, 1923-04-15

a savagery about the very writing.
Her heart plunged with terror as she
read.
I seen you pictur last mite and
It made me sick yore awful In
nasent and sweet in the pictur
and you look like butter wouldent
melt in your mouth but 1 know
better for I'm the guy held you
up in Topanga cannon wen you
wal there with that ther guy and
took your wedin ring off you I
Cident know who you. was then
and 1 don know who he is yet
but I'm wise to you and all I got
to say is I've got my ey on you
and o better behave on else quit
playin these innasent parts you
movie people make me sick yore
only n gang Of %hippocrlts SO bewair.
Mem felt odious to herself. with al,
the revolving nausea of evil revealed.
There is remorse enough for a strug.
Cling soul that knows its W defeats
and backslidlngs, but It is nothing
to the remors that follows a pub.
llshed fault.
This letter was more hideous than
headlines in a paper. 1t was more
dreadful than such a p!llorled public
shame as Hester Prynne's. It meant
that somewhere there was q man in
an invisible cloak OF namelessness
and facelessness who desplsed her
and Jeered at her subllmities of pur
.ty. Her highest ambitions wert
ToA-.-- o.. -.o.g,- ..f-
She was thrown back into the dark
ages when girls were told that guar
dian devils floated about them as well
leering enemies. incubi. succubl
her elbow. and. since few 4men failed
witches. fairies. She could hear such
helllsh laughter as Faust's Gretchen
heard.
She longed to find this man and
implore his mercy. But how could
she discover him7 He was a thief
and could only disclose himself by
b~etraying his own crime. Yet he
felt himself less wicked than she.
She saw before her a long life OF
such attacks. She resolved to dc
two ~things-lead t~henceforth a blame
less life anc play ~thenceforth only
such characters as mnde no pretenst
of perfection.
She was the more determined &c
seek a foothold in comedy. in wilt
farce. She wanted to play a woman
of sin, n vampire. anything thai
would free her OF tho charge OF wear
ng a virtuous masls.
She burned the letter but she coult
never forget It. She could not wall
along a street or ride in a car with
out wondering II the last man whit
cast n glance her way might not b,
the thief who had robbed her o
somethina ~irretrievable. When sh
sat in a movnig-picture theater sh
wondered II he We're not the mar n
her ALLOW. and. aimee few men fale,
to look at her with n trailing glanc
that caught a little on her beaut,
as on a hook, she was i~ncessantl!
thrown into panic.
In time she grew brazen and sai,
she didn't care. A little later sh'
fdrgot the terror that walked by
but now and then It would return
upon her-as often when she wa
alone as when she was in the rang
Ct human eyes.
CHAPTER LII.
The frst thing that struck Mer
about the business of selling joke
was the ~melancholic dependency o
ii. In tho other studios there ha,
been a deadly ~earnestnes at times
but usually n cheerful informally
But Ned Ling was in a state o
nerves and dismal with anxieties.
The first scene rehearsed shove.
Mem being ardently proposed to b!
a dapper young Juvenile whose Rrac
and beauty were to DO the foil 70
Ned Ling's triumphant ugliness. TIL
juvenile was instructed TO do a sim
pie bit of business.
Young Mr.. McNeal realizing tina,
the scene was supposed to be mildly
funny, tried to play It in n mood o
aayety-to horse" II a little witt
a slight extravaganza 4 I'M an,
a humorous twinkle in his eye.
Ned Ling checked him at once.
cut out the comedy. Mr.. McNeal
II you pleased It's all right to b
FUNNY in an emotional picture. bu
comedy is a serious business. A jok'
Is dynamite. and IL it's handled care
lessly It will blow up in your hands
and take you wit hit. 1 want the au
l dlence to blow uD. not you. So carr.
that scene as seriously as you can.
The criticism hurt young Mr.. Nc
Neal, but It warned Mem. She won
through her own business with
simple matter-of.factness as II II hat
no humcr in Il. This was becausi