Page 6 - Catholic Extension Magazine Spring 2020

6
Tribute

“Put away the
mirror, mademoi­
selle.” The words
were quiet, the
English clear, the
accent a heavy
undertone.
“Put away the
mirror, mademoi­
selle.” The words
were quiet, the
English clear, the
accent a heavy
Last Flight By hiding a refugee stowaway, she risked the
undertone.
future and the hatred of the man she loved
from Danubia by MAR Y HIGGINS CLARK
Tom had just come in from the
“You look too young for even that
smoke-blue uni form coat and length of time. But if you could have Operations Office. He nodded when
tried to ignore her growing seen my country before it was occupied. his eyes met hers. Carol wondered how
AROL shivered inside her
Cuneasiness. As she glanced This room was always full of gaiety. much longer it would be before her heart
around the wait ing-room of the air When I returned to America from my stopped racing painfully at every glimpse
Last Flight
last visit twenty relatives came to see of him, before she stopped being so aware
dressed peasant dolls in the showcases me off. This time no one dared come. of his splendid tallness in the dark uni-
made an incongruous background for It isn’t wise to make a public display of form. She reminded herself sternly that
terminal she thought that the gaily-
it was time she regarded him as just
By hiding a refugee stowaway, she risked the
from Danubia future and the hatred of the man she loved
Carol lowered her voice. “There are another Captain and not as the man she
the grim -faced policemen who passed in one’s American con nections.”
passengers, watching the policemen, so many more policemen today than had loved so dearly.
She spoke to him, her gray eyes
front of them. The handful of boarding
by MAR Y HIGGINS CLARK
“A member of the underground has veiled, non committal. “You wanted me,
AROL shivered inside her
were standing together, their eyes full usual. Do you know why?”
“You look too young for even that
Tom’s tone was as businesslike as
As she walked toward them, one of escaped,” he whispered. “He was spotted Captain?”
her own. “I was wondering if you’ve
the pas sengers was saying: “The chase near here an hour ago. They’ll surely Tom had just come in from the
of hatred.
tried to ignore her growing seen my country before it was occupied.
smoke-blue uni form coat and length of time. But if you could have Operations Office. He nodded when
“We’ll be boarding the plane in fifteen checked Paul.”
is taking too long. The hunters are not catch him but I hope I don’t see it.” his eyes met hers. Carol wondered how
Carol was ashamed to answer that
terminal she thought that the gaily-
Cuneasiness. As she glanced This room was always full of gaiety. much longer it would be before her heart
long have you been flying, stew ardess?” min utes,” Carol answered reassuringly.
she’d not thought of the purser on the
pleased.” He turned to Carol, “How last visit twenty relatives came to see of him, before she stopped being so aware | 4
around the wait ing-room of the air When I returned to America from my stopped racing painfully at every glimpse
“Excuse me. I must see the Captain.”
the grim -faced policemen who passed in
dressed peasant dolls in the showcases me off. This time no one dared come. of his splendid tallness in the dark uni-
“Three years,” Carol answered. one’s American con nections.”
front of them. The handful of boarding
made an incongruous background for It isn’t wise to make a public display of form. She reminded herself sternly that
it was time she regarded him as just
of hatred. Carol lowered her voice. “There are another Captain and not as the man she
passengers, watching the policemen, so many more policemen today than had loved so dearly.
were standing together, their eyes full usual. Do you know why?”
She spoke to him, her gray eyes
As she walked toward them, one of escaped,” he whispered. “He was spotted Captain?”
“A member of the underground has veiled, non committal. “You wanted me,
the pas sengers was saying: “The chase near here an hour ago. They’ll surely
is taking too long. The hunters are not catch him but I hope I don’t see it.”
pleased.” He turned to Carol, “How
Tom’s tone was as businesslike as
her own. “I was wondering if you’ve
“We’ll be boarding the plane in fifteen checked Paul.”
“Three years,” Carol answered.
long have you been flying, stew ardess?” min utes,” Carol answered reassuringly.
“Excuse me. I must see the Captain.”
Carol was ashamed to answer that
she’d not thought of the purser on the
| 4
Remembering an
inspiring friend
A tribute to Mary Higgins Clark—renowned
author and generous philanthropist
I N HER FICTION, Mary Hig- rying Warren Clark, becoming said. She nervously opened the
gins Clark taught us to wonder
envelope and saw that Catholic
a flight attendant for Pan Am
Extension wanted to publish
and raising a family.
about the great mystery, always
She routinely sent out sto-
her story for $100.
around the corner. In life, she
ries to be published but re-
“I have received some pretty
imparted the beauty of gen-
erosity—that to give the gift of
faith is to give hope, strength
young mother, who longed to
but no one, nothing, was ever
like that first letter and check. I
become a professional writer,
and eternal light. Catholic Ex- ceived only rejection slips. As a decent checks over the years,
tension mourns her passing in she sent a story to Extension was finally a published writer!
January. magazine and her big break fi- It meant so much to me,” she
nally came. “One day, while the later recalled. Her short story,
FIRST PUBLISHED STORY children were in school and “Last Flight from Danubia,” ap-
At an early age, Mary was a the baby was asleep, I picked peared in Extension magazine
natural storyteller and liked to up the mail and found a blue in March 1958.
write, but she learned during envelope with dark red print
her teens that finding an out- that said Extension magazine. I STORIES OF TRANSFORMATION
let to publish her work was thought, ‘It is totally impossible Mary understood that the
no easy task. As she kept her that I have finally sold my first essence of every great story
writing dream alive, she pur- story. They probably want me is transformation. Someone
sued the rest of her life: mar- to take a subscription,’” she changes. With new insights,