Evening star., 1942-01-11
CHAPTER III.

CHAPTER III.
She had won the competition
Incredibly, she Livia Clarkson. was
The Charm Girl"
"Wiu my picture be In your pa
per?" she said to the reporter who
was asking her where she was born,
where she lived, what she did for
. living. He laughed.
"She wants to know II her picture
viii be in the paper7" he said "a
. photographer.
1T had better BE-" said the pho
tographer, "or we're out Of . job
Now, look this way, Livia. And
give US that big smile again" They
treated her with casual familiarity.
Iivia wasn't sure she liked 1t, par
tcularly when they made her pose
holding her skirt several inches
above her knees.
DO I have tor" she asked the
executive In charge Of the Charm
Girl" competition.
"Sure, all the movie stars do
that-at the beginning"
So she held her skirt gingerly
above her knees.
It was three O'Clock before they
let her go. Her eyes still reflected
the white flashlights. She was
hungry and suddenly realized she
had eaten nothing Of the elaborate
food set before her at the luncheon
In the Sunshine Hotel.
Even Charm Girls have to eat
to live" she giggled and went down.
stairs into the Sunshine coffee shop
and ordered . ham sandwich and a
glass Of milk. Two Of the camera
men who had photographed her up
stairs saw her and waved. One Of
them came over.
Warned Of Galleries.
Hey, better watch your caloriea
II you're gonna be . movie star.
he warned In mock severity. He
took another picture Of her biting
into her sandwich. A freckled boy
stampeded over and demanded her
autograph.
I'm not q movie actress" Livia
told him. But he was not convinced.
They didn't take photographs OF
you eating q ham sandwich without
good reason. Livia signed reluc-
tantly and watched covertly as he
studied her name. She expected
him to tear out the page from his
book. But no, he seemed quite sat
isfied. Her spirits rose. If they
wanted her autograph now. how
much more would they want 1t when
they saw her picture In the papers
and when she was actually . movie
star?
A boy was selling newspapers on
the corner. Livia halted suddenly.
On the front page In big black head
lines she read, Local Girl Makes
Good" So! It had happened al
ready: Her heart raced at full
speed, and she almost snatched the
paper from the boy. But, the local
girl who had made good was from
the picture Of last night.
Livia laughed and said TO her
self: That brings me back to earth
with Q bang"
Where to 60 now7 Homer No, not
yet. She did not feel equal to the
quarrel with her mother.
She walked aimlessly to the green
oasis In PerShing Square and sat
On . bench. She read the story Of
the obscure girl again. Soon they
would be printing this sort o( thing
about her, Liv1a.
She turned the pages A small
photograph Of the man she sav At
last nights premiere looked at her
from the lower corner Of middle
page. He had been injured that
morning while stunting for
famous star. His condition was
said to be serious. The photograph
showed him smiling.
What q pity" murmured Ivia.
She was beginning a bright new
career. and his was probably over.
She shivered in the hot sunlight.
Was life like that-someone was
born, some one was killed? One sue
ceeded, one failed7 She remem-
bered the dry warmth Of his hand
and the pleasantness of sitting close
to him. She should have waited and
said good-by properly. Was he dis
appointed when he found her gone?
Perhaps he had no friends. Per-
haps he was alone. with nobody
caring whether he lived or died.
"I1l visit him-now," Ghe said to
herself.
"Are you a relative?" they asked
her at the hospital.
"Yes," she lied.
"Your name please"
She told them, and wondered why
she was here. Perhaps he was mar
ried. Perhaps his wife was with
him now. Shed look awfully fool
ish when the nurse came back and
exposed her lie.
This is where I CO." she decided,
and was halfway down the long
corridor when the nurse called after
her:
Miss Clarkson, you're going the
wrong way. Mr.. Nolan's room is
here"
Livia retraced her steps, without
looking at the nurse.
"Oh, I thought he might be too
III to see me-" she mumbled.
$50 did l." said the nurse, ''tmhl
I told him your name"
So he had remembered heri She
softly opened the door and tptoed
into the room. He was sitting up
on a narrow, white bed, his arm
hidden in bandages.
"I'm sorry I ran away last night,
Livia said, II had to get home
and-er."
"Sit down" His head motioned
her to the white chair BY the bed.
She sat down. will you do me
. great favor?" he asked.
"Oh, yes; anything I can"
will you take of your hst?"
She smiled and obeyed. "Ah. that's
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