Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1921-12-01
Billy Johnson

Billy Johnson
"Then you do sometimes act"
questioned Billy.
well, if you want to call it
that, l suppose l do. l don't
think it is necessary to do every
thing on impulse. I just under
stood from Ria's voice that she
wanted to come home. Of course
/ would have been glad to stay.
1t was all so new to me"
Don't you get that Tll-try-
anything-once' attitude, Virgie,"
cautioned Ria. THAT, and liking
to be called good sport and fell
low, is the ruination of more
girls in the movies than anything
else l know. The reason that l
didn't stay was that l couldn't in
sist upon Fred Herter keeping So
Der and l saw him put a couple
of flasks in his overcoat pockets
as we came out"
You certainly DO nate Dooze,
don't you, Gloria?" asked Billy.
"And you'd hate it too if you
were l." she suddenly flared up,
her face turning pale in the moon
light which poured in the windows
of the taxi. "The first thing that
| ever remember in my own home,
was seeing my mother cold and
still on the floor where she had
been felled by blow from my
father, yet my father was the
kindest of men when he was not
drunk. But, as he was drunk
most of the time, my mothers
arms were usually discolored with
bruises left by his big hands. Oh,
| hated my father with childish
hatred that l have never out
grown.
even when my mother tried
to make me think it was not my
father that was cruel to her but
the drink that made him so, l
still hated him. But 1 hated the
drink worse. Billy, not one Of you
men would be cruel and mean to
any girl if you weren't inflamed
with liquor"
But a highball or two doesn't t
make any difference, Ria"
Yes it does. There is a subtle
change in everyone after one
drink. That has been proven by
science. Oh 1 hate it! 1 hate it!
Now Fred Herter will empty those
TASKS and after that Heaven only
knows what will happen"
well, Heaven won't tell," said
Billy flippantly.
"Oh, yes, Heaven does at times
and then there is a great upheaval
Something terrible happens that
makes the whole world sit up and
take notice. Oh, Billy, Billy. l
hope it won't be Herb. l hated
to leave him with that crowd. You
know how reckless they are"
Then why did you come a.
way?" | asked.
Because, my dear Virginia,
was more afraid to stay"
Gloria is well-versed in the
science of stopping time that
Gorrebeau speaks Of"
when did you learn to read
French books, Billy" asked Ria
in surprise.
81 started to read them in col
lege my dear, and ended up with
my five months in school at the
Sorbonne after the armistice."
"Oh. you were at the University
of Paris, Mr.. Johnson?"
Does that make me Mr.. John
son to you, Virginia? I was one
of the lucky men that they sent
down to school after the war was
over"
And after all that you came
0ack to go into moving pictures?
why not? Someday moving
pictures are going to be one of the
great levers that will move the
world. Like every other gold
mine the industry has attracted
adventures. The same kind of
gambling spirit which you found
in the Klondyke and which you
find now in the opening up OF new
oil territory, you can find in the
movies.
1T is the men and women who
want money and are willing to do
to get it that all get
rich-Quick ventures call together.
But as the years go by the venture
becomes a real industry taken up
by those OF sane vision and made
int a sDleudid. forward-lOoking