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Show UU5 M.TCHELL W iCit LJ?suS aoo urn rnnntuwtfmm name t&fif I -f"V VSk-T Kmutu-manmmnaim . CHAPTER VI LOLA WANTS A BABY Well, I just hate to go," said Mrs. Titcomb, after having obtained her domestic interview with Lola for the Woman's Home Companion, "but I think I have got everything, don't you I" "Stay and have lunch, Mrs. Tit-comb," Tit-comb," urged Lola. "No, dear. I must dash off and tart putting down the words. Tell me, don 't you ever in the midst of the gruelling pace of your career doesn't there ever come a longing for the right of All Womanhood?" Lola was bewildered. "Let's see er, you mean...!" "I mean, doesn't this house seem empty at times f Don't you ever find yourself listening for the patter of little feet?" ' ' Why . . . ' ' Why, yes, Mrs. Tit-comb." Tit-comb." Sadness and longing crept into Lola's voice. "The call of Motherhood is so strong in some women." She observed ob-served Lola's rapt eyes raised upward up-ward and gently patted her hand. "Well, we must bear the eross that's given us, dear. Good-bye. It's been a inspiration to meet you in your lovely home and I'll write the lov-liest lov-liest article I ever penned. Au re-varr, re-varr, as the French say." Lola remained in rapt contemplation contempla-tion for some time after the interviewer inter-viewer left, walking slowly back i and forth. She came to a halt before be-fore an oil painting in the living - room of a mare in the field with a suckling colt, Brogan's angry voice in the hallway did not disturb her. She turned dreamy eyes to him and spoke softly: "Jim... it's you." Brogan, hat still on his head, growled: "And I just dropped by on my way to work to tell you you can't make a sucker out of me." "Why, Jim.l" she looked at him surprised but with eyes still soft, having forgotten the incident of the bail. "I read the papers, tool Tour Roman chariot driver can stay in the can for all I care. I called up and cancelled the check." "I only lied," said Lola, softly pathetic, "because I knew you wouldn't do anything if I told you who it was for. You see, I was trying try-ing to help somebody whom I ; thought was. a friend' Her sad little smile brought Brogan Bro-gan to her side at a single stride. ." What do you" mean. . Yon thought was a'friend'l" big blue rabbit with pink eyes an I The matron reminded her thrt there were several things to be don. before she eould take the baby hom. that two of the orphanage's com mittee members must call on her si her home and decide well, thej were rather strict about where the; placed the children. Lola felt thai she must have that adorable baby at the earliest possible moment and pleaded to have the two committee members call on her that afternoon.; The matron promised to try to arrange ar-range it.- Lola spent the afternoon buying a liberal supply of baby things clothes, toys, diapers, safety pins, a cradle. Of course, the clerks recognized recog-nized the great film star and gossip was soon flying thick and fast over the telephone wires. Equally of course it came to the ears of the city editors: Lola Burns was going to have a babyl .Reporters were soon flocking into the office of Space Hanlon for confirmation. con-firmation. "Why don't you guys grow npt" he demanded. "Got your tongues hanging out over some looney rumor. ru-mor. Just to prove you're all ' bunch of noseless bloodhounds, I'll take you right np to her house andi we'll get a niee little denial front: her own ruby lips. I'll let you see her in person and if you're any judge of silhouettes, you'll know there's nothing to it." Lola was dressed in a sweet and simple negligee, much like a maternity mater-nity gown, ready go down and meet the two women from the Fairfax Orphan Home, when Space Hanlon, leaving the reporters outside, dashed into the house and np the stairs and into the door of Lola's room. The gown brought him to an irresolute halt. "Say, what's this tornado about your getting ready to kick a bassinette bas-sinette about the house f" Lola drew herself up grandly. "You would try to be funny about it. " "You mean... it's true?" He was horrified. "A baby J" "Yes, and this is one thing I don 't need any help from you on." ; ' 1 Aw, gee, Screwy, you poor kid. I No wonder you've been so upset lately. And I've been lousy " Lola observed him cooly. "Why all this sympathy!' "I'm your pal, Screwy. You don'ti have to keep a stiff upper lip with If A.. I: :..' " 4l plliliiiif : - m&mmmBml ; Jim" leftly "don't yea ever feel the call of fathcrhoodt" "He called np and abused me ; frightfully. He said I 'd done it purposely pur-posely for publicity." Brogan nodded triumphantly. "Didn't I tell you he was a no good immigrant t" "That's a elosed incident in my life," said Lola, dramatically. "Besides, "Be-sides, an American man must be the father of my child!" "What the heck are you talking aboutt'i "Jim, I'm serious... Why don't we get married f Like we should have done in the first placet" "Lola!" he cried, and took her suddenly in his arms. "And have lots of little babies I" said Lola, looking up at him with starry eyes. He held her off and looked searchingly at her. "Say, what's got into youl Are you tightt" "Don't joke about it, Jim." She put her arms about his neck and laid . her head on his breast. ' ' I see now why I 've been so unhappy. I 've wanted the right of All Womanhood quiet evenings at home with my husband and children about me " "How can you raise a family when you're making five pictures a year! Nobody wants to see you in an interesting condition You dizzy little duck, what you want is Jim Brogan back again. We'll pick things up where they left off between be-tween us and... Holy smoke! I've got a twelve o'clock call on stage 31." He kissed her quickly. "I'll be through by five-thirty, honey." "Jim, wait " "I can't. Forget that baby stuff. You and I can wait until we 're fifty years old and adopt one!" Lola let him go in silence after that, that one word adopt having struck into her consciousness. Her face changed, grew softer, her eyes : opened wider, grew more liquidly eloquent. She could adopt a babyl i Half an hour later, Lola was in i the foundling ward of the Fairfax Orphan Home, walking between rows : of cribs, holding a tiny baby in her j arms. She was genuinely and com-; com-; p etely transfixed by the little bun-i bun-i die. She kissed the baby's hand and j looked up at the severe-faced ma-! ma-! tron. "Oh, he's beautiful," said Lola. ; looking down at the baby's face. She held him up against her cheek. I, ne's right next to me and he a going to stay." She turned her attention to the baby. "Do you uiTThere 70U're Kingt Home with Lola, and you 're going to get a me. Listen, just tell me his name. That's all I want to know." "Don't be silly! I don't know his name yet." "Yet! Well, holy smoke, when are you going to find outt" "If it's any of your business, after af-ter I adopt him." "Oh, so you're going to adopt a baby! Whew, I thought you were going to release on your own!" She started to leave. "I don't care to discuss it any further. " "Wait a minute: you can't adopt a baby. It isn't in your line. The fans don't want to see yoa surrounded sur-rounded by an aura of Motherhood ...leaning over a cradle, sterilizing bottles. Men! Scrapes! Dazzling clothes! A glamorous pin-wheel personality per-sonality that's what they want from you! Not patting babies on the back to bring up bubbles!" "I thought you were going to change all that type of publicity 1" " Well L.. I... but listen ... that isn't what I mean I mean, it isn't fair to bring a kid into the atmosphere atmos-phere of this business." "Plenty of people in this business adopt babies Gloria Swanson, Wallace Beery and Harold Lloyd and Neil Hamilton and " "But all those people have a right to have children. They're grown up and level-headed, sensible men and women. They've got nice fam. lly surroundings culture and back, ground " "Are you trying to insinuate that 1 m not good " "I mean you're a great little kid, and I love you more than you think I do, but it still remains you don't know your elbow from your back elevation and this house with your family is about as fine a place to raise a baby as an alligator farm." bhe called Winters, the butler, and began descending the stairs. "Winters, show Mr. Hanlon to the door. ' ' "AU right, Screwy," said Space, now as angry as Lola, "go ahead with this, but I know my racket bet-ter bet-ter than you do." "Get out!" said Lola. "And stay out!" Space met the reporters and snapped out. "I told you Navajos there was nothing to it. She laughed m my face. Wouldn't discuss it." tJh? laugh' on you. This chauffeur drives for old lidy Ward. She and another dame from th, Fairfax Orphan Hom. are in there now seeing Burn, about adopting I |