Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-07-22
CHAPTER XI
Thinking 1t Over

that she had been silly and meodramatic
o. in refusing Rolf Templeton so highland
eddy. 1t was the old Gloria who had hurled
defiance in Templeton's face but the new
Gloria, the shrewd woman of the world, who
had made up her mind to use every one as
a means to an end, thought the whole thing
over very carefully and from every stand
point.
OF course, she couldn't do such thing
the idea was ridiculous. And what a NOV
ing picture mind the man had. Making up
his mind to marry her and rushing over to
her though he expected her to fall into
his arms 1t absurd And yet when
Gloria began to visit other studios in search
of a job she felt the old Encouragement
weighing her down again In each place
she could not get beyond the lynX-eyed wom-
an who guarded the outer portals of the
sanctum sanctorum. 1t did little good to say
that she was just completing picture in
which she had played leading woman with
Rolf Templeton. The reply was always the
same:
Leave your name and address, and if the
casting director has anything open We'll let
you know"
By the end of the week Gloria was in a
mood to do almost anything. Stranger
Souls was almost completed and as Man
ming had said nothing at all about giving
her further work, she took for granted the
fact that her contract terminated with the
completion of the picture She began to
wonder VINO would play the lead IN the next
TempletOn release, and with this thought
came the idea of what an alliance with Tenn
peton would mean to her. She would be
the wife of the greatest screen idol in Amer
lea and, therefore, Of romantic interest to
the public. If she were clever she could
gradually manage to make her work tell
This chance might lead to anything, and yet
and yet-Gloria was still human enough
to think of marriage irrevocable. Buried
deep in her were romantic warnings,
thoughts of love, dreams Of the man who
would some day ask her to be his wife
81 could never marry him, never!" she
thought with sudden feeling of revulsion
CT must be mad to contemplate the idea
To marry a man like that, to link up her
life with his, to live in that ornate white
stucco palace, and perhaps be forced to act
as hostess to his dissipated, movie-mad
friends 1t was unthinkable.
And yet-and yet-there was the future
to be considered, and she had sworn to make
good, matter what the cost.
1t was this thought and the present
fear of being out of work that made Gloria
unbend toward Templeton the lot. 1t
wasn't that she went out Of her way to be
gracious but there was a difference in her
attitude. And then afternoon she let
him take her home from the studio in his
green car. All the way she kent saving to
herself, "Gloria. you're actually thinking
about taking this step, you're encouraging
this when you know how you despise
him" But somehow the thought was not so
disturbing as it had been at first, and when
later in her own little living room Temple
ton renewed the subject of marriage. Gloria
listened to what he had to say, acauiescence
in her silence. Templeton was exultant. but
he was careful not to show it, Neither did
he make the mistake of attempting to make
love to her. That afternoon Gloria promised
to be his wife. She was certain of her abil
itv to manage him. to accept the prestige Of
his name and to give the minimum in re-
turn. That because Templeton de-
ceived her by his manner. He made the
whole thing seem like a business arrange
ment, masking his true feelings with
humbleness that wholly feigned.