The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-03-19
CHAPTER VIII
HOME TO SWEDEN


no longer interested in the musical
comedies which had made Naima s
name.
Marta Haldon, leader in artistic
circles. opened her home and her
heart as she had done for Stiller.
Stiller and Naima often met at
Marta's studio, and one day he
preached a delicate subject. He
really felt very i'll. 1t was some time
since he had heard from Greta. So
he begged Naima to do him a favor.
I can't write to Greta," he said.
will you write to her? She ad-
mires you SO much. Tell Greta 1
would like to see her. Let her come
as soon as she can. She must
hurry"
They moved him soon after to a
hospital. Marta visited him con-
stantly. His sufferings were so
terrible that after sitting with him
for a few hours she would return
to her studio exhausted.
Stiller lay at deaths door, but he
did not realize how i'll he really was.
Victor Seastrom and a few other
friends advised him too to make a
will, but he laughed at them. He
felt he would get better.
The end soon came. Quite peace
fully and almost suddenly he died.
And so passed great genius, who
had meant to do many perfect
things, but really had only one
supreme result to show for all his
efforts-the fact that he had found
a little midinette called Greta Gus
tafsson and had turned her into
GRETA GARBO.
WHEN Naima Wristbands let
w ter arrived in Hollywood,
Greta, without wasting a moment,
wrote her reply and sent it by re-
turn of post. She regretted to hear
of Stiller's illness, and of course,
she would hurry back to Sweden as
quickly as possible. But it could
not be before Christmas. She was
tied up and in the middle of a pic
ture.
This girlish exuberant letter ar
rived less than month after the
summons which Mama had sent
her. But it came TOO late. Stiiler
was already ir his grave.
They say nat when the telegram
announcing Stiller's death was
handed to Cireta, she almost tainted.
AS if in a dream she walked to the
other side of the studio and stood
there for long time with her hands
pressed against her eyes. But they
did not see her weep.
Perhaps the complicated emotions
she felt at this moment were too
deep for tears. After a while she
pulled herself together and went on
with the scene in which she was
working. She did not refer to the
telegram again.
Many stories have been told of
Stiller's fabulous wealth and of
Greta's inheriting it. The truth is,
however. that Stiller died a COM
paratively poor man.
All that Greta received in memory
OF him was certain Quantity of
antique furniture, still stored some
where in Stockholm awaiting the
time when she will have home of
her own.
TRETA returned to Sweden on
~ the Christmas boat. All good
Swedes, If their means will allow.
try to get home from distant cor
ners of the earth in time for Christ
mas. On this occasion the press
preparations we're on an extra big
scale, as Sweden had never before
possessed a celebrity quite so world
famous as Greta Carlo.
Her journey from Hollywood to
New York had been one succession
of alarms and excitements. She
travelled under the name of Alice
Smith. Her luggage was initialled
"A. S." and for the first time she
adopted the disguise which has
since become familiar-black curls,
a shady hat, and dark spectacles.
One reporter only succeeded in
getting a few words with the star
before she sailed. He accomplished
this by installing himself on the
boat and waiting all night for her
arrival. 1t was worth the trouble
for he got the exclusive story of her
escape across America under an
alias.
The ship on which Greta sailed
left New York in binding snow
storm fortnight before Christmas,
1923. The sailors confessed they
had never known worse weather.
But no one seemed to notice the
atmospheric conditions. Christmas
trees and shining candles were
posted everywhere.
Music rang through the big sa-
looms, and there was a special air
of gayety because the principal
suites were occupied by the we'd
ding party of Count Bernadotte, a
nephew of the Swedish King, who
had married the rich American
heiress, Miss Manville.
The bride and bridegroom were
on their way to Europe in another
ship, but the rest of the royal party
including Prince Gustaf Adolf, the
eldest son of the Grown Prince, and
Prince Sigvard, his brother, were
on the shin with Greta.
When the friendship and good
spirits engendered by the comradery
of the boat helped Greta to forget
her shyness, she lapsed into care
free student moods. At a party
they were even able to prevail upon
her to repeat the famous limitations
which had been her speciality "at
the school.
q
THEN she made a faux pas. She