Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1925-10-08
Love, Only r cal
First Prize
Py vARIcH sHALMAR


TT WAS Ken Harland who first sug-
4 gested to Rita Collins that she en-
ter the beauty contest. She demurred
until Peter Jones added his emphatic
Endorsement of the idea, all the more
emphatic for the leaden sinking Of his
heart when Ken proposed it.
From the first Peter was sure she
would win the contest and the con-
tract for a hundred dollars a week for
twelve weeks which the movie" com
pany back of the contest was offer
ing as prize. And her winning
would be Peters loss! What change
would a mere lunch-counter keeper
have with movie star?
Rita was adjudged local winner.
She won the national, the first prize.
Rita looked like one to whom the
gates of Paradise had been opened
when she bid her little crowd of
friends good-by at the train that was
to take her to California
Don't forget the old stand, kddie."
Peter said wistfully.
II never could forget you, Peter"
she said earnestly; "nor how YOU
staked me- to the eats for three weeks
that thae | was pried loose from a
job I'm telling you. Peter, your line
Of talk may be plated, but your heart,
boy, is eighteen carat real gold"
Ken had little to say TO Peter when
he ate his tasty, if roughly served,
lunches hunched over Peters scrubbed
lunch counter One day re cold Peter
that he had arranged TO be transferred
to Los Angeles. and was leaving at
once.
"Yeh? Wei. good SUCK" grunted
Peter.
Kens letter a few weeks later
brought a scowl to Peters face.
"Say. Petesy, you remember Rita?"
Ken had written. Guess a pretty face
isn't all there is to it. She's fiivver.
Old Rabnowitz won't renew her CON
tract, and | saw her collecting dishes
in cafeteria the other day. though
suppose she'd die If she thought any
body from back tome had piped her
off. Some come-down for queen
bee of Hollywood, eh, what?"
Peter finished the better with
seowl on his face, took his hat down
from the rack and walked out.
"TIey Myra," he phoned an hour
later to his waitress and assistant.
TN goin' down to Los Angeles for a
little trip. Keep things a-goin' as per
usual till ! get back; get me?"
Rita was out when he called at her
boarding house address a few minutes
after his arrival and he left his name
and note Calling again the next
day, the landady told him Rita had
said for him to come out to the World
Wide studios at noon
ooh, Peter, Pm SO gladw she cried
giving him both hands when he had
finally located her in the bewilderlng
bedlam of the lot. She was emerg-
ing from the cafeteria, where the
actors were eating their lunch. She
wore a waitress apron-and no make
up
"Klddie, l know you're as game as
they make 'em," he said. "Ah, you
don't have to bluff with me, Rita. Ken
wrote me all about your-your flop"
Ken Harland!" Rita snorted "Say,
l turned that fresh egg down so hard
that he scrambled Flopped
like
Peter handed her Ken's letter After
Rita read It twice she handed it back
to Peter. He fore it up.
Something seemed to choke RIta's
voice. Dear old Peter" she managed
to say. when you heard was
failure YOU"
Riddle, I gave three cheers" he in
terrupted, because then | could tell
you loved you, wanted to marry you,
and everythin'. If you'd made good,
I'd stayed dumb for life"
Rita hesitated only one think.
Which caused Peter to eiaculate:
Honey. let's go somewhere; let's hire
tayi-where we can"
And they did,
"@'hat's this. R'tag" asked Peter,
as a long. folded paper fell out Of his
wife's open suitcase on the home
bound train two days later.
Re- inowit7's new contract Rita an
swered IT was yonr only rival.
Petesy, I'm going to keep that now as
a souvenir"
New contract? Rabinowitz?" Peter
read the paper. 1.-TWO hundred dollars
a week for one year," he sum-
married But-but Ken wrote and
you told me"
II didn't tell You anything. darling
giggled Rita, smuggling closer. "You
seemed to know 1t all already. And
when you proposed. +"
CAV, it's some joke" cut In Peter,
returning the snuggle. II saw you
that day at the studio-the cafeteria
your waitress apron-no makeup"
"Old stuff. Practicing my part in
the next picture, goose; getting at
mosphere," she laughed. Peter started
at D%tn oh