The Washington herald., 1922-08-26
The Beautiful
And Damned
By F. Scott Fitzgerald.


'I want to be a successful sensa-
ton in the movies" she announced.
II hear that Mary Pickford makes
a million dollars annually
You could. you know" said
Bloeckman. II think you'd film very
we'll"
Would you let me. Anthony? II
only play unsophisticated roles?''
As the conversation continued in
stilted commas, Anthony wondered
that to him and BIoeckman both
this girl had once been the most
stimulating, the most tonic per-
sonality they had ever known-and
now the three sat like overoiled
machines. without conflict, WITHOUT
fear. without elation. heavily enam-
elled little figures secure beyond en-
joyment in a world where death and
war. dull emotion and noble
savagery were covering a continent
with the smoke of terror
In a moment he would call Tana
and they would pour into them
selves a gay and delicate poison
which would restore them mo-
mentarily to the pleasurable excite
ment of childhood. when every face
in a crowd had carried its sugges-
tion of splendid and significant
transactions taking place some
where to some magnificent and
illtmitable purpose -. Life was no
more than this summer afternoon; ;
a faint wind stirring the lace COL
lar of Gloria's dress, the slow bak-
ing drowsiness of the veranda.
Intolerably unmoved they all
seemed. removed from any romantic
imminency of action. Even Gloria's
beauty needed wild emotions, needed
poignancy. needed DEATH.
".... Any day next week"
Bloeckman was saying to Gloria.
"Here-take this card What they
do is to give you a test of about
200 feet of film. and they can tell
pretty accurately from that"
How about Wednesday,"
wednesdays fine. Just phone me
and I'll go around with you-"
He was on his feet. shaking hands
briskly-then his car was a wrath
of dust down the road. Anthony
turned to his wife IN pewilderment
why Gloria!"
You don't mind II I have a trial.
Anthony. Just a trial? I've got to
go to town Wednesday. anyhow.
But it's so silly You want to
go into the movies-moon around
studio all day with lot of cheap
chorus people"
Lot of incoming around Mary
Pickford does"
Everybody isn't a Mary Pick
ford"
well. can't see how you'd object
to my trying"
II do. though. 1 hate actors"
"Oh, you make me tired. Do you
imagine 1 have a very thrilling time
dozing on this damn porch?"
You wouldn't mind IL you loved
me-"
impatiently. making out a quick
case for herself. It's just because
do that / hate to see you go
to pieces by just lying around
and saying you ought to work. Per-
haps IL / did go into this for a
while it'd stir you up so you'd do
something"
IT'S just your craving for excite
thot . ali II
Maybe it is! It's perfectly
natural craving. isn't it?"
We'll. I'll tell you one thing. If
you go to the movies I'm going to
Europe"
well. go on then! I'm not stop
ping your"
To show she was not stopping him
she melted into melancholy tears.
Together they marshaled the armies
of sentiment-words, kisses. endear-
ments, self-reproaches. They at
tained nothing. Inevitably they at
tained nothing. Finally, in a burst
of gargantuan emotion each of
them sat down and wrote a letter.
Anthon's was to his grandfather:
Gloria's was to Joseph Bloechman.
1t was triumph Of lethargy.
One day early In July Anthony.
returned from an afternoon in New
York, called upstairs to Gloria.
Receiving no answer. he guessed she
was asleep and so went into the
pantry for one of the little sand
wiches that were always prepard
for them. He found Tana seated
ct the kitchen-tabie before a mis-
cellaneous ASSIGNMENT Of odds and
ends-cigar boxes, knives. pencils,
the tops OF cans. and some scraps
of paper covered with elaborate
figures and diagrams
what the devil you doingr de-
manded Anthony curiously.
Tana politely grinned.
Il show you" he acclaimed en-
Enthusiastically. 'T tell
you making a dog house?"
'"No. sa." Tana grinned again.
Make tpewutta."
Typewriter
yes. sa think. oh all time,
lie in bed think bout typewutta."
so you thought you'd make one,
ehz"
wait. tell"
\ Anthony. munchinf a sandwich
leaned leisurely against the sink.
Tana opened and closed his mouth
several times as though testing Its
capacity for action Then with =
rush began:
Il been think-typewutta-
oh. many many many many thing.
Oh many many many many.
Many keys. I see."
Continued Tou,orrotc,