Evening journal., 1922-05-29
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y LOUIS JOSEPH NANCRNx ~
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| on the window shade and, wild with
| jealousy, demand admittance. The
father was TO conduct Nelly to the
private hallway, understanding that
she was TO slip away by the back
door.
Instead OF doing so. Nelly was to
linrer and overhear the quarrel be-
tween father and son, in the course
Of which It was to transpire that
the former had once offered to wager
the latter that he could make the
girl his mistress within a given
period Of time. Whereupon. in re-
vulsion Of feeling, Nelly was TO con-
front the two and, while confessing
she had planned deliberately TO
marry either one or the other of
them for his money, assert herself
TO be too good to be the wife of
either.
Nolan proceeded now to act out
in his own person the business which
he conceived to be in character for
girl OF Nelly's quality in circum-
stances so contrived as to make
voluntary eavesdropping on her part
seem constructively defensible. And
Lucinda looked on with earnest at
tention and puckered brows, eager
to catch every hint that would help
her become a better actress. Her
dlstrust OF Nolan extended only to
his abilities as constructive builder
Of storytelling pictures and a judge
of pictorial values. For the very
considerable amount OF raw power
as a pantomime which he indubit-
ably possessed, she had much re-
spect.
This enthusiasm was running
away with him now, he was build
ing the solo scene which Lucinda
was to play on lines of broad emo
tional melodrama widely inconsist- |
ent with the situation. Forgetting |
that, while the conversation assumed |
to be going on beyond the door was
one well calculated to annoy and dis
gust her whom Il concerned, its
after all hardly of
a character to break her heart.
Nolan was. as Nelly. ranting and
raving in the angle. like one gone
half-mad with shock and grief. Yet
such was the. fire he infused into
he performance that for the time
being he truly succeeded in pervert-
ng Lucinda's grasp OF the scene.
Having exhausted his repertoire of
emotional artihce, he stepped out of
he camera lines, consulting Lucinda
With a glance and the stereotyped
inquiry, See what I want. dear?"
he nodded without thinking-"You
make II most real. I'll do my best !
-and stepped into character and (
ameras began to tick, and Nolan
eized his baton of authority. the
negaphone which he invariably I
lsed while directing, though he had
Is much need OF II now as the cam
'ras had OF telescope lenses.
Now. dear" he blared through
his instrument--'go to It and show
Is all you've got Don't be afraid
Of letting yorself go. Remember.
his is your Big Scene, biggest you've
got in this story, your one grand
little chance TO put Dc over that
you're sure-enough actress. Now
rou put your ear 10 the crack in the
ioor and hear your name. You
lever dreamed men could talk
bout women like that. you know. .
how us horror. dear. and make II
trong. you can't make II too strong.
you're just realizing the
ian you love is such a rotten cad ,
e could make a bet about your '
lrtue. It just makes you feel sick =
II over
Great snakesl What's that for =? +
That's the matter?" p
For Of a sudden Lucinda laughed
ltright, suddenly the heartrendingi
'emelo of Nolan's voice as he de-
liled the awful offense Richards had 4
ommitted against Nelly in the play d
ckled irresistably her sense of the s
osurd; and her laugh followed nat a
rally. inevitably, uncontrollably. a
I'm sorry. Mr.. Nolan" she gasped r
Forgive me. II didn't know I was n
ping TO laugh till-till-till II struck o
10 as so funny"
Her voice rose and broke in n
lother peal Of hysterical merriment a
er words became unintelliglble, IL
hile Nolan literally ground his y
eth. 5,
What struck you so funny7" he Al
.ploded. SHOW me anything fun Il
: about this scene and I'm eat
y megaphone. What's so damn
nny?"
"Oh. / am sorryl" Lucinda was
ing her utmost to sober herself,
t still her voice shook and her
dy rocked with recurrent spasm D
idiotic mirth. you see-when q
u said that-what you said about
chards being a rotter-all at once W
struck me-I'm sure I don't know +
ly-as funny, too awfully funny re
: words!" ID
well, why" Nolan insisted. all II
{ dancing with race. HE'LL Give pc
reason. Why's it funny?"
CONTINUED i'm Our Next Isseu) of
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