Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1934-08-16
Hearts Desire
BY THAYER WALDO
c, by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.
WNU Service

hSdulIS lOWdTu Tie UIcSSlHS toohiS
and wondering what lunch / could get
for twenty cents that would stop my
empty feeling.
AS l reached the stairway, a man
came elbowing through the crowd and
grabbed my arm. He was one Of the
assistant directors.
'Hold on a minute. grille" he said;
''there's somebody over here wants to
see you"
l couldn't imagine who it would be,
or why, but l followed him. And then.
suddenly, my heart gave one big leap.
There was Mark Mansfield, the big
star of this picture, standing apart
from everyone else and smiling right
at me-the most wonderful smile! He
came forward and made a little bow,
saying:
my dear young lady, all morning
I've been watching you and hoping we
might meet. Will you give me the
pleasure Of your company for this aft
ernOOn and EVENING""
l was so thrilled l felt dizzy, but l
just dimpled my cheeks at him and
answered.:
"Why, how charming, Mr.. Mansfield.
I'd be delighted"
splendid; that makes me very hap
py," he said in that glorious rich bari
tone of his. xviii you join me in
half an hour at the west gate? I'll
have my car waiting"
"Yes," | told him, still being light
and casual, that will be quite con-
venient, thanks"
The next thirty minutes l don't
seem to remember much about. l
must have been in a sort Of dream or
something, l guess. Getting an invi-
tation like this from the one man I'd
always wanted to know and never even
seen from closer than across a sound
stage, was so marvellous. OF course,
I've been sure for long time, that
soner or later some one would notice
me, but / never thought it would be
Mark mean Mr.. Mansfield.
When ] came out of the dressing
rooms, / could see his tall broad-shoul-
dered figure by the gate across the
lot. l walked toward him, but not with
too much hurry; that would have
made it look as if his waiting for me
upset my poise. AS came up he gave
me his arm and said:
"My dear, you look even lovelier now
than in that costume, if may say So"
THANK you" ! replied, tucking one
hand under the soft flannel that COW
cred his strong arm. you compliment
adorably."
We stepped out onto the sidewalk.
By the curb just ahead was his big
dark blue Duesenberg limousine. A
man who wore uniform of the same
shade stood by the back door, holding
it open. l remembered having seen
him lots of times, driving Mark-Mr.
Mansfield-arOund. sometimes alone,
sometimes with various lady stars.
Then on the opposite side of the
street | saw another cara tan Rolls
Royce with black trimming. knew
that belonged to Grace Monroe, and
she was the actress who went most
with the man | was with now. She'd
just got in and was staring across to-
ward us. l tried to make my smile
friendly and not too triumphant as l
let Mark help me into his car.
When we were settled In the deep
cushions, he reached for my hand and
held it very gently.
Il thought" he said, that it might
N q 6riy
where, then go to the Biltmore for
dinner, and perhaps dance later at the
Cocoanut Grove. Does that seem an
attractive plan?"
l murmured, "Perfectly!" with just
the proper touch of carelessness. We
were stopped for the traffic signal by
the studios north end. l glanced out
to see a bunch Of the girls who had
worked in the mob scene with me,
standing on the corner waiting for a
bus. l waved and, oh! how they
gaped!
Pretty soon we were going up
winding road into the North Holly
wood hills. Mark slipped his arm
around me and / nestled close to him.
Sweet little lady," he said, talking
In a kind of soft dreamy voice, "you
have no business Shaving your youth
away at an EXTRAS job Wouldn't you
like to throw 1t all Over-to travel, to
see the far, mysterious places of the
world, and 10 have romance? Those
are the things l really long for. You
know, my life is lonely and dreary
one. too. Don't you think it would be
splendid If we could find such happi-
ness and adventure together?"
| don't remember exactly what l an
swered. We'd come to the top Of Gre
scenta Heights and there at our right
lay Hollywood, looking like a fairyland
as it stretched off into the mist that
hung where the ocean was. Dear
Mark bent down and laid his cheek
against mine.
Darling" he said, waving one hand
toward the city below, "this is as near
as you and / should ever be to that
and all it stands for. Now that we've
found each other"
Oh. dear diary, | just can't go on!
It's so terribly foolish and guess what
people would call pitiful for me to be
sitting up here all by myself on Gre
scenta Heights, writing such a lot of
wild stuff out of my Imagination. Why,
all the times I've played extra In Mark
No ncGn ipfn hn