Show CP vt nt r alf HOMER cl C re CROY SERVICE THE STORY THUS FAR amos croy and his wife settled on a firm farm in mis coarl where hornet homer was born bom sunday meant church company lor for adler ano nd bleer weighing the croy crays attended the omaha exposition where nomer homer bad his first taste of the outside ne he finished high school and college then went to new york city to work alter after els big moth ers er death nomer homer returned to new york had his first novel noone cione stop published he be received word that his father was falling and rushed home ills father told him the farm was clear a fine one and wanted mm him to always keep it soon after nomer horner returned to new york mr aft croy cray died homer was unable to attend the funeral lo CHAPTER it broke my heart to go back to the farm A succession of renters had about stripped it the cave where we had hidden from the cyclones was falling in the fences were down the hog pens my father had taken so much pride in were ankle deep with filth the corn rows were green with cockleburs cockle burs in a way I 1 was glad my father could not see it I 1 was tempted to sell it but I 1 could not quite do that for the feel for a farm is deep and abiding especially if i it is wrapped with tender youthful memories no I 1 could not sell it nothing could make me do that A black shadow appeared A member of my family got into trouble and wanted to put a mortgage on the farm of 1 I thought of what my father had said as I 1 had sat on the camel backed trunk but the situation was so serious that the mortgage had to go on it was as if a hand had squeezed my heart I 1 came back to 10 standish road depressed I 1 looked at the little house with the big mortgage and my heart went down again As so often happens this was the time my stock was up when everybody thought I 1 was prosperous my name was in vie the papers I 1 had sold the first talking picture for will rogers at what everybody assumed to be a whacking price and I 1 let them think so uncomfortable as I 1 sometimes felt meantime there was that a month and some months I 1 was not making that how often they came around the irving trust company had the mortgage on both the lot and the house I 1 can still see those printed forms that came snow storming in with the blank spaces filled in with in ink k if by a certain day the money had not been paid an impersonal voice would call up and say that we had undoubtedly overlooked it 1 I was trying to write humor in all the writing business there is nothing so hard to sell think every magazine would want nant humor and every magazine says it does but they dont buy it chiefly because no two persons ever agree as to what is humorous and what is pretty terrible in a magazine office among the manuscript readers there is always a divided opinion so usually the editor plays safe by taking something everybody agrees on finally the lane turned but not before it was almost at the precipice I 1 got a new tenant for the farm mr and mrs logan thank god it was just in time I 1 had known when I 1 was a boy but bu t not very well his first name was a nickname but it had become so universal that it took an old timer to know that he had another he had long legs in his growing days and the boys had started to call him spider finally it had shortened to and it still is never had I 1 realized what a blessed diff difference er a good tenant could make we drew up a contract which said in effect we were partners and we would go share and share alike afif ty fifty with certain provisions I 1 was to furnish the land and the fences and the seed he was to furnish the power which meant horses then and the help to operate the farm the contract got down to a finer point than that for instance 1 I was to pay half the fuel oil if we ever made enough money to buy a tractor then a little twist in the contract I 1 was to get one third of the eggs I 1 did take it for a while and thankfully too but finally told nellie logan the egg money was hers the barn which pa had built after the cyclone had whisked the first away was now a noble ruin when you went in it you ran a chance of having it come down on you one tenant had bad fancied a door so the door had departed with him we had to build a new barn how we were going to build it I 1 know but that barn meant something to me emotionally I 1 had played in the old barn I 1 had slept in it during the haying season when an exciting hired man told exciting stories one night a storm had come up tip I 1 quite brave enough to st stay ay but the hired man did you had to respect a man like that it is truly astonishing what you can do when you have to but it also makes a person feel that half the time he is a pretty weak vessel the barn was to cost a thousand dollars the sum was staggering I 1 went to joseph jackson president president deni of the bank and told him my tiou troubles and he drew up some papers and after a while there was a thousand dollars in the farm account I 1 suppose ours was the first barn in the world that cost more than the amount originally planned when finally the barn was up we have enough money to paint it but nellie logan turned the hens loose on the job by that I 1 mean she had to take her egg money and turn it into paint but at last nellie and the hens and I 1 painted the barn I 1 I 1 built that barn by mall mail and in my imagination they told me the day the first load of lumber would be hauled and I 1 was on that load of lumber they told me the day the sl ushers would arrive and I 1 saw them taken out to the barn lot they told me when the head carpenter would arrive and I 1 saw him put on on his apron and drop his hammer in in the loop on his leg As the barn progressed they sent me snapshots of it and I 1 watched it grow I 1 was like a father a thousand miles from the hospital but at last it was born my white and blue trim child some way or other I 1 raised the money to go out and see it and was down to meet me as pa used to be and we climbed into his car we came in from the east side of the farm and when we topped the hill there was the barn shimmering in the sunlight at least it seemed 0 ONO fa I 1 hated the farm shimmering of 01 course it was a bit different from what I 1 had expected a child always but there it was a 2 fine white stanch center drive mp hip roofed barn with two lightning rod points and on the front of it there was painted paint eq the homer croy farm J theodore logan manager I 1 think you would like that barn I 1 think anybody would owen davis was turning my story into a film play for will rogers I 1 remembered what my friend had said about hollywood needing somebody with the homey touch in spite of the almost desperate situation hollywood was managing to get along without me for the telephone ring except from the bank and a few scattered bill collectors lec tors the bank wanted to know since I 1 had sold a motion picture for will rogers why I 1 pay up I 1 told them I 1 had got only a crumb or two from mr foxs coxs table they said they knew how to handle people like me the picture was released and made an outstanding success I 1 went down to my club the players and let them look at me I 1 was congratulated right and left lots of drinks money that should have been going to mr boerner the grocer but that is human nature it was sweet indeed to nibble the fruit of success the first I 1 had had since west of the water tower but there was no fruit in the bank I 1 hated the farm it was taking everything and giving nothing and yet there was still a lingering love for it as one might have for a person who has broken his heart for the first time in its existence 0 our ur town saw people lining up before our banks demanding their money two of the banks closed and people went on relief A word my father had never heard the salvation army played on an the streets where it had never played before knots of farmers in patched clothes stood on corners food was doled out in the basement of the church where billy sunday had shaken his fist at the devil when I 1 went down to the depot to get 0 on n the train I 1 felt exactly as I 1 did when I 1 had left pa in bed that last time I 1 felt the farm would slip away too I 1 told myself I 1 did not care I 1 was weaned away from it it was doing nothing but demanding money I 1 was a city man A man could not be tied all his life to a piece of land just because he chanced to be born on it sell it for whatever I 1 could get pay the insurance corn company and if there was anything left at least id be that much ahead but even while I 1 was telling myself this I 1 knew I 1 could not go through with it any more than one can desert a member of the family who has become a burden there is indeed truth in the old adage that the blackest hour is just before dawn I 1 have seen it work out too many times to doubt it this special dawn began very simply by a telephone call from the mccann erickson advertising agency in new york would I 1 come in and see them would I 1 I 1 would have crawled but you dont tell an advertising agency that you pretend you are a very busy and successful writer and say you think you can manage it and work out a date convenient to all it is quite an art the best hope I 1 had was that they might want me to submit something for a radio program but also I 1 knew that advertising agencies expect the poor author to take all the risk well I 1 would growl a little about doing it on speculation but id id do it maybe something would come through that is the hope an author lives on and the oril only y way so far as I 1 know to make a success of writing is to keep putting in an oar here and there after a while you may get your boat beat moving I 1 found a most impressive gentleman who after some cigarette talk wanted to know if I 1 had been to hollywood lately I 1 told him I 1 while I 1 kept wondering to myself what this strange conversation meant certainly he had nothing to do with pictures scenario writers were not hired on madison avenue jve ive received a telegram from chicago about you he be said and picked up a yellow sheet and slowly read it through to himself hours it seemed to me it took who in chicago would wire to him about me I 1 kept asking myself but also I 1 knew the ways of advertising companies were inscrutable he laid the telegram down have you any scenarios you have written scenarios I 1 said for things are not done that way yes 1 I might have a copy of one I 1 dont know id have to look through my things will you do that I 1 wish bring it in and write down a list of everything youve done for the movies he picked up the telegram and again silently read to himself then put it down can you do that today I 1 said it so happened I 1 could then we shook hands and I 1 went out I 1 looked through my things and found a scenario and two or three 4 tre treatments 2 amen ts and some odds and ends and raced back he picked up one of the manuscripts Is that what a scenario looks like I 1 never saw one before th then en looked through ugh it in his slow methodical way I 1 thought if he doean doesn t know anything about scenarios why did he send for me but maybe this was the way advertising agencies work ill let you hear from me as soon as I 1 can he said finally I 1 went out again unable to make head or tail of the mysterious affair maybe I 1 should have asked what it was all about or should I 1 IT I 1 simply know three or four days passed then came a telephone call could I 1 come in to see him I 1 said I 1 could manage it ive just talked to chicago he said and they want me to ask you some more questions he glanced at some notes on his desk and cleared his throat have you ever written a training filma film I 1 the slightest idea what a training film was but I 1 going to show it no I 1 I 1 said as if I 1 got around to the chore he cleared his throat again and said himm and iny my heart dropped to my belt do you think you could he asked I 1 said I 1 thought I 1 could he considered this for some moments looking among his papers and wrinkling his brows finally he said 1 I guess you are wonder wondering ing what this is all about well yes I 1 said as if the idea had flashed into my mind 1 I been permitted to divulge my client but I 1 think I 1 can do so now I 1 leaned forward to show I 1 was interested interest Fd it is for the standard oil company of indiana they want to make a film which will help their dealers I 1 quite sure what a dealer was but I 1 going to show that either 1 I think I 1 can do that I 1 said modestly if everything is agreeable in chicago could you go to work at once I 1 said I 1 thought I 1 could my heart now back in place was flopping under my shirt front how much would you expect in the way of remuneration my heart gave a violent thump I 1 knew that anybody who said remuneration mune ration had money TO BE CONTINUED CONTINUE Dl |