Evening star., 1925-10-11

phone Sally. told her the studio
| was so far out and was going to be
so busy I'd decided y move close: tC
the end Of the line. And when she
lsked me my real reason for giving
up the best room In the house, told
her Monty was back in town--and
| hung up quick.
WHAT with work. and dinner, and
show, and after the show n
| big party the boss threw for a bunch
of distributors. l didn't get to see
Sally that night. And neither Tom
nor was feeling any too blithe and
| juvenile when we walked into the
studio the next morning to commence
| work.
Good morning, Mr.. Kush." voice
| said as we entered. The speaker was
medium-sized. slightly stopped man
| In correct morning dress. cutaway
| coat. gray spats. choke collar gloves
and stick. complete. Under his silk
| hat, round blue eyes smiled out of a
face decorated and distinguished by a
! small mustache and little sFrench-cut
| beard.
"Who are your" Tom growled.
'Montmorency du Bois-small d."
| smiled the old fellow.
Small d. Tom howled "You mean
| big D-a.double m! What have you
done to yourself? Where are your
| whiskers?'
Il trimmed them
"And trimmed yourself right out Of
| the picture at the same time" Tom
shouted. Il engaged your whiskers--
not your
The old fellows lip trembled "I
don't remember anything in the con-
tract about whiskers." he said, trying
to smile. Il always play gentlemen,
In morning Clothes
Toms quick temper was cooling off.
"Of all the dumbbells 1 ever met" he
growled. "Oh. well, stick around. III
use you-Somehow."
Making friends with Monty wasn't
hard. especially after he found that
Sally and I had been friends for 90
years.
You know" ne told me one day
between scenes, Miss Wynne is one
Of the finest women on earth. She has
only one fault. She thinks too much
of money: fine woman, but she val.
ues money too high. Me, I believe
money is more trouble than it's worth.
Yes, sir: 1 could've made a couple of
fortunes in my day. but what's the
use? I've got enough to live on.
That's enough, amt it?'
THE way you live at Sally's, It is
I said. That's a wonderful room you
have there"
Best room in the house." Monty
promptly admitted, "and 1t don't cost
no more than any Of the other rooms
You'd think, with Sally valueing
money so high, that she'd charge more
for that than the rest
why doesn't she?"
THE way Sally explained ii to me
was this: Just like every other board
ing-house keeper. she likes permanent
boarders. Understand? So them as
are permanent she makes as comfort
able as she can. The oldest boarder,
meaning the one that's been with her
longest gets the best room, the next
oldest the next best, and SO on; under
stand? That's Sally's system
AS long as Monty believed 1t, 1t
wasn't up to me to muddy the stu
alton with my doubts. So I changed
the subject.
1T seems peculiar to me that If
you've got enough money already you
keep working"
to keep my mind occupied. Yes, sir:
that's why 1 went up into Connecticut
last Winter-to keep my mind occu-
pied'
What did you occupy 1t With"
1T was like this: / see a piece in
the paper one day where somebody
wanted a caretaker for their Summer
home. They offered a good piece of
| money for the job. 1t wasn't the
money l wanted-I got lot of stocks
and bonds put away that are going to
be worth lot Of money some day
YES, sir: anyway, I took that caretak.
| er's job because l had an idea for q
| picture story and l figured UP there.
all alone. I'd have time and opportu.
| nifty TO write it. That's what l went
| up there for-to write my scenario.
| And l done It." Monty's eyes glove
| Yes. sir: and got it copyrighted Took
me six months. but I've got something
| | ought to be able to sell for $4,000
TO any picture company. It'd like
| for you to read ii some time" His
| voice shook with earnestness.
| I'D like to- 1 had to say.
| amt worth $4,000 to any one Of the
big picture companies"
Thinking of the sacrifice he had
made. giving up the comfort at Sally's
| for the loneliness Of a Winter in an
| empty house, came a clear hunch that
old Monty had been putting his pen
MES on last-hope long shots for a pur-
| pose deeper than Just the desire for
| quickly secured wealth. I had feel.
| ing that q big sum of money would
mean something to Monty that nobody