Evening star., 1923-04-01
BY GEORGE GIBBS
Copyright, is4a, D. Applsto. q Co

test'-you don't mind my calling you
Cherry, do you?"
mo I'm glad ysu did, Effie. We're
friends"
"Surest thing you know. How old
are you?"
Twenty"
I'm twenty-three'
When girls truthfully tell each
other their ages they are in a fair
way of becoming intimate. This ac-
quaintance made over the back fence
was the beginning of relationship
which was to bloom rapidly into
discover, Effie Burdette had many ad-
mirable qualities, not the least OF
which were her loyalty and her sim
cerity. And having given OF her
friendship to Cherry. she was not one
to withdraw it without cause. And
Cherry, who had already learned
many things not impaired to her at
Mrs Parton's select boarding school.
met her advances with sense OF
privilege. aware Of the fineness OF
the motives which had kept this girl
straight in the midst of peril9us
temptations. for 1t, was not long be-
fore she told Cherry most or them
In her turn, Cherry gave her the ms
tory of the Mohun family and the
necessities to which it had been re
duced, at which Effie was deeply i'm
pressed and highly commiserative'
for, having suffered, she had limit
less capacity for sympathy. Cherry
visited the Burdette household ana
met the shut-ins. and. much to Mrs.
Mohun's dismay, Ettie spent some
evenings with Cherry.
Il can't imagine, Cherry, SAID
Alicia one morning at the breakfast
table after one of these visits. how,
with your training. you Gould pos
sibly be friendly with such dread
full creature as that"
Il like her" said her daughter
calmly.
that she isn't your kind at all: There
is no reason. even now, why you
should not make friends Of your own
sort
her friendship. Muzzy. She's a Won
derful girl"
Really!
When Alicia said really in just
that soft tone Cherry knew that she
meant it to be equivalent to last
word in objurgatton. But II only
made the hair prickle aggressively
at the back Of Cherry's neck
Yes" she asserted warmly, You
she's the pluckiest girl ever knew
and a lady. every inch Of her"
Il hadn't observed it," replied
choose to go to her house or to meet
her outside. | can't prevent you, but
as for having her here in the parlor
in the evenings where my friends are
likely to be visiting, ] must positively
forbid IT."
Cherry frowned into her coffee cup.
But she knew what her mother feared
"a meeting between the plebeian Etiic
and the ineffable John Chichester!
She gulped her coffee quickly to swal-
1.H,r la haF in 70
But fortunately her mother left the
room at once.
The immediate result OF this friend
ship between the girls was Cherry's
McKaigh, the director of the local
studios of the Meadowcroft Company.
Within the huge building. which had
once been 4 factory, Effie led her
with a pert nod of the head past the
watchful doCrkeeper. up 4 flight OF
shabby stairs. through dark corridors
from which they suddenly emerged
into the confusion Of the main studio.
The garish blue-white lights of the
Cooper HewittS glared in her eyes.
stood where the businesslike Effie
placed her while she went in search
OF the man they sought Beside
Cherry people passed TO and fro, their
faces groteSQue in makeup; perspir-
ing men in shirt sleeves carried fur
niture here and there, while carpen-
terS just beside her were building a
set. The unfamiliar clicking OF
battery Of cameras persisted above
all smaller sounds, and Cherry moved
forward few PAGES to look at the
actors. aware of the Strident voice Of
a subdirector giving excited instruc-
tions-as the cameras ceased clicking.
"Oh. say. Miss Savage. Do you
love this guy or don't you?''
A feeble response from the delin-
Queht
Then grab him as If you did You
wanted some emotional stun, and now
now in this next shot. This other
dame, Masie, is trying to 'yamp' him
away from you. Remember that
Now, Wen run the scene over and
see how 1t goes. Don't forget the
soul stuff-innocent, though-thats
what gets him. Understand"
Cherry felt very Sorry for the girl.
How she managed to remain free
from self-consciousness in such sur
roundings Cherry could not under
were watching. but che only shrugged
lightly and flashed bright smile at
the man who acted with her in the
scene. His back had been turned to
Cherry, but as he moved into a new
position as director she saw that he
was Bruce Cowan. He did not see
Cherry and she withdrew into the
shadow of canvas set, still watch
ing. He was handsome. Miss Savage
evidently shared her opinion, for
while the script was read she
glanced at him from time to time
when he spoke as though in Difference
to his opinion.
But before the camera began click
ing again Effie came back and led her
to the private office of Mr.. McKafgh.
IN afraid there isn't much hope"
Effie whispered on the way They're
cutting down expenses. and there's
only two pictures. mine and this
other. But we'll see him just the
same" And then, in a kind of awed
whisper Harold Swift is In the office.
You'll meet him.
(TO be continued tomorrOw)