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Show OBADIAH I CORNER By Richard H. Wilkinson OBADIAH Nelson was a man of unappreciated qualities. For two years he bad worked as clerk in the scenario department of Magnificent Films, Inc., and had thought up ideas I for pictures 3 Mintlte which scenario Fiction writers wrote , rlCUOn into scripts and directors produced pro-duced for a neat profit. "Lady Luck," Magnlficent's most recent success, had netted the house something some-thing over a million dollars. Noel Norbert, who wrote the script received re-ceived $2000, and Obadiah, who thoueht ud the idea, collected his $60 per week. Ada Adams, who occupied a desk next to Obadiah's and who earned $50 a week reading stories, knew what was going on and told Obadiah in no uncertain terms what she thought of him. "Barnum was right," she said. "How a man can be such a sucker and still live Is beyond me." Obadiah blushed to the roots of his hair. "Why, shucks, I didn't do anything. any-thing. It was Just an Idea I had that I mentioned to Mr. Norbert." Nor-bert." And Mr. Norbert collected $2000 for it." A month later Magnificent began work on "Love's Appeal." Noel Norbert had turned In the script after taking Obadiah to lunch. A week after that Ada Adams came into the little restaurant on Sunset boulevard where Obadiah was eating eat-ing lunch. "Well, how's Magnificent's $60 a week sucker today?" she asked. "They tell me Mr. Norbert has turned in another box-office success "Well, how's Magnificent's $60 a week sucker today?" Ada asked Obadiah. that you thought up for him. He's asking $2500 for it." Obadiah's face went white. Without With-out knowing it Miss Adams had aggravated a wound that she had inflicted five weeks previous with her first scathing comment on Mr. Nelson's lack of what it takes to get ahead. She was, therefore, astonished aston-ished when Obadiah suddenly rose without a word and left her. Outside, his cheeks still rather pale, Obadiah was hastening toward the Magnificent studios. "Mr. Maurice," began Obadiah firmly, "I want to know why it is that you pay $2000 to Noel Norbert for writing scenarios that I think up. No, don't answer. I know why. It's because you think I'm a sucker without enough backbone to stand up for my rights. Well, let me tell you something. I mean, you can drive a horse to water but you can't make him willing I mean, drink. Or something. Anyway, I'm quitting. quit-ting. The Pacific studios have offered of-fered me a thousand a week to work for them." Obadiah paused, breathing heavily, heav-ily, and mopped his brow. "Well," he said, "I guess that's all." "Is that so?" said Mr. Maurice. "Well, young man, you're wrong. That ain't half of it." And he punched a bell button on his desk. ADA ADAMS was eating dinner in the same little restaurant on Sunset that evening when Obadiah came in. "Well," he said, "I've been raised from $60 a week to $1000." "So I heard," said Ada, "Congratulations. "Con-gratulations. I'll bet you could have got more, however, if you'd gone back to Pacific and told them that Maurice was meeting their price." "I couldn't," said Obadiah, "because Pacific never offered anything In the first place." Ada stared In open-mouth wonder. won-der. "Well, well, well," she said. "And likewise, well." "Even If they had," said Obadiah, '1 couldn't have thought up ideas for Pacific anyhow." ' "Why?" asked Ada. "Because you wouldn't have been there," said Obadiah. "All those ideas I thought up were about you and me. Just seeing you put them into my head. Without you I couldn't think of anything. In fact," he added, "sometimes I can't think of anything with you." ' Ada swallowed a scallop whole. "For goodness sake!" she exclaimed. ex-claimed. "Obadiah Nelson, I didn't think you had it in you to propose marriage." "Propose?" said Obadiah. "Who's proposing? But it's not a bad Idea at that" |