Evening journal., 1922-05-20
c91s u Louia Joseph yanoi
SYNOPSIS
w II
RS of married life,

BEILAAfY DRUCE. Weaix-willed an
selfish. Bel had been guilty of
series of escapades in which promisct
Gus Irritation and drunkenness ha
combined 10 humiliate his wife.
"A broken promise to reform cause
Lucinda to leave him. Bel follows he
20 Chicago and is prevented frol
Ifarcihly restraining her from going
sao by the Intervention OF an M
ilantih,d young man.
on he train, Lucinda meets her ol
,NNSY LoNrA1NE. who with he
husoand is going to HOLLYWOOD
@sRRY sfSS LoNTAINE is thinking Q
rforming a motion picture company
rhe learns that the young man VIII
fesisted her in escaping from Bel
;lso on the train and that he y
INN SUMMERLAD, prcmnen
screen star.
Seated in Section 10, waiting 70
the porter to bring back his per
onal impediments from the draw
..ng-room. Harry Lontaine turned
hindsome face to the window
BROWNING absently, the nervous
own of a man whose clevernes'
aes never proved quite equal TO TIT
Of satisfying anpeutes at One
strong and fastidious.
From this delectable realm the
dreamer was recalled by conscious
ness Of somebody standing in the
aisle and staring imperunently. Lon
taine was too diligeDt student OF
motion pictures not to know at sight
fpa.tr,s or Lynn Hmmtr. l.
by long odds the most popular male
star of the American cinema. A per-
worth. knowing
A1.sreading his expression, Mr..
fe.t called upon 10
odiogize.
BEG your pardon but 1 was eX-
recting TO find a lady in this sec
IN. / may say a friend: Mrs.
Lruce DO you by any chance
XVI
LINN Summerlad made a fourth
at the bridge table set up that after
noon in the Lontaine drawing-room;
Invited by LontaiDe as an acquain-
tanee of Lucinda. and a grateful ad-
ditfon to the party because he played
sonfething better than merely a good
game.
Not only "fearfully easy to look
at" (as Fanny confided to Lucinda)
but fair spoken and well, If at times
a shade carefully hammered, he was
Intelligent and ready of wit.
By nightfan OF the second day, II
wa spossible for Lucinda to make up
Ter mind that she liked Lynn sum
merlad decidedly. True that he was
not Of her world; but then neither
was She herself, any longer, in this
anomalous stage of the apostate
wife. neither wife nor widow, not
tven honest divorcee.
If summerlad's character as she
read 1t had faults. if an occasional
crudity fiawed his finish, these
things were held to be condonable in
view of his youth. He seemed ride
tiously young TO Lucinda but sure to
Improve With age. sure to take on
toifsh from rubbing up against life.
i peciaHy if he were so fortunate
80 and the right woman to watch
6ver and advise him. An interesting
fob for the right woman.
Not (she assured herself hastily
thaeit would be job to interest her.
An absurd turn Of thought, anyway.
Why she had wasted time on II she |
really didn't know. Unless, OF |
course. its incentive had lain in con-
ssiousness of Summerlad's naive
eaptivation. one couldn't very well
overlook that He was so artless
about il. boyish, and-well-nice. 1t
w IS most entertaining.
, was also. if truth would out far
r.r-, lfep1aaeing
I've got a great favor to beg Of
sou Mr.. Summerlad," said Lucinda
a they sat alone-on the observa-
fon platform one evening.
Cant make it too great"
Fanny and I were discussing il
his morning Bel-Mr. Bruce-is
,ire TO follow me to Los Angeles
nd make more scenes. I'd like 10
void that. II can. Help me choose
good, safe nom de guerre, please"
pets see: Mrs. Lontaine calls you
indy. /
"short for Lucinda"
How about Lee? Lucinda Lee?"
II Ike that. But it does sound
1Se the movies, doesn't it?"
what do you expect Of a movie
etor, Mrs. Druce?" o
Mrs Lee. please" 6
. Beg pardon: Mrs. Lee"
And ii was as Lucinda Lee that
he registered the next morning at :
be Hotel Alexandria in Los An a
,eles
On the afternoon of their arrival, d
lucinda. accompanied by Summer
lad and the Lontaines. drove to the q
Zinn studios, where the famous sum {
meriad pictures were taken.
The working premises lay behind
the administration building. But
hare Lucinda noted few points of
cicse resemblance to the Culp stu
dos. A field several acres in extent,
about half in turf was surrounded
bg a sizable village Of glass-roofed /.
stees and structures housing the /
echnical and mechanical depart
nents-a laboratory. a costumer's, |
property, carpenter and scene paint /
ing shops. directors offices. dressing, |
projection and cutting-rooms, a gar
axe. sheds to shelter motor-cars and
trucks by the score, stables, small /
niepaeerie, huge tank for water
stun.r a monolithic fireproof vault I
of cement for the storage Of film.
nWell. Mrs. Lee: what do you
hink Of a California studio? Not
'frch like what you've seen back
"a {, eh?"
IN IS most marvellous. II they're
Y like this. don't wonder people
re mad to act in motion-pictures II
fr. Culp had promised me anything
Ike this. l don't believe I should
ave had the courage to refuse"