Show i it t EXTRA GIRL fr i- i By Stella G. G S. S Perry IJ I PARTS PARTS f Vance Vance M Murdock sent orchids when Whither Thou Thou GO es lit was released rid nd wrote encouraging things to he her jit n It was good for 9 Odile that the work wor on that picture had begun soon soo soone e enough ugh and not too somi soon after Juanas Juana's death She had had a salutary scare about abou h her part in it too should have hav brought her herout out of herself out o othe of at atthe the queer apathy They had plated led cutting the prologue th the Evangeline Evangelin note and th the picture apropo of n nothing thins In it Dregs Dreg of Desire But that danger had passed Murdock saw the picture at a preview pre view and told the director in iri whose box he was war sitting Miss Vaures Vaure's a little friend of mine I consider her my discovery overy One likes to do these Loman The he director winked at Jed Acker IO ton oi who happened to be standing ct close se b by but Jed wouldn't pass it S me mistake Mr Murdock said h My discovery Back in her home home- t town wn And It was I who told Mr Loman Loman Lo Lo- Lo man about her for this picture Murdock raised the expressive eyebrow eyebrow eye eye- br brow w with a faint superior smile In deed In deed he drawled Indeed replied Ackerson who t fold toki his fiancee afterward that he didn't know why In thunder hed he'd got cot gotso gotso so hot about it hed he'd have let Murdock have it nothIng it-nothIng nothing to Jed and much better belter advertising for Miss Vaure But there was something so possessive and condescending about that bird it IL got his back up In that note with the orchids Vance made the same suggestion Am I 1 goIng going go RO ing to lose my little secret confidante sweet friend now that the whole world must acknowledge what I was first to see I It was a dear note and md good of at Vance to write so 50 encouragingly and to lo send the orchids especially now with so much on his mind All that trouble to keep Mrs Murdock from suing him The company had had to tomake tomake tomake make him increase her allowance Vance didn't want to but they said they must not have another scandal just before the release of his big bie I picture At any cost Of course she's no rio grounds for fora a scandal Odile but the public doesn't investigate It just believes And women women women wo wo- wo- wo men pursue one so Women did pursue him She knew that hat Hollywood was full of funny tunny stories about 1 It and hed he'd told her too oo of of the trouble they gave him What he did not tell h her r was that he loved ved the at ate it tip UD the bread of life t to ti him But by this time Odile both suspected suspected sus sus- that and forgave i it Of course ourse he le lo loved loed ed adulation was susceptible It t was the weakness in a nature otherwise other I wise idealistic essentially noble They'd spoiled him Now she would protect him She did not realize the subtle I change hange from childish worship hero to o womanly mothering that was grow ing ng in her attitude toward him So Saidee can always trump up something that will look bad Youre You're he the the anI only woman who ever under stood tood that I need tenderness tion ion in my friendships but that it il t imply doe doesn't nt promise doesn't f demand anything binding Come kiss f me little sweet friend So shed she'd raise her lips lIps loving him and nd thinking him ignorant of it for it-for for his hIs' fr friendly endly kisses that were steadily getting more ardent I He did not love her so it was no sin in she told herself to give the ther r I tenderness he needed And she too I needed some sweetness now so much bitterness and it was all she could ever ver have of Vance Vance Vance-a a few kisses I II I But she ought to be happier about it t Not so numb Think how far tar off oft such a n dream would have seemed down by bayou to to be inspiring him helping him protecting him against those silly d signing designing women Shed She'd realize it soon This strange dullness would pass The critics said the Evangeline prologue prologue pro- pro logue ogue was waS' pretty in itself though it was generally censured as unnecessary unnecessary sary ary not germaine to the opus Whither Thou which they condemned with faint praise Just another nother one It shows off oft Halmar's Halmar s exotic seductiveness of which however howver how how- ever ver one grows tired after atter a few reels eels of nothing else But several noticed the little girl who played Evangeline New type uncommonly appealing and perhaps she will learno learn to o act too for tor there were times when Evangeline's eyes wor beneath their tranquillity a quite convincing look bewildered searching almost tragic that hat had poignancy Odile understood when she read readic the ic review that that look was no sign of f good acting She he had not been actress enough to know it was there It was due not cot to Evangeline's lost Gabriel but to Odiles Odile's lost Juana Parts did not follow in abundance there were too many other girls on the he waiting list Indeed she was too pretty for some stars the casting directors di di- rectors knew that those whose popularity popularity pop- pop larity was based ased more upon comeliness cornell comell- ness ess than upon talent could not stand standle the le contrast with her fresh young beauty But work did come and at pay greatly really advanced She did not waste it Odile had in in- thrift and had the practical sense of her breed She never got the note Bessie Coxon Cox Cox- on n ha had written to her I 1 knew you'd do o it Wont Won't you ou come to our house Sunday and see me strut Youre You're my ray myne myone rayone one ne and only success as a fortune tel tel- ler er And I want to show Jim Im I'm a rate first picker 1 per cent of my tries For Bessie had torn It up on second second sec see ond thoughts thought maybe OdIe might no not like to be reminded of that black night when they'd met In the street of homes But ut as soon as Odile was admitted to some of the upper caste and middle caste parties she had Willa Wayne take her to Bessie's to thank her hel It wasn't easy to thank her lier For exceptional among her ilk Uk that smiling smiling smil smil- ing blonde head of Bessie Besse Coxon's had hac hadan hadan an evasive way of going vague e ant nN and boyish and aloof when it sensed thanks or compliments coming Odile thought with charity that she was understanding the caste tern tem now Its Us a good deal like ike the seniors at school who wouldn't go with little g girls 1 Isn't it Willa VIlla Not so you'd notice It Willa dis dis- dis Its partly just plain being stuck up The Thc games game's so 50 hard we stars think we must be the geniuses we always thought we were it if we get a lookin at the top And dont don't forget for get to remember we wan to get gel square with the crue cruet world weve we've just l ll ked Just saying Ah Ah ha hat nal t. t to it and sticking sUcking out our tongues And those that get up top just by bya a lotof of do with without a lucky break 1 a lot em do out having stood t the e gaff garf they think they're mankind's prize pumpkins Yea bo bot The Thc boys and girls that made it easiest they're the worst Nobody could resist em cm see Look at it kiddo About half haU of ot these people including the speaker never had two quarters in the same dollar and and now all of a sudden the United States treasury over em Wonder we buy ourselves golden clothes Odile lau laughed hed Madelon Fox was passing by in m a made of cloth of ot goldBack goldBack goldBack gold Back home teacher couldn't see us and Ma put us us' us to shame tellin our crimes out loud before company And those that worked h the and 5 10 had to punch the clock sames same's everybody Get me pr on the stage like I was we wc got bawled out for not knowin our right foot from our left lefthand lefthand lefthand hand in the back line of the chorus chorus- chorus chorus- i if we got as far tar as the chorus And now look ook at the damn thing you choose a ruby house or a million boxes of candy They forget torget how the rest of that game runs London Bridge is falling down my fair air lady Dont Don't you forget it Odile Salt away all you ou can These goofs just haven't any horse sense I I think it must make one proud to lo get getso so many fan letters Willa Wilia Im I'm afraid it would me rae Strangers asking for tor pictures Think From all over the world What one means to so many people Forget it IU Most of em are only making collections stamps collections stamps m matches us The original publicity men encouraged encouraged en en- that bright system till now the he fans think we owe em our mugs mues Ive I've got a hundred signed pictures Gladys how you got Ge kiddo I bet you'll g get t more leters letters letters let- let ers this this' day than Duse got in her whole life And I understand she W was lS almost as good an actress as me she winked Why wouldn't I high hat the rabble But you dont don't Willa Well WeB I reckon I am one of ot the few that dont don't taka take poison oak she grinned Theres nothing like the habit labit of poker to keep your lead head on straight kid Kind of reminds s you you cant can't always get the good goad lands hands Of course theres there's some stars that keep apart just cause they want to tobe tobe tobe be people and and- have some life home and choose their own friends And who can blame em Takes Takes' the real artists to get away with that though Rest Hest of at us got to be when were we're up so everybody know were we're up Get me Bessie and Jim are real folks You said it and Ill I'll say it Jim gets up and quits the the crowd when they give him a pain in Inthe the neck He inest in in- vItes est more cowboys here than stars Theres There's Dale Dickson now by the swimming pool Lets go over over to him That baby owes me 20 cents cents craps Having a good time Dale You look ook like you'd oud like to hide in the DOOl LadY Lady you ou called it Too many actors all around here to suit me ne I Ilk like extras actors The They're re more intelligent That's why they're heyre made to stay extras I reckon Dye see that bird Caryl Lang o over or r yond yonder r I been him for years When I was on the range I used to ride In forty miles to see him flicker licker I just blew over yonder and that corral of girls girls- to hear what h he was tellin lellin em to make em cm look ook so what sent And gentlemen And gentlemen hush Im I'm here to tell ell you that big stallions stallion's about his about his hair Let that diet die And they all alt put away too much booze ooze at these here high up parties These one A-one brands of booze flow too safe afe Poor folks that cant can't afford to tote ote anything but strays or mavericks keep sort o a 0 sober or go very dead No io maam ma'am lady I dont don't enjoy seen seem tipsy half kids kids' kids kids' that cant can't hold their liquor though they be Mars or Ve Ve- Ve- Ve nus nUL nusI I r dont don't hanker to play around with me betters Rather come here alone on a week day and talk hoss to Jim and get Bess to tell ten me what's a good book jook for a low brow like me to read These two folks is folks Meet you in the drugstore for tor an Ice cream ce sody tomorrow Odile It'll be on Willa I owe her 20 cents So long ong In the beautiful rose garden among the heavy headed great tree- tree roses their tops bouquet-tops scenting the theair theair ai air o richly and attracting swarms of plush gold cavalier bees with their heir silver capes spread and their daggers ready for the disturber Odile and Willa met Vance Murdock He had a prominent woman star on each side of him One a great actress looked sound and no normal mal like Ilke Dorna Dorn Talks just like a high school girl Im I'm glad She was sweetly including her absent sister in the compliments directed to herself The Theother other seemed like Jike a successful successful suc sue Undine weirdly extravagantly extravagant gant ly dressed with a mouth that almost pulled into a sneer before It smiled and md hard sea green eyes cold and clear ilear in a piquant tip-tilted tip face Vi Vi- Sardonic Lights blazing in all the windO windows s J but asbel on all the hearthstones t I her soul Odile saw aw V. V ice shoot a glance of appraisement from tram herself to lo these and arid not to lo her disadvantage He was wasn n not t ashamed of at her then Her printed silk frock of gentian P blue with its fall faU of lace at the throat under the tea rose coral brooch that I had seen leen her hex through so many brought out Odiles Odile's delicate beauty No he was not ashamed of other her She was going to arrive hed he'd wager Things were opening up for her A calculating look came Into his e eyes esHe es He paid her herthe the compliment of f leaving th the others going off oU with her Is Vance interested there the pansy eyed great actress asked Willa Willa Wil Wil- la Wayne Wa Whal he up to to- toShes She's young Dont worry She's not near as asas young as she was when she was not much younger than she she she-is is Willa said cryptically Sure she thinks hes he's Romeo But shell she'll soon learn he spells it R R-o-a-m. She's not nol dumb Shell She'll sec see the yellow lining in plenty time lime How v about that Harden girl Her mother says says says- Does it matter asked the green green green- eyed star He probably likes them both bolh Men do So must we Why look at every affair as ag final Anyhow do they matter mailer Does Docs any anyone one really to lo you the thel pans pans-e pansy eyed ed one te teasingly The sophisticate answered Oh yes es little tittle children do Grown people not in the least Do Dow Dowe Dowe w we move Vance Murdock was fastening a tiny iny yellow rose in the coral brooch Ride home with me rae Ill I'll fix it up with Willa Ive I've got to b bt with you Odile His voice had lost the calm of ot friendship even en platonic Odile you OU arc are so lovely 1 Let me rue drive you ou home tonight Willa was vas satisfied so Odile consented consented con con- pleased but she was still half half- dead inside could not get the theold old reactions re- re actIons to anything not even to Vance since Juana died So terribly so young youn 1 It seemed as if some of her own youth had been crushed out under under under un un- un- un der automobile with Juana She had hod covered th the box that went back to Chillicothe with flowers lowers Get red and yellow ones John please as bright as as' you can and as asman man many Not exactly funeral dear Dorna suggested Like Juana Shed She'd want them brave bravo and gay Gladioli and zinnias and nd scarlet geranium and golden golden- tow low and bougainvillea hanging like Cr fringes n es She loved fringe Slender brilliant Juana in her ringed fringed ed shawls life symbolic Shed She'd have said to that thatTo To Be Bc Continued Tomorrow |