Nogales international., 1929-11-15

The abandoned suitors os Mem
made a sorry squad al che Santa
Fe station. They stared 1T her
with Inundated devotion.
Bermond sent a busi:cl Of 1owers
and fruit to her drawing -roo"l. He
saw to it that there were reporters
to give her a good send-oG.
Soon after her arrival the papers
of New York were publishing hcr
engaging eyes, the bil.boatGs ali
about town were announcing hcr,
and in paragraph and ADVERTISE
ment she was celebrated. Bu; so
many others were also claiming the
public eyel other newcomers and
favorites in impregnable es'eem.
People who had come from CAL
verify were claiming Mem as a fell
low-citizen and feeling that they
gained some mystic authority from
mere vicinage. Some of them
called upon her in person or by tel
ephone and set her heart agog.
The night her own picture was
shown she stepped out before VIVA:
seemed to be the world in conven-
ton assembled. She felt as tiny as
she looked to the farthest girl in
the ultimate seat up under the back
rafters.,
She parroted the little speech
that Bermond's publicity man had
written for her and afterward
wondered what she had said. There
was a cloudburst of handclapping
and a salvo from the orchestra that
swept her from the stage into the
wings.
And that was thatl
She did not know that one of the
towns wealthiest men was lolling
in a fauteuil down front and that
her beauty and her terro: smotc
him.
His motto had been, go after
what you want, and bring it
homel" He prided himself on be-
ing go-getter who had not otter
come back. foiled. He wanted Mem
and he went after her. He was will
ing even to bring her home.
There was, no difficulty about
meeting Mem for a man whose
name spelled Of millions honestly
amassed and gracefully dispersed.
Austin, Boas came humbly II
Mem to pay his respects, and his
enormous name made her trenble
as her bisque daintiness set him
aquiver. He was shy, ashamed cf
his own lack of heroic beauty; and
Mem was dazed to find herself
feeling sorry for him. Pity wss &
dangerous mood for her.
He. might have won Mem via
pity, if he had not tried to win ner
from her career. He was a mon,
opolist by inheritance, and he
wanted all there was of Mem. Bcas
had one terrific rival. the pany-
headed monster.
1t is not hard to sedure an act
ress from the stage, but it is hard
to keep her off. There is a court
ship that the public alone can offer,
and no one man can give her as
much applause. as a nightty
tffrong's. That form of polya1dry
lis Irresistible to most of the women
who have been lucky enough to get
on the stage OF the screen and p
win success there. ~
One day Bermond summoned: he.'
to his New. York office and said:
'How about getting to work
again? = I've got great story for
you and. they need you al. the
studio. On your way back yon can
make, personal appearances at four
or FIVE cities, but it's back on the
job for you, Ell? That's righti
That's a good grill"
Bef1nond offered Mem neither
ease nor devotion-except devotion
to her publication. He offered her
toll and wages, hardships and dis
content, Sleepless malaise, and bad
press notices. @
And she could have flung her
arms about him and kissed him.
= Austin Boas was at the station to
see Mem off. For his last fling
he filled her drawing-room with
f1owers-poor things that dropped
and died and were flung from the
platform by the porter.
Long after their spell had been
forgotten, the sad gaze. of Boas as
he cried goodbye haunted her.
She had murmured to him,
"When I make another picture or
two l may decide. to: be sensible,
and then--if you are still"
II shall be waiting" said Boas.
And he gave up with d groan:
Marry me anyway and have Your
career, too. I'll put my money into
your company. I'll back you to
the limit
At Buffalo and at Cleveland she
paused to come. before hMgc' audi
ences and prattle her lit,lc piece
When she reached Chicago. she
found awaiting her d long letter
from the manager Of the moving
picture house in Calverly. lie j,n.
plored her to visit her old hone
town and make an appearances at
his theatre. He promised that every
body would be there,
This was success indeed! To ap-
pear in New York was triumph. but
to appear in her native village was
almost divine vengeance.