The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-02-17

with my wife since I married her. It makes me so mad every time think Of Gloria taking that little vamp away and caring for her that l just want to go there and bring her back. Kitty, you can be sure, will make 1t dreary job for Ria. I'd give her a bunch of money and tell her to go to the devil. I had nothing to do with her drinking wood alcohol and she knows it; but she also knows that she couldn't get any money out of Fred Herter in million years. 1 am an easy mark for a girl like Kitty"
 While he had been talking, Herb had been wrapping my lovely fur coat about me and we went down to the car. was thinking that the next morning Hollywood would be agog with Herbert Richardson has a new girl friend"
 It was with some self-consciousnes that I walked into the dining room of the Alexandria.
 Herbert bowed right and left. As we sat down at the table he re- marked
 Tn few minutes cast your eyes discreetly to the table in the corner. You'll see Theodore Stratton. He must have arrived today. They've l ut6h tAptCliHS uinl
 To save my life I could not have helped turning quickly and saw the same partly closed sparkling eyes that made me think of the brook in grandfather's pasture. Yes, it was the man I had talked to on the train. No wonder you are interested in him, Virginia. But he can't help you. Maud Samson, the woman you see with him, is his leading lady and you may be sure she looks to it that no pretty girl gets near him on the set. how ever much he exercises his predilec- ton for pretty girls outside the studio"
 My heart gave a little thump. l wondered if he would recosnize me. gave little gasp when he looked me straight in the eye. But l saw only a flicker of interest and no intimation that he had ever seen me before.
 Mir. Stratton said something in an undertone to the woman with him. She was very beautiful, but looked strained and unhappy. She glaced up and bowed to Herbert with a smile.
 Isn't she beautiful?'' I said to Herb
 "Yes. but she is getting along"
 What do you mean?"
 "She is getting to where she is too old for the screen Do you realize, Virginia, that you have picked out the one business or profession or trade, whatever you may call it. where you must make all your money, all your success, all your fame, while your hands are frantically grasping the rosy draperies of youth.
 Poor Maud Sanson's hands have loosed their hold and although she lis a better actress and just as beau tiful, if not more so, then she was seven years ago, when she first was seen on the screen as Theodore Strat- toms leading woman, yet down in her heart she knows her knell has ruRg
 But. Herb, Stratuon is older than she. He looks it, yet he is in the hey dey of his popularity
 ''Yes, know it, my dear, 1 know 1t. But that is-because the world of the cinema is still man-made world. Men run it accordingly to men, made theories and men, you know, notwith- standing all this talk of the equality of women, still believe Jn their hearts that she has only one thing to recom- mend her--and that is beauty
 looked at Herb In surprise. knew that what he was saying he had unconsciously gotten from Ria
 Again I bowed my head in admira- ton of that girl.
 Every picture that is thrown on the screen" continued Herb, tells the story l am trying to relate You sec girls who are young and beauti- ful. exploited and made love to by men that are much older than the girls themselves. The average lead ing man of today is much too old for his part, for the camera is just as cruel to a man as it is to woman But no director can be made 10 think this, as he himself Is even older"
 Tomorrow--Mnn's Ego. |convright National Newspaper Service