This little friend of mine can act all around her。 She'd be a star if only she was better lookin'。 You bet Mercer don't allow any lookers on the same set with her。 Do you make that one at the table with her now？ Just got looks enough to show Mercer off。 Mercer's swell…lookin'； I'll give her that； but for actin'say； all they need in a piece for her is just some stuff to go in between her close…ups。 Don't make much difference what it is。 Oh； look！ There comes the dancers。 It's Luzon and Mario。〃
Merton Gill looked。 These would be hired dancers to entertain the pleasure…mad throng； a young girl with vine leaves in her hair and a dark young man of barbaric appearance。 The girl was clad in a mere whisp of a girdle and shining breast plates； while the man was arrayed chiefly in a coating of dark stain。 They swirled over the dance floor to the broken rhythm of the orchestra； now clinging； now apart； working to a climax in which the man poised with his partner perched upon one shoulder。 Through the megaphone came instructions to applaud the couple； and Broadway applaudedall but Merton Gill； who stared moodily into his coffee cup or lifted bored eyes to the scene of revelry。 He was not bored； but his various emotions combined to produce this effect very plausibly。 He was dismayed at this sudden revelation of art in the dance so near him。 Imogene Pulver had once done an art dance back in Simsbury； at the cantata of Esther in the vestry of the Methodist church； and had been not a little criticised for her daring； but Imogene had been abundantly clad； and her gestures much more restrained。 He was trying now to picture how Gashwiler would take a thing like this； or Mrs。 Gashwiler； for that matter！ One glimpse of those practically unclad bodies skipping and bounding there would probably throw them into a panic。 They couldn't have sat it through。 And here he was； right up in front of them； and not turning a hair。
This reflection permitted something of the contemptuous to show in the random glances with which he swept the dancers？ He could not look at them steadily； not when they were close； as they often were。 Also； he loathed the cigarette he was smoking。 The tolerant scorn for the Gashwilers and his feeling for the cigarette brought him again into favourable notice。 He heard Henshaw； but did not look up。
〃Get another flash here； Paul。 He's rather a good little bit。〃 Henshaw now stood beside him。 〃Hold that；〃 he said。 〃No； wait。〃 He spoke to Merton's companion。 〃You change seats a minute with Miss Montague； as if you'd got tired of himsee what I mean？ Miss MontagueMiss Montague。〃 The Spanish girl arose； seeming not wholly pleased at this bit of directing。 The Montague girl came to the table。 She was a blithesome sprite in a salmon…pink dancing frock。 Her blonde curls fell low over one eye which she now cocked inquiringly at the director。
〃You're trying to liven him up；〃 explained Henshaw。 〃That's all baby…vamp him。 He'll do the rest。 He's quite a good little bit。〃
The Montague girl flopped into the chair； leaned roguishly toward Merton Gill； placed a small hand upon the sleeve of his coat and peered archly at him through beaded lashes； one eye almost hidden by its thatch of curls。 Merton Gill sunk low in his chair； cynically tapped the ash from his tenth cigarette into the coffee cup and raised bored eyes to hers。 〃That's itshoot it； Paul； just a flash。〃
The camera was being wheeled toward them。 The Montague girl； with her hand still on his arm； continued her wheedling； though now she spoke。
〃Why； look who's here。 Kid； I didn't know you in your stepping…out clothes。 Say； listen； why do you always upstage me？ I never done a thing to you； did I？ Go on； now； give me the fishy eye again。 How'd you ace yourself into this first row； anyway？ Did you have to fight for it？ Say； your friend'll be mad at me putting her out of here； won't she？ Well； blame it on the gelatin master。 I never suggested it。 Say； you got Henshaw going。 He likes that blighted look of yours。〃
He made no reply to this chatter。 He must keep in the picture。 He merely favoured her with a glance of fatigued indifference。 The camera was focused。
〃All ready； you people。 Do like I said； now。 Lights； camera！〃
Merton Gill drew upon his cigarette with the utmost disrelish； raised the cold eyes of a disillusioned man to the face of the leering Montague girl； turned aside from her with every sign of apathy； and wearily exhaled the smoke。 There seemed to be but this one pleasure left to him。
〃Cut！〃 said Henshaw； and somewhere lights jarred off。 〃Just stick there a bit； Miss Montague。 We'll have a couple more shots when the dancing begins。〃
Merton resented this change。 He preferred the other girl。 She lured him but not in so pronounced； so flagrant a manner。 The blight of Broadway became more apparent than ever upon his face。 The girl's hand still fluttered upon his sleeve as the music came and dancers shuffled by them。
〃Say； you're the actin' kid； all right。〃 She was tapping the floor with the heel of a satin slipper。 He wished above all things that she wouldn't call him 〃Kid。〃 He meditated putting a little of Broadway's blight upon her by saying in a dignified way that his real name was Clifford Armytage。 Still； this might not blight her you couldn't tell about the girl。
〃You certainly are the actin'est kid on this set； I'll tell the lot that。 Of course these close…ups won't mean much； just about one second； or half that maybe。 Or some hick in the cuttin' room may kill 'em dead。 Come on； give me the fish…eye again。 That's it。 Say； I'm glad I didn't have to smoke cigarettes in this scene。 They wouldn't do for my type； standin' where the brook and river meet up。 I hate a cigarette worse'n anything。 YouI bet you'd give up food first。〃
〃I hate 'em； too；〃 he muttered grudgingly； glad to be able to say this； even though only to one whose attentions he meant to discourage。 〃If I have to smoke one more it'll finish me。〃
〃Now； ain't that the limit？ Too bad； Kid！〃
〃I didn't even have any of my own。 That Spanish girl gave me these。〃
The Montague girl glanced over his shoulder at the young woman whose place she had usurped。 〃Spanish； eh？ If she's Spanish I'm a Swede right out of Switzerland。 Any…way； I never could like to smoke。 I started to learn one summer when I was eight。 Pa and Ma and I was out with a tent Tom…show； me doing Little Eva； and between acts I had to put on pants and come out and do a smoking song； all about a kid learning to smoke his first cigar and not doin' well with it； see？ But they had to cut it out。 Gosh； what us artists suffer at times！ Pa had me try it a couple of years later when I was doin' Louise the blind girl in the Two Orphans； playin' thirty cents top。 It was a good song； all right； with lots of funny gags。 I'd 'a' been the laughing hit of the bill if I could 'a' learned not to swallow。 We had to cut it out again after the second night。 Talk about entering into your part。 Me？ I was too good。〃
If the distant camera glanced this way it caught merely the persistent efforts of a beautiful debutante who had not yet felt the blight of Broadway to melt the cynicism of one who suffered it more and more acutely each moment。 Her hand fluttered on his sleeve and her left eye continuously beguiled him from under the overhanging curl。 As often as he thought it desirable he put the bored glance upon her； though mostly he stared in dejection at the coffee cup or the empty wine glass。 He was sorry that she had had that trouble with the cigar； but one who as Little Eva or poor persecuted Louise； the blind girl； had to do a song and dance between the acts must surely come from a low plane of art。 He was relieved when； at megaphoned directions； an elderly fop came to whirl her off in the dance。 Her last speech was： 〃That poor Henshawthe gelatin master'll have megaphone…lip by to…night。〃
He was left alone at his table。 He wondered if they might want a close…up of him this way； uncompanioned； jaded； tired of it all； as if he would be saying： 〃There's always the river！〃 But nothing of this sort happened。 There was more dancing； more close…ups of Muriel Mercer being stricken with her vision of tenement misery under the foul glare of a middle…aged roue inflamed with wine。 And there was a shot of Muriel perceiving at last the blight of Broadway and going to a table at which sat a pale； noble…looking young man with a high forehead； who presently led her out into the night to the real life of the worthy poor。 Later the deserted admirer became again a roue inflamed with wine and submitted to a close…up that would depict his baffled rage。 He clenched his hands in this and seemed to convey； with a snarling lift of his lip； that the girl would yet be his。 Merton Gill had ceased to smoke。 He had sounded on Broadway even the shallow pleasure of cigarettes。 He was thoroughly blighted。
At last a megaphoned announcement from the assistant director dismissing the extras； keeping the star； the lead； and a few small… part people； to clean up medium shots； 〃dramatics；〃 and other work requiring no crowd。 〃All you extra people here to…morrow morning； eight…thirty； same clothes and make…up。〃 There was a quick breaking up of the revelry。 The Broadway pleasure…se