Evening journal., 1922-06-03
on11 - LOss4 JossTa v.aS-

Bells eyes and mouth frightened
TITS not an unnatural supposition
that you may have concluded you've
ans enough"
Enough. Bel?"
"Of both ."
That can't be anything but cal
Nlated impertinence"
Bel made a wry face as he stopped
10 pick up his motor-coat. This
conversation is degenerating into a
wrangle in which l have the tradi-
tional chance SNOWFALL has in the
place where motion-pictures were
spawned. Mind lending me a hand
Linda? Can't quite manage this
with one arm"
At once angrily and gently Lu-
cinda draped the motor-coat over his
shoulders.
Bel continued: I'm to understand.
then, my wishes mean nothing TO
you?"
lucinda gave a little, silent laugh.
and in silence for A moment gazed
on Bellamy. her eyes unreasonable.
You forget, what l don't. Bel. >"
Lucinda said slowly. that II was
YOU who made the mode OF life with
which / was content impossible for
me. II this life I've taken up here Is
in some sense a makeshift. it's all
I've got TO take the place OF all
had. And now you'd rob me even of
IT, And one thing more you forget:
II l should give in 20 your wishes
and leave Hollywood today. I would
only be doing what you say you
want 10 prevent confessing by flight
that my only real interest in my pic
ture work was my greater interest
in Lynn Summerlad. For that rea-
son alone-and not, as you believe,
TO spite you've got 10. and I'm
going 20. go on 90 the end OF this
present production at least After
that 1 don't know ."
DiscountenaDced. "I hadn'
thought Of that" Bel owned square
ly. You may be right
That's your last word. Lnda?"
My last word to you, Bel
hope"
XXXIV
The finding of Nelly's body
crushed beneath the wreckage of
motor-car on the beach some fifty
miles north OF Los Angeles. gave
the story Of the Summerlad shooting
an extended lease Of twenty-four
hours only on front-page space in
the newspapers.
Then. since the death Of the un-
happy woman had defeated ali hope
of a lurid court proceeding and rem
dered piquant exploitation of wild
life inside the movie colony" the
case went into quick eclipse.
Lucinda spent the best part Of
that day in the projection-room
with zinn and Wallace Day. her new
director. sitting IN judgment on
thirty-six reels of film. the accumu-
lated sum OF Nolan's fumbllng with
about twO-thirds OF a picture.
To the WEAKNESS Of those days the
visit OF Hartford Willis came as a
welcome iDterlude.
Il did Lucinda good 10 hear him
growl and scold about anything as
relatively inconsiderable as the
lunacy OF throwing money away -
like wateri"-aDd then refusing 20
set the machinery OF the law in mo-
ton to apprehend and punish Lon
taine.
And Lucinda took leave OF him
with dewy eyes her one
true friend
Now she had nobody left but
Fanny; and she was coming daily 20 |
repose less faith IN Fannys loyalty |
She was feeling very sorry for |
herself, and very lonely. and when !
most IN need Of friendly companion !
ship-FaDny was seldom at her call. |
Fanny had to give up the bungalow |
and moved TO a residential hotel on /
the outskirts OF the Wiltshire dis
trict, whose accommodations she
claimed were cheaper than Holly
woods.
Deep IN LuciDda's subconscious-
ness an incidental recollection
turned in its sleep. Somewhere.
sometime. she had heard that Barry
Nolan had a bungalow down VIII
shire way. or hadn't he?
a week from the night OF their
rencontre in Summerlads bungalow
Bellamy called to tell Lucinda he
was leaving for New York the next
morning. Zinn would take charge
OF his producing interests during his
absence. He couldn't say just how
long that might be- II he could be
Of any service 90 Lucinda in the
east. he would be glad.
"Goodby. Bel" she said. with not
unk.nd decision but decision unmis-
takeable for all that. And good
luck. But please never
come back"
That night she sobbed herself
awake from dreams Of dear days
dead, and lay for hours hating the
cherries comfort Of hotel rooms.
missing poignantly the intimacy OF
her home and the sense Of security
she had known nowhere else.
And in the morning and morning
after morning, she rose with a heart
as heavy as any she had ever known
10 address herself 10 the daily grind.
Yet she had no right to whimper.
The new director was living up to .
all Zinn's claims. There was no fric-
tion, and under his sympathetic
guidance she felt she was doing bet
ter work than she had ever noped
to do
But she counted hourly the tale
Of the days.
Twice she heard from Summer
lad' on the day following Bellamy's
departure, a penciled scrawl. in
forming her that he was now per-
mltted 10 receive callers and pro-