Henderson daily dispatch., 1937-01-30
CHAPTER 8
KILL THE baby, joel"

KILL THE baby, Joel"
Janet, sitting in the shadows
back of the row of chairs, each
with a name on it, started slightly
when the man sitting in the chair
marked Mr.. Arnhelt shouted that
Then she sat back and smiled.
There were no babies in the cor
ner of the room that was obvious
ly a set. The electrician was set
ting lights. A baby, then, was a
light.
Hell, no! Can't you ever get q
sunlight effect without using a
number .2?" Arnhelt's voice was
loud and had a sharp, annoyed
edge. Janet knew that he was a
great director and that Mr.. Jack
son had called to him as he went
through the corridor in the Office
building to ask him if he'd mind
making a test, that someone named
Hank Dive hadn't arrived.
She couldn't decide whether she
was glad that Arnhelt was going
to do, it because Arnhelt was an
ace director or whether she was
sorry because he seem ID to be up
set. One. way or another. it was
sure to affect Joel. s
But Joel didn't seem to be as
affected as she was, she thought
happily. She'd spilled his coffee
when she was trying to pour it
that morning. She'd deliberately
taken off her, good gloves and tall
en- out a pair with hole in the
thumb. Shed made no sense in her
conversation but. Joel had whistled
in the bath, eaten a hearty break
fast and had been as unmoved as
though a screen test were no more
than an every day occurrence.
Maybe it's his movie experience
Of the last few weeks, she thought
with kindly sarcasm.
He'd carried off the brief inter-
view in .Jackson's Office with
aplonlb., Jackson had studied his
face with close scrutiny as he shot
questions at Joel. Questions about
his theatrical background, about a
technique that was beyond her. He
had hardly given her a glance. She
was glad that she hadn't been
movie struck.
Then a page had taken them
through the corridor. through great
doors marked silence in huge let
tiers and led them over a maze Of
cables on the floor, past lights that
hooked gargantuan in the shad-
|owy hugeness of the studio.
Someone had given Janet a chair
Jon. the fringes of the light that
lighted the set and Joel had gone
off to the dressing. room with a
makeup man who was clad like a
physician in a. long white apron.
! Janet thought: ! know what it
must be like to be going to be a
father. wish I could pace up and
down. :.
/ Then Joel came into the range
Iof. light. Joel looked as. he always
did, little unhappy, a little visit
full yet entirely at ease with a poise
that was essentially masculine. No.
Joel didn't look exactly the same,
in the eerie green lights, his skin
appeared to be yellow and the red
on his lips was purple. His hair
was untidy and Janet wondered if
she should tell him. But there was
no way. Joel had forgotten her
there in the shadows.
/. Were waiting for Miss Ingo1ds-
by" the director said CURLY and
paid no more attention to Joel than
if he had been an. Office boy sent
to him with a message. Joel
walked over to him and they talked
for a few minutes. Janet couldn't
hear what they were saying.
In little while Joel, came over
to her and sat in a chair at her
side.
What did. he say?" she whis-
pered excitedly.
He told me what I'm to do
Guess what ?" There was a twin