Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-05-13
Daily Short Story
Between Us Girls
By SANFORD FARRELL

~ Eah@NA 49,.
WHEN Sue Wilson went TO work
w for Fairfax Studios a couple
OF years ago il was with the quiet
determination of becoming a screen
actress. She was smart and she
was beautiful. She was hired as
a stenographer m the publicity
department al good salary
moved into a North Hollywood
bungalow with a couple OF other
girl employees. and hoped for the
best. She soon learned that her
beauty attracted only passing at
tention in a place where there was
so much OF IL 20 spare, and her
smartneSs obtained for her hall
dozen marriage proposals: three
raises in paw and absolutely not
one bona fide offer TO appear be-
fore the camera.
Second in our cast Of characters
Is Ronald Clarke Mccullough, an
associate producer and film writer;
salary. $1,000 a week.
SoFT-sPOKEN, IRON-WHLLED
Thirty-two years old. unmarried
and handsome in a scholarly sort
of way. That IS, he wore glasses
and his hair was thinning and he
liked 10 read sound books and
didn't spend much of his time at
the hot spots where $2000-a-week
luninaries of the screen world
are supposed TO hang out. He
rarely rated the gossip columns
but he did aid materially in the
production of worthwhile pictures
that actually made money. His
manners were gentle and he was
soft-spoken and he had a will OF
iron.
He was in his second year at
Stanford when his father went
broke with the market crash and
he had TO 60 10 work as a cub re-
porter on a Los Angeles daily.
From there he gravitated into film
writing and now he was In the
upper brackets on the books of the
internal revenue collector. He
lived modestly in an apartment
not far from the studio. with only
one Chinese servant; drove a small
car. invested his surplus earnings
In bonds, and always was ips
peccably clad in expensive dark
blue tailored suits, rather than the
lounge attire in which most of his
colleagues were lazily decked.
HAS A MINOR ROLE
A minor role is played by his
secretary. Mona Grant. one Of Sue
Wilson'S bungalow mates.
As an associate producer. Nc
Cullough frequently passed through
the outer offices of Hank Vetter,
Fairfax publicity chief, and he
would say Good morning, pleas
antly to Sue Wilson and the other
lovelies at their desks there. When
he happened to run across Sue
outside the office, he would I'M
Intentionally cut her dead. He was
rot snobbish: he just didn't hap
-en TO place her outside her work.
.ng day habitat.
II all came about, because OF a
c2sial conversation between Sue
md Mona over their coffee cups
one evening.
"Mr. Mac" said Mona speak
inc of Mccullough, won't bother
me for n month now. Not" she
added hastily. "that he isn't the
best boss I'm the world, but he's
so 'fastidious about details. I'm
glad he's gone on his vacation"
Sue idly inquired where he was
going.
Its a secret, as usual" Mona
replied. "I'll tell you, but don't
you breathe ii TO a soul. It's q
little SIS a week hotel up In the
San Bernardino Mountains, not |
far from Big Bear. He's up there
as Mr.. Clarke. Only other per-
son who knows II Is Mr.. Big"
VACATION RIGHT AWAY
Sue didn't pay much attention
until a week later when Hank
Vetter asked her If she'd like TO
have her vacation right away. 1t.
suited her. and then the big
thought struck her. She drifted
over TO Mona's office and asked
her just where Mccullough was
staying.
II think" she said, 'Tll mosey
up that way, too. He won't
recognize me. Maybe can
wangIe a test out of him"
Mona was Mortified.
please don't" she pleaded.
eff ne ever learns I told any
body where he Is. he'll can me-"
SUIT assured her that she was
the most discreet person alive, and
Mona gave in.
you'll be the first lady 10
impress him." she said. Just
between us girls, I'd like 10 lay
a little bet you don't get 10 first
base with your idea. What about
a dinner at Mike Lyman's, loser
to pay"
1t was agreed.
The evening meal was surpris-
ingly good, al SIS a week, room