Evening star., 1924-12-07
By Roy Milton Tiff

ness men you spoke of so tenderly
a while ago.
Having the idea that I had
human beings right to get tired now
and then, and woman's right to
choose who should paw over me,
found myself going out the gate the
wrong way often and oftener
Two or three Of my late bosses had
spoken feelingly of my temperament
when firing me, and that gave me
an idea. Temperament. That was
what all artists had. Maybe l was
an artist! p.
You know the rest picked
on the movies, and here 1 am"
And what comes next?"
That" she says. 'is what I'm
sticking here to find out"
But what do you expect?"
Just the much-spoken-of chance.
Give me that and I'll try to do the
rest. 1 haven't any foolish ideas
about my devastating beauty and
scintillating talent, but 1 have
brain or two. And, believe this,
Mack--if that chance ever comes,
nothing-no nothing!-will keep me
from making the most of it"'
It's sure a long shot you're play
ing, Mollie"
Il know it. but the long shots are
to make big killing-got to! I've
got to get enough money that | can
always be myself If 1 war to and
never have to worry about hard
work, old age and the well known
wolf at the door. And. Mack-where
else does girl stand as good a
chance as she does in the movies?"
She leaned across the table then and
patted my hand. And, Mack, old
boy-I didn't mean what l. said about
your cutting loose. I'd rather you'd
stay-stay and see me top the hill
You will, won't you?"
l squeezed her hand and nodded
IN stay If you stay; go if you
GO And that's as near as
came to telling her what the Old Man
was figuring on doing to her!
After lunch | went back to the Old
Man.
We'll, boss" says, Il couldn't fire
her after ALL"
"Couldn't?" says the boss. "Why
not?"
'Well-mostly because | quit lust
after you told me to fire her. ! for
got to tell you about it, though, till
just now"
See here. he says. what's the
matter with you, anyhow"
Nothing, l guess. But we're pals
like, and l don't think you ought to
ask me to fire her. Do II yourself"
The boss commenced rumbling and
bubbling down inside and / thought
he was working up one. of his fits.
But he was just winding up a laugh
My stars" he gobbled. ltd be
crime to turn you out to the mercies
OF a cruel, unfeeling world
Your resignation is declined-and
hers, too. Now get out of here"
A FTER leaving the boss office that
day, l got to thinking about that
bluff to quit II he fired Mollie, and
The thing that fretted me was the
down-deep feeling that I'd really
have done 1t.
| took the problem out to a bench
on the lot and sat down to study it
out, and when the answer to the
puzzle popped over my head | made
up my mind to do my stuff when the
right chance came
SO. one day, when Mollie said some
thing about what a "fivver" she had
been in part she was trying to do
L took that for my cue
Mollie," l says, touching her hand
ttmidlike. We're both kind of 'fiiv-
vers,' amt we?"
Il guess so. Why"
Il was thinking, Mollie-er, that
is, don't you think that-that two
'hivvers' teamed-up are better than
one?"
NO" she says. II think they're
twice as bad. Why"
'Mollic-what would you saw Tiff
| asked you to marry me?"
She gasped but she was game. BE
yourself, Mack. Be yourself!"
Moliie" ! gulped. Il can't be my
self-without you! / can't"
Mack"
Remember the word. Mollie," /
begged. sliding my hand over hers
be yourself-"
She was gone-streaking it for the
dressing rooms on the run. Next time
I'd hold her. Who could tell what
mightnt happen, then?
But there wasn't no next time, For
three days l couldn't get a chance
to talk with her-snd then Wilkie
Warren descended on the Beaux Arts
with a contract to direct a bunch of
pictures.
Personally, Wilk.e was a rusty
venomous little reptile with no
morals. But he was something of a
genius, at that. He wrote his own
plays. directed every bit of business
in them, and used chiefly the people
he had picked up and trained himself.
Then he'd let anybody take all the
credit they could while he went
around to the box office and got
about SO per cent of the receipts. For
that was all success meant to Wilkie
money; money for his hooch, his
hop, his alimonies and his black
mailers. Oh, he was ripe little
vegetable, all right. But did Holly
wood hate him? Not visibly. The day
he came to the Beaux Arts that out
fit put on the biggest show I'd seen
since Armistice night in Paris, but
the next day everybody looked as
Observation-Disclosures