The Washington times., 1931-02-11
CHAPTER IS

NCANN0 OH uL SSLlC nlCoOdSC w
visit the office of Zit-C. F.
Zittel, publisher of Zit's Weekly
at once. I did so, and within
half an hour we had agreed on
a contract under which I was
to receive $1,000 a week for the
first year, with an option at
$1,000 for the second. He was
acting in behalf Of CoSmopoli-
tan Pictures.
Then, as usual, the gods of
chance threw a monkey wrench
into the wheels of my life.
AS I was about to affix my
signature to this most formid-
able pact, Zit casually asked:
II suppose you are Of age?"
I dropped the pen, but my
heart beat it to the floor.
I tried to say eyes," but my
tongue said mo"
My feet wouldn't move. They
were stuck to the floor. My
mouth was open and 1 hadn't
the power to close it. I just
stood there, mute, broken
hearted, utterly incapable Of
coping with my feelings.
Zit led me to a divan and
tried to console me. Never
mind, Alma" he said. "All
you'll have to do is bring your
mother here. She can sign
the papers and everything will
be all right"
He didn't know that my
mother was in California-3OOO
miles away. And he wasn't
aware that neither of us had
enough money for her to make
the trip. I was at sea, but
finally managed to explain the
situation.
Zit reached for the telephone
and asked me where to call her.
I told him, and when she an
swered at the other end Of the
wire, he handed the instrument
to me.
MON, mom," was all could
say, "Momma, dear, you've got
to hurry. I'm to get a thou
sand a week. Hurry here to
sign the contract"
Mother to Rescue
I don't remember what else
was said, but whatever it was,
everything was arranged and
she was to leave at once.
I went back to my room at
the Commodore, but I don't be-
lieve I slept a wink during the
four days and five nights before
my mother got to New YORK.
When she arrived, I couldn't
wait until she got to Tits office:
The poor woman was hustled oil
before she even had chance
to comb her hair. And when
the contract was signed, I led
her back to the hotel. so ex'
cited, so exhausted, so happy,
that I fell asleep in a chair.
Then began the long wait for
for a role. I didn't do bit OF
work, except collect my salary.
for the first six months I was
with Cosmopolitan.
MY first picture was "Humor-
esque," in which I was the STAR
supported by CASTOR Glass:
Never shall I forget the thrill
when I first saw my name in
huge electrics on Broadway; re-
calling to my memory the proph-
ecy I had made to my dear,
sick father on the day OF my
confirmation and loss Of my
first handsome scar-faced fire
man lover.
Mother Liked Him
DR.. Goodman, meantime, still
showered attentions on me and
begged me to marry him. I
wouldn't consent. I frankly
told him didn't love him. I
admired him greatly, and would
have cut off my right hand
rather than hurt him, but 1
lust couldn't think of marry
ing him.
MY mother, too, adored him
s., and added her arguments to
his, but I was adamant.
So things went along until,
in my second year with Cosmo-
politan, was notified without
previous warning one afternoon
that I, with the rest of the cast,
was to sail for Europe at the
end of that week.
When my mother came in we
both became so excited we broke
out in a nervous rash. Our
arms and chests we're covered
with little red pimples that
didn't disappear for days.
The picture was called Enc
mics of Women" and most Of
the scenes were in Paris.
When we had completed this
mother and 1 made tour that
took us to Berlin, Vienna,
Rome, Venice, Madrid and most
Of the principal cities of which
We had heard so much, but
which, up until I received my
sailing orders, we had never
hoped to be able to visit.
Persuaded at Last
Upon our return DR.. Good
man persuaded me to marry
him. I did it simply because
I didn't have the heart to re-
fuse him. He had always been
SO kind, so good to me and to
mother, and so seemingly sin
cere, that I did it just to keep
from hurting him. He was