| Show t MAIDEN I- I r s AU AUTHOR R OF F FO By SAMUEL HOPKINS ADAMS IT IT HA HAPPENED ONE NIGHT O 0 SAMUEL HOPKINS ADAMS SYNOPSIS Kelsey Hare flare young youn architect convalescing conva cony tram rom a breakdown mull meets Martin Mar tin un Holmes Holme struggling author In a I storm stormon on OR a lake near Moldavia N. N Y Caught In a I downpour they seek leek shelter heller at t Holmes Holmes' estate which by Its II air of decay gives evidence of Itt Its owners owner's financial embarrassment Kel Kel- say fey suggest suggests renting reRUn a room and Ind settles down dow there Finding Holmes studying a newspaper picture of a Park avenue debutante deb deb- Kelsey learns that a story llory by Holmes has been rejected In a contest run by Purity Pictures A. A Leon president for a novel suitable suit able hie for In which the winner win win- ner or of a I Mystery Beauty contest will star Kelsey buys the manuscript from Holmes and rents his house houle One of 01 the conditions of the deal la is that Kelsey Kelley adopt Holmes Holmes' pen name Templeton Sayles After Holmes departs on a trip a telegram arrives for Sayles Sayle which Kelsey Kel Icy sey leaves leavel unopened Clunk Glunk odd man manservant manservant servant places the debutantes debutante's picture on the mantel The Park Avenue Van Straitens at breakfast with their niece Marlon Marion are horrified to find her picture In the paper as one of ten remaining contestants for the Purity Pictures award and learn that Liggett Morse admirer ad has entered Marlon's Marlon picture on a bet bot She Is threatened with being taken abroad until the scandal dies down and end decides adventurously to go RO through with the contest contell In the oft offices ces of A A. Leon Loon heir to the Persuasive Pills fortune Marlon Marton finds ands nine other beauties She makes friends with Gloria Glamour Clamour nip professional beauty beauly contestant At lunch together they meet Moby Dickstein press agent ent and factotum Is overwhelmed o with Marlon's Marions beauty beauly and class claRs to lo which he Is 8 extremely susceptible sus IUS and calls her Darning Darrling Moby Is referred to Holmes for Information on Sayles Sales Gloria takes the call tare Hare Is Interrupted Interrupted In In- in his rewriting by two callers callen CHArTER CHAPTER IV Continued rv Continued 0 Gal suggested Glunk hopefully more like it Ask her what she wants Gone Ills His master went outside to verify verity the report lIe He thought he heard repressed repressed re reo pressed laughter behind the hedge there he called li A ringing voice answered Your heroine I This was something new Did an authors author's creations come to life lite and romantically visit him in to the dim watches of the night If so so there was more to this writing business than he had suspected A horn blared an impatient summons sum mons mans from the road Retreating footsteps were audible He stumbled stumbled bled along through the darkness Two dim lights winked and vanIshed van van- shed A door slammed Dont come any farther Why not noU If you do well we'll go and you wont won't see aee us again I haven't seen you yet Not really real real- ly To what do I owe the honor of this visit h he added in his best manner Sounds exactly as Templeton Sayles ought to sound doesn't it put in a second voice Who he asked unthinkingly You We haven't got the wrong bird have we Oh Ohl No Of course not Kelsey Kelsey Kel sey hastened to reply thereby endowing endowing endowing en en- dowing himself with a personality which for many a troubled day was to enmesh him like an octo octo- pus Youre sure youre you're Templeton Sayles I think I 1 may be accepted asan as asan asan an authority on the subject There was a whispered consultation consultation consulta tion then Prove it it I Inspiration though unbidden the favorite claim of Malden Maiden Featherston Feather Feather- ston hero of Love Beyond Sin came to his aid I know all about women he declaimed Perfect Good night came back the joyous duet as U the car sped away with a derisive hoot hootA A vague memory hovered in theair the theair theair air and accompanied the young man into the house From the mantel smiled the printed face of the girl labeled by the ribald Holmes Miss Adelina Ashcan Was there a likeness likeness likeness like like- ness He almost made himself believe believe be be- lieve it t He lIe picked up the clipping revealing back of it the yellow envelope envelope en en- of the forgotten message addressed addressed ad ad- dressed Templeton Sayles Well for better or for worse he was Templeton Sayles now He lIe opened the envelope and read with uncomprehending uncomprehending eyes Templeton Sayles Esq c coo Moldavia N N. Y Must see you at once stop atop hideous hideous hid hid- awful unpardonable almost fatal mistake made by accident stop when can you come to New NewYork NewYork NewYork York stop will explain all stop wire time of ot arrival and will have representative meet you at train stop vitally Important stop do donot donot donot not tall fall me A A. A Leon President Purity Pictures Inc Recalling a casual remark made by Martin Holmes to the effect that in dealing with motion picture peo pee people people pie you had to Do It Now or not at all all Kelsey again examined the date of the mea message sage Four days daya old Probably the crisis whatever it might have been was all over by this time Anyway the thing didn't make sense to him Thrusting it Into a drawer he returned to his contemplation of the portrait He found it more interesting than the message Long distance calls from A. A Leon at the rate of two per how hour kept the three voyagers town town- bound in Moldavia until late the following afternoon They then set forth to pay their first formal call upon Templeton Sayles Moby Dickstein drove like a man manon manon manon on a death and death errand The two girls bounced about In the rear seat of the open convertible At a slippery slip sUp pery curve overlooking the lake Just short of they skidded Into a shallow ditch Gloria uttered a short sharp yelp as the car started started start start- ed to tip over but thought better of It and righted itself Something like an echo of her cry sounded near at hand All three looked about them There was nothing animate In sight but an animal peacefully grazing under a massive maple Maybe that bird was right last night said Moby Dickstein and the place is haw haw aw aw The haunt inadvertently coughed Why I do believe belleve its it's up that tree said Marne Go and see what's bitin him you girls directed Moby while I look over the car Marne walked forward a few rods accompanied by Gloria advanced to the fence leaned on the rail raU and ha hailed led There was no answer The so so- called Templeton Sayles was not receiving callers that day if it he could help it In fact he had scuttled scuttled up the tree temporarily disturbing disturbing dis a placidly grazing Holstein grade upon hearing Moby Dickstein's Dick Dick- steins stein's distant horn because of ot a definite indisposition for human companionship Unhappily in an unsuccessful attempt to secret himself himself him him- self seU more effectively he slipped sUpped and made a betraying commotion among the leaves Why I 1 do believe Its It's our hero exclaimed Marne What are you doing up there I came here on business was the stiff still rejoinder as he slid sUd to the ground lie He was playing for time and searching his soul for a practicable practicable cable explanation Moby who had now succeeded in coaxing the car back upon the roadway road way and had been introduced to Kelsey by the girls addressed his new acquaintance pardon my natural curiosity curiosity curios curios- ity but do you live Uve in that tree lie He says he was there on busi bust ness contributed Marne What kind of business is up a tree inquired Gloria Maybe its it's private suggested Marne Not specially said the tree sit ter Then what is the answer Tell TeU Auntie encouraged Gloria Its It a situation in a story atory Im I'm working on What was the story you were working on inquired Gloria showing showing show show- ing polite Interest I Its Ita called Love Beyond Sin I Hey Moby Dickstein's chin Jerked upward You say youre you're working on it Yes Why not What mean on it Its It's all written aint it Not in final form Im I'm rewriting It it For the Mike what for Im not aa satisfied with it yet yet So what demanded the tied sled Moby So Im I'm trying to Improve It Make it better you know Id say aay it was good enough if 11 it was me Fifteen thousand smackers smack amack ers era worth of Love Beyond do dome dome dome me quite nicely What think youre you're for Twenty grand grand' An expression of ot such helpless bewilderment bewilderment be be- I wilderment overspread the young mans man's ingenuous face that Marne I again Interposed Wait Walt a minute Moby I dont don't believe he knows what its it's all aU about No I 1 dont don't believe I 1 do Then it its it's time he got lot onto himself himself him him- self stated Gloria See Seft here you are Templeton Sayles arent aren't you from Marne A gulp followed by a faint murmur murmur mur mur- mur seemed to indicate assent And Love Beyond Sin is your story Yes Here lIere he was on firm ground Hadn't he bought and paid for It ill Was his story corrected Moby Dickstein Its ours now Ours queried K Kelsey e l 1 a e y 1 Whose 7 Purity Pictures' Pictures What think were we're payin you fifteen thou thousand thousand sand shiny dollars for Pay whom how much for what babbled the dazed Kelsey Im tellin you said Moby and told him again But Dut the picture company returned returned re reo re- re turned the manuscript protested Kelsey remembering vividly thereal the thereal thereal real authors author's disgust and disappointment disappoint disappoint- ment That was a mistake Without so much as a note Listen bo Didn't you get let a telegram explaining There was a telegram It didn't explain anything It didn't even mean anything A Leon must have drafted it aa tor t i w 1 f 11 b t r t s trA to a t x r Y P s. s j x k Re 1 W Se p. p da iW i SeY Y gs c. c 7 s sS san S an p pr k Kelsey again arain examined the date of the message himself Interpreted Moby What is this A. A Leon person A lunatic A highly improper question rebuked rebuked rebuked re re- re- re A. A Leons Leon's right-hand right man with dignity He lIe happens to be President of Purity Pictures So the telegram claimed He lIe seemed to be upset about something and wanted me to come somewhere and straighten it out What are we go goin In to do about this bird inquired Moby Hey listen Ill I'll give it to you in install ments You You won won the Purity Pictures Pic Pie tures World Contest World Contest Prize Got It With With with this story Sure with this story What story were you figurin on winnin it with may I 1 ask you With Love Beyond Sin quavered qua qua- vered Kelsey Think hes he's going to throw a at asked Gloria solicitously Im tellin you aint I With Love Beyond Sin Oh my good Lord Almighty And now cow hes he's a going to break breakdown breakdown breakdown down and cry cry said ald Gloria In disgust disgust dis dis- gust lUSt That gnawing him anyway any way Are authors always alway a like this Fifteen grand rolling into my pocket pock et et wouldn't hang any crepe on my soul sout Come up to the house and well we'll have cocktails mumbled t the b e young man They followed him in Glunk he shouted Ice The faithful henchman appeared with a large chunk between his hla hairy paws At first sight of the girls he dropped it on the floor door The irregular triangle of his three protuberant protuberant pro pro- protuberant fangs outlined a pleased smile Gal he pronounced Sweet cheese n crackers I Where'd you get the hairy bear cried Gloria Glunk Clunk ambled over stood before Marne and executed a series of ecstatic ecstatic ec ec- static bobs Gall he be repeated Nice gaL Youve made a hit hit baby remarked remarked re reo marked Moby Before Defore Kelsey could Interpose Glunk had bad snatched the printed photograph from the mantel and held it aloft Why its it's me mel said the original of It How lIow ever did that get here She smiled at Kelsey in a manner that thrilled him with a combined warmth of happiness and deadly chill of dismay Give me that Glunk he ordered ordered or or- dered sharply but the girl was holding hold ing out her hand for it and the monster was under her spell apelL She read the inscription Miss Adelina Ashcan the Park Avenue That's Thata a pretty conceit too Kelsey whirled upon the beaming Glunk Get out of here before 1 I 1 kill you he bawled With a frightened yelp Glunk fled Now hurt burt his youve you've feelings accused Marne Not to mention mine They're absolutely lacerated ed I I 1 I I I never never began the wretched wretch ed Kelsey I d didn't mean mean- Oh lay of off kid said Gloria out of the side of her mouth nearest Marne The poor limps simp's on the grids grids' TO BE DE CONTINUED |
