Signal in the Dark — Background and Themes

Where did the woman die? Furthermore, we never use the word 'Funeral Home'. Instead, we say 'mortuary'."

Penny telephoned for more information, and finally after rewriting the notice twice more, succeeded in getting it past Mr. DeWitt. But as he tossed the story to a copy reader, she saw that he had pencilled several changes.

"There's more to writing routine stories than I thought," she reflected. "I'll really have to dig in unless I want to disgrace Dad."

Penny was given another obituary to write which proved nearly as difficult as the first. Hopelessly discouraged, she started for the rest room to get a drink and wash her hands.

As she entered the lounge, voices reached her ears, and instantly she realized that Elda Hunt was talking to another girl reporter about her.

"The publisher's daughter!" she heard her say scathingly. "As if we aren't having a hard enough time here, without having to coddle her along!"

"I didn't think she seemed so bad," the other replied. "She'll catch on."

"She'll be promoted over all our heads if that's what you mean!" Elda retorted bitterly. "I know for a fact, she's starting at fifty a week, and no experience! If you ask me, it's unfair! We should walk out of here, and see how those fine editors would like that!"

CHAPTER 2 _EXPLOSION!_

Penny's first thought was to accost the two girls and correct the misstatements. But sober reflection convinced her she could make no graver mistake. Far better, she reasoned, to ignore the entire matter.

She quickly washed her hands, purposely making enough noise to draw attention to her presence. Elda and her friend became silent. A moment later, coming through the inner door of the powder room, they saw her, but offered no comment. Penny hastily returned to the newsroom.

For the remainder of the day she worked with deep concentration, only dimly aware of what went on about her. Seemingly there were endless numbers of obituaries to write. Telephones rang constantly. Work was never finished, for as soon as one edition was off the press, another was in the making.

Now and then Penny caught herself glancing toward an empty desk at the far corner of the room. Jerry Livingston had sat there until a year ago when he had been granted a leave of absence to join the Army Air Force. Unquestionably the _Star's_ most talented reporter, he had been Penny's best friend.

"I wish Jerry were here," she thought wistfully. "But if he were, he'd tell me to buckle down and not let this job lick me! Dad warned me it would be hard, monotonous work."

Penny worked with renewed energy. After awhile she began to feel that she was making definite progress. Mr. Jewell, the assistant editor, made fewer corrections as he read over her copy, and now and then she actually saw him nod approvingly. Once when she turned in a rewritten "hand-out"--a publicity story which had been sent to the paper in unusable form--he praised her for giving it a fresh touch.

"Good lead," he commented. "You're coming along all right."

Elda heard the praise and her eyes snapped angrily. At her typewriter, she slammed the carriage. No one noticed except Penny. A moment later, Mr. DeWitt called Elda to his desk, saying severely:

"Watch the spelling of names, Elda. This is the third one we've checked you on today. Don't you ever consult the city directory?"

"Of course I do!" Elda was indignant.

"Well, watch it," Mr. DeWitt said again. "We must have accuracy."

With a swish of skirts, Elda went back to her desk. Her face was as dark as a thunder cloud. Deliberately she dawdled over her next piece of copy. After she had turned it in, she returned to the editor's desk to take it from the wire basket and make additional corrections.

"Just being extra careful of names," she said arrogantly as the assistant editor shot her a quick, inquiring glance.

Thinking no more of the incident, Penny kept on with her own work. She took special care with names, even looking up in the city directory those of which she was almost certain. When she turned in a piece of copy, she was satisfied that not a name or fact was inaccurate.

Late in the afternoon, she noticed that Mr. DeWitt and Mr. Jewell appeared displeased about a story they had found in the Five Star edition of the paper. After reading it, they talked together, and then sorted through a roll of discarded copy, evidently searching for the original. Finally, Mr. DeWitt called:

Wondering what she had done wrong, Penny went quickly to his desk.

"You wrote this story?" he asked, jabbing a pencil at one of the printed obituaries.