, 1923-04-15


but Mem was.
In an interlude during n change OF
reels Ned Ling said. with all the earn
estncss of an earnest clown: II love
your ears. Miss Steddoni they make
me weep. See how wet ny eyes are"
He leaned close and made her look
INTO his melancholy orbs. Their
mclencholy Vas their fortune. for in
his pictures he never smiled except
when he was in a plight OF comic
despair.
II love to weep" hc went on.
shamelessly. Last Chrlstngas-How
DO you suppose I spent my last Christ
mas? I stayed at home alone and
felt sorry for myself. I did Honestly.
I lust walIowed in self-pity. I sat for
an hour before q mirror ard watched
.he tears pou- down my checks. And
when they fell into my sobbing mouth
7 drank them, and loved them be-
cause they were so bitter II was h
happiest Christmas I ever spent. Next
Christmas let's you rad me sit to-
eethe- before n mirror II have a
glorious cry and weeping due.
can't imagine yon whp Fould
make me weep as lusciously as you.
VIII you CoEles
an be there said Mem, half with
pi;y n half with mockery.
Therupon. us "a, lights went out
again. he laid his hnnd on hers wher.
It rested on the arm o: her chair.
When she ncved It he clutchel X
eagerly and whispered, "oh please.
and chung to II like q lonely child.
He laughed aloud at the wonderful
nat.e Tom Hnlby put up. but he
oheered Ment'a every scene as she
dashed through the storm
How brave! How beautiful you
are" he murmured- leaning close.
She " hlspered to him tho tale OF how
near she was to death in the scene
which she trust her way through
the tree.
And now he chung to her with
both hands as II he would save her
thus belatedly from danger.
'I was very near to death in my
p~ictures'' she said. "I was supposed
TO sit down innocently on a plumbers
torch. I had on asbestos trousers
but some how my coat tails caught
fire n I should have burned to
leath IL Miss Clave hadn't thrown
rug around me. Awfuliy nice girl,
I could have zone IN loving her, but
she kept talking marriage and 1 was
afraid of marriage. Aren't you? II
sicl<ened me when I heard the audi
nee scream with laughter Mt the
scene. We kept 1t in al 1t was and
gave Il n funny title. It had just
the touch of o~bscenity that every
bodv loves. Too bad We Americans
make such n bane of obscenityl A
little wholesome smut hurt any
body.
When the picture was finished he
told Bermond what a genius he had
n Miss SteSdon and said he wished
he had her himself. Bermond adroit
" and coquettishly forced the care
on his hand, and before Ned Ling
quite knew It It had been arranged
that Mem should be lent to him at
a figure far above Bermond salary.
"I stuck him for the extra
money" Bernond laughed after
wards, 'but I .ove to make Ned
Ling pay. It hurts him SO. I'll split
the bonus with you. my dear"
CHAPTER L
Tom Hobby called on Mem the fol
lowing evening. He had so earnest
n face. go longing a I'M that she
had not the heart to tell him at once
of her triumph over Ned Ling and
her engagement TO play the loading
role in his next farce.
But Hobby seemed to realize TINT
something had happened TO take her
4 little farther out OF his parish.
There was n righteousness in her
manner, and Independence of HIM,
that terrified him.
!, He grew MS ~flat-fcotedly direct
and simple as ono of the big. bluff
he-men he 30 often played. He act
ually twirled his hat. running his
fingers round and round h br.m
as he did when he was a cowboy
making love to a gal from down East
He was as sheepish az VIII Rogers
playing Romeo, but not so shrek.
,ngiy funny.
His very boorishness pleaded for
him. and IL Mem had 10 FREQ q
his new hunger of hers for n taste
II comedy she might have taken pity
on him lovingly.
But she was in n mood of defer
ment at least. and she smiling. teas
ing ann baff1ed him. In his con
fusion he noted a bundle of letters
in his pocket. and for lack OF other
tonic pulled them out.
"This is a pack Of letters that camc
] to tho studio rust as I was leaving
: he explained. IT stuffed 'em in my
: pocket. Haven't had n chance 70
look them over. Mostly mash notea,
I guess"
He took out the lot and riff1ed them
owe lilse a pack OF cards.
TT they think we movie people
are fools. what have they got to say
of the public doluges us with this
stuff Here's one. Let's sec what
it's like" lie read from a weiter of
passionate script.
DEAR MR. HoLBY-If I
could only tell you how much I
admire you you would DO the
p%roudest man on earth. There's
q picture Of you on my bureau
now but it's only a clipping from
q Sunday supplement. I take It
out only when the door is locked.
Mamma would skin me II sho