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Show ;- By Clark Dawson ON .THE TRAIN going west, Freda thought It all out. She jnust r.evcr, no matter what the circumstances, let them guess that she had an inferiority complex. Somehow she would have to build up a defense that was. iron-clad. Of course, when you considered the matter, especially if you were a (stranger, you never would have dreamed that a girl who had just captured first prize in the bigfiest beauty contest ever held in the east and was now on her way to Hollywood Holly-wood with good chances of becoming becom-ing a movie star, could have an inferiority complex. The trouble was that in Hollywood Holly-wood she was going to have a lot more skilled competition than back home. There were going to be girls there, five all told, from other sections sec-tions of the country, and only one was going to be selected for the part in All American Beauty. Uneasily Freda reflected upon her success back home. She wished she could be wholly certain that first prize had gone to her wholly upon merit She remembered the two other girls over whom the Judges had wrangled so long. Both had been beautiful, possessed of undeniable charm and appeal. Had they been more beautiful than she? Had her father's famous name and prodigious wealth influenced the Judges? : ' That was the beginning of her inferiority' in-feriority' complex, that was why she knew she'd have to build up ah Iron-clad defense. Before the train reached Chicago she had it all figured fig-ured out. She would give the impression, im-pression, without boasting, that she was tremendously popular, that men were mad about her, that she had turned down all sorts of offers in order to make this trip. A neat and very efficient young man met the train at Pasadena. Freda was surprised to discover that two of her competitors had been in forward cars. Her heart sank a litle when she saw them. They were terrific. To Freda's surpriso she discovered discov-ered during the next two weeks that her plan was working, This was a period In which the five contestants for the role were entertained and exploited by Hollywood officials and celebrities. , Only once did she have any regrets. re-grets. And then not because of the general effect she was creating. It Wail when Craig Franklin asked her If she knew Dana Bridges back in Philadelphia. "Know him?" she had laughed. "The dear boyl He bought me a diamond so big it was too heavy to wear. And he was quite serious about it, too." And into Craig Franklin's eyes had come a hurt look, a very definite look of self consciousness and inferiority. Freda tried now, as she had been trying for five days, to convince herself that whatever Craig Franklin Frank-lin thought didn't matter. He had been extremely nice to her, but this was his job. He was head of publicity at Pinnacle Studios and he had to be nice to everyone. At last the day arrived when the tests were made. There followed a period of anguished waiting, of trying try-ing to appear composed. She was glad to have Craig Franklin with her those days. 'Then came the most Important morning of all. A representative of the studio came to her hotel. He tried to smile pleasantly, but Freda Fre-da knew. She knew with an awful sinking sensation that all of her scheming and planning and hoping had failed. With a little suppressed cry she turned and rushed up to her room. She flung herself on her bed and wept, bitterly, racklngly. Then she sat up, drying her eyes. She musn't be a coward. Not now. Whatever else happened she must show them that she could take it. She packed her bags, clinging to one hope, one terrible yearning. If he didn't come to comfort her, life, it seemed, would no longer be worth living. An hour passed. Two. It was nearlng time to leave for her train. Someone knocked at the door. Freda caught her breath, flung it open. It was Craig! He said simply: "I'm sorry." And stood awkwardly, looking at her. She tried to smile, to oretend It made no difference. Then team filled her eyes. "It's what 1 deserve! de-serve! I was a tool to come here! It's what I deserve!" "Deserve?" Craig dropped to the divan beside her. "What do you mean you deserve it? That's foolishness. fool-ishness. A girl like you deserves only the best there Is." "No." She shook her head. "You're sweet. Craig, but" And because suddenly she wanted him to know, she told him the whole bitter story. "No, you didn't," he told her. "You fooled me completely. Why I was so convinced that every man who saw you wanted you for his own, that didn't third: I had a chance. If you hadn't told me this, I never would have asked you to marry me. Will you, Freda?" |