Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1929-07-11
By
COsmo Hamilton

but TO get on with the story-whict
is a movie in itself. When Betters
returned from abroad 1 made an en-
gagement with him to see the picture
with me-. For some queer reason he's
mighty fuSSy about having his stuff
doctored up. He raised hell because
we made a few changes in a previous
picture OF his. Now The Jeweled Sim
ner had been done exactly as he wrote
1t, and wanted to have the pleasure
OF proving that was So"
"O?"
Etzberg had begun to dislike those
"Os. We'll sir, We went along to-
gether and | shall never forget that
night He slapped his meaty thigh
by way OF emphasis. "Betters lust
sat there without saying a word. And
all the time there was an odd express
sion on his ace that / didn't know
what to make Of. I couldn't tell
whether he was pleased or sore, OF
what the hell he was. 1 was keen fol-
him to like it because we wanted an
other story from him as soon as DOS
sible."
But what has all this got to do
Just II minute, my friend. I'm
coming to that right now. AS 1 men
toned before, Betters didn't utter a
syllable until the III was over and
asked him what he thought. Damned
good, he said"
Jimmy held on to his nerves, and
asked himself, with wonder, how much
more OF this irrelevant tosh he could
stand with a go of the willies.
Mr.. Etzberg twigged his expression
but smiled amiably. when we got
into this and he'd lifted a cigar
he whipped around on me like a flash
and spoke at the top of his voice.
Here he said, what do you mean by
putting my name on that picture?"
You mean he-he denied having
written the thing?" asked Jimmy.
Il didn't know what he meant. How
could |? | thought he was mad about
something we'd done. and I asked him
what was wrong. And in that dry way
OF his he said, o, nothing, except that
l didn't write a word of the doggone
thing"
And then what?" Jimmy's pulse be-
gan to hammer.
Il told him he was crazy. You see,
I'd read his scenario myself and knew
the picture was his. And that l told
him in no uncertain words. But I
didn't get uneasy till he put his hand
on my shoulder and said, 'Etzy, there's
something phony about this business.
Either there has been an extraordinary
mistake or something's been put over
on you. | assure you on my word of
honor that the whole story is absolutely
new to me- Mr.. Goodman, you could
have knocked me down with a daisy
when he sprung that one"
Il suppose So" Jimmy's eyes were
cleaning. They were getting some
where at last.
We'll, sir, after a lot more talk we
got into my car and drove to Betters'
apartment, where he gave me a COPY
of the story he'd sent. And sure
enough, there wasn't a thing in it like
The Jeweled Sinner l wa on the
point of having a couple Of hemorrh-
ages when I'd finished reading it, but
Betters, by this time, seemed to see
something funny about it all and
chuckled till I could have crowned him
with a chair. At last l asked him
what we were going to do. And all he
had to say was, You can do what you
darn please SO long as you take my
name off the film before you show it
again. A nice crack that. Huh?"
Not very helpful" Jimmy admitted.
But he couldn't honestly have al
lowed"
"Well-however, a fine nights sleep
I had thinking about the mix-up..'
Mr.. Etzberg heaved a sigh. THE next
morning I questioned every one in the
office who'd had anything to do with
the script, but couldn't find out a
thing. 1t wasn't until the afternoon
that one of the girls came in and
gave me a sort of clew. 1t appears
she'd knocked a bottle of ink over on
her desk and made such a mess of a
couple of manuscripts that were lying
there at the time that she had re-
typed the first page of each of them,
One, she remembered, was Betters'.
And she thought that in retyping
those first pages she might have trans
posed the names of the authors-put
Betters' name on some n else's story
and the other persons on Betters'. A
very strange thing-if that is what
did happen" He regarded Jimmy with
a very searching gaze.
do you suspect collision between
this girl and me?"
MY dear sir!" A protesting hand
went up.
I'm the first place, l don't know any
girl in your Office, and in the second
/ haven't the brains to work out such
a bright idea"
I'm quite lure Of that" said the
president Of Regal Pictures. II mean
sure there was no collusion.' Jimmy's
tone and manner had convinced him
at once on that score. just the same
he would make careful inquiries later
But what 1 would like to know, Mr.
Goodyear" he added, is why. you didn't
return Betters' scenario which you
must have seen had been sent you by
mistake" He narrowed his eyes again
Perhaps from force of habit.
That's simple" Jimmy said. "Wher
what I took to be my manuscript came
back I glanced over the covering form
letter without looking at the Enclosure
You see, it had been to half a dozer
other companies before coming here
and when you turned it down / con-
Guided it was a f1iv and tossed it into
a trunk with a lot Of other rejecteds
I didn't eve take it out of the en-
velope. That story Of Betters' mus
have been eating its heart out all thi,
time among my unWanted stuff"
"Yes-yes. Now there's one more
thing, MI. GoOdbun. AS soon as WI
discovered the mistake we sent out let.
tiers to every one who'd had manu-
scripts returned to them about tina
time asking if they had received SOM
~.