The Wilmington morning star., 1940-03-08
CHAPTER FOUR

Baxter arrived at the advertis'
ing agency several minutes before
Romany. The girl at the desk mo-
toned to him to go into the record
ing room, He passed through a
crowd of actresses and actors n a
might have been a Broadway con
vention.
Representing every age and class
of the show business, they stood
around in little groups, complain
ing or Dragging. A great many OF
them had been vaudeville headlln-
ers, while others had been we'll
known Broadway leading men and
women or bit players. Most of them
declared they hated Chicago.
Baxter entered the control room
with fast-beating heart. It was a
thrill to see the director of radio
for the Byrd-Cromwell agency, a
tremendously h~igh-salaried youth
in his late twenties, sitting smok-
ing a cigaret. Things were really
going to start moving at last!
Miller hasn't arrived, I see."
Bax shook hands with Bob Lane.
Miller was the director he'd been
promised for paradise Is Here
He was perhaps the only man in
Chicago whom Baxter felt sure
would be able to bring out the spir'
itual quality of his brain child and
make of it the thing of beauty he
wanted it to be.
Lane crushed his clgaret.
Nope, Tree, I'm afraid Stan Mil
Ter is out. Too busy. But Cain Del
acarte here will do a swell job, I'm
sure. Have you two metz"
Bax hid his disappointment with
difficulty. A swarthy little man
looked up from a bunch of scripts
and nodded graphically:
How do!'
Baxter acknowledged the greet
ing. But before he had time to do
so Delacarte had resumed his
perusal of the scripts. Lane grinned,
m%otioning for Baxter to sit down.
He did so, miserably. Delacarte, a
large black pencil in his hand, was
crossing out lines and writing in
others. Bax, wincing, asked:
How do you like the show, Mr..
Delacarte? Or have you had a
chance to read it,"
Read it? He'll! I've rewritten
itr'
Baxter grew a little pale, and
looked to Lane for encourage
ment.
Who" Delacarte asked him sar-
c%astically, lever told you You could
write dialogue? And why didn't
you learn a little about business be-
fore you started trying to sell dra-
matte shoWs?"
Bob Lane laughed.
You'll have to get used to Cain,
Tree. He spares no punches.
80 I see," Bax said quietly.
What have you directed, Mr.. Della
carte? I'm afraid I've never heard
of You before"
That makes us even." The dark
face cracked open in In unattrac-
tive grin. I've never heard of you,
either"
Cain does a couple Of shows for
u.s." Lane stepped in. VERY sue
cessful ones, too. The Adventures
of Uncle Kip and Aces of the
Clouds"
IT see." Bax by that time was
feeling a little sick. kid stuff"
Delacarte grew slowly red around
the collar. When he looked up, his
black eyes were definitely unfriend.
ly.
YEAH" he sneered, kid stuff!
And SO lousy I'm maxim over seven
hundred bucks a week. So, what?'
Before Bax could assemble an an
swer, Lane got up, laughing again:
Lets go into the studio a while,
Tree. I think it's getting a little
warm in here"
II don't get it, Lane" he began.
Il thought you agreed with me that
Paradise needed someone who
would appreciate"
Lane held up his hand:
"Don't blame me, Tree. I'm only
the head Of the radio department.
Delacarte spent the weekend out
at the big boss country place and
I guess Byrd decided his old drink
ing pal, Cain, was having a hard
struggle trying to get along on two
shows. Anyway, this morning he
told me to let him have your baby.
Delacarte's going to marry a singer
with two kids Saturday and I guess
with the new mouths to feed it's go
ing to be hard to make both ends
meet"
II see your position" Bax sale
with an effort. But God help poo
Old Paradise'!"
From the studio Baxter coulc
look into the control room and sec
Delacarte frowning and slashins
away at his brain child. He writhe6
inwardly. Lane, seeing his discom
fort, told him without smiling:
you're young in this business
Tree. You must learn to take little
things like this in your stride. The
important thing is to get the SHOW
on. Maybe it won't sound like you
show when it does, but you'll have
an income Of four or five hundred
dollars a week. That's all thai
counts, really"
That's important" Bax agreed
"but I don't like to assume the re-
s%ponsibility for that guys writing
job"
when Delacarte gets through
with your little effort, it'll be a car
bon copy of all the other ghastly
five-day-a-week dramatic shows
V,os1,o rot NJ doubt Ruf If HI