Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-08-19
CHAPTER XNNlL
The Critics Speak

a ND then, like a series Of bad knocks
u from an eyer-capricious fate, things be-
- - gan to happen OF Gloria. The day after
her talk with Rolf she went to see her law
yer. After talk with him, during which he
assured her that divorce would not be diff
fcut under the circumstances, she expected
to feel better. Strangely enough, she didn't
The knowledge that freedom might soon be
hers did not fill her with joy, because she no
longer felt that anything matterd.
Then the current number Of Screen Snaps
appeared, and with it the first reports OF
GlOria's picture, Eve Tastes the Apple"
Gloria had had firing day at the studio.
Nothing she did seemed to satisfy Manning
And when she reached home she was cross
and disgruntIed. She had broken dinner
engagement for that evening, and, gathering
an armful of newspaper and magazines into
her arms, she went upstairs to her room.
First, she planned, she would have warm
relaxing bath, then a dinner served In her
upstairs sitting room, and, after that, bed
early.
When she came out of her bath she felt
less nervous, more like her old self. 1t was
pleasant to think Of an evening alone, and
it was soothing to her vanity to think of
reading about herself in the press. She
needed something to bolster up her morale
Manning getting to be regular tyrant
If she believed all he said, she would soon
develop an inferiority complex.
With an appetizing meal spread out on
small table near the window and rosy lamp
adjusted to exactly the right angle. Gloria
opened Screen Snaps. She turned the pages
and came first on a series Of advance "stills"
depicting Rolf in his latest release, "Children
of the Desert
Again she was arrested by the change in
his looks. 1t was evident, even in these pic
lures. But she scanned them for only
moment and then hurriedly turned the pages
in-search of something amusing about her
self. All, here it was. A large page of new
pictures and a story. What would they
say about her this time? Something absurd
ly f1attering, of course; but she needed fiat
terry tonight. She felt depressed about her
work. SubconsciousIy, something warned
her that Manning might be right, and she
wanted to be reassured although she was
hardly aware Of the fact
She plunged into the article, but the first
words were vaguely disturbing.
els Mannings new discovery only me-
teor, after all? Has she anything of lasting
value about her, or was her brilliant debut
in Stranger Souls only flash in the PAM?
The article began in this fashion and went
on to talk of the gay life in Hollywood, the
danger /of inflated salaries, the temptation
to lose sight of serious work in the desire to
avoid boredom GIOria's cheeks famed as
she read, until finally she tossed the book
aside and turned to the papers.
The first one she picked up gave review
Of Eve Tastes the Apple" 1t was written
by the same critic who had so lavishly
praised her acting in stranger Souls"
strangely enough, we are disappointed
in Miss King" The words leaped at Gloria
from the printed page. "In this, her new
PICTURE her work is uneven, almost false.
She has developed mannerism, her emotions
lack the force of reality. 1t is difficult to
believe that she is the same woman who
played so simply and sincerely the part of
Agatha in Stranger Soul and for whom we
predicted brilliant future as a screen
actress of unusual emotional power
Slowly the paper slipped from Gloria's
nerveless fingers and, as the hot color faded
from her face, leaving it unnaturally PALE
she suddenly burst into tears.