ve been living in two rooms over the garage where I 1 work I 1 batch it s not a bad place there are five rooms there but I 1 use only two of them I 1 lust just wondered said anne thought I 1 might like to send you a postcard some time it s been great fun today bob you re the first person in new york with whom I 1 ve felt really tr fr endly and you had to come all the way from illi 1 no s she paused as they drew near the hotel entrance I 1 hope you have a nice trip home she continued as she ex tended her hand to him in a fare well gesture thanks tor for a very n ce day gee anne I 1 had a swell tune time said bob glad I 1 got to know you maybe well we 11 see each other aga n some time who knows they were both silent tor for a few moments then bob shuffled his right foot around before he said well bolong so long anne anne noticed the droop of h s shoulders as he shuffled off down the street two weeks later carl came into the garage and shouted to bob hey bob who do you know in vandalla 7 bob looked up somewhat sur asking why my letter here from vandalia for you and it looks like a female females s handwriting to me bantered carl ummil smells good too before he looked at the trim hand writing bob knew that a certain beautician bad had decided that the bl bla city wasn gasn t so good after all |