so much money。 He found the house locked。 Probably both of the Pattersons had gone out into society。 He let himself in and began to follow the directions of the Montague girl。 The bath； clean linen； the other belted suit； already pressed； the other shoes； the buttoned； cloth… topped ones； already polished！ He felt now more equal to the encounter with a heartless society woman。 But； as she did not return； he went out in obedience to a new hunger。
In the most sumptuous cafeteria he knew of； one patronized only in his first careless days of opulence； he ate for a long time。 Roast beef and potatoes he ordered twice； nor did he forget to drink the milk prescribed by his benefactress。 Plenty of milk would make him more than ever resemble Harold Parmalee。 And he commanded an abundance of dessert： lemon pie and apple pie and a double portion of chocolate cake with ice…cream。 His craving for sweets was still unappeased； so at a near…by drug store he bought a pound box of candy。
The world was again under his feet。 Restored to his rightful domain； he trod it with lightness and certainty。 His mind was still a pleasant jumble of money and food and the Montague girl。 Miles of gorgeous film flickered across his vision。 An experienced alcoholic would have told him that he enjoyed a coffee 〃hang…over。〃 He wended a lordly way to the nearest motion…picture theatre。
Billed there was the tenth installment of The Hazards of Hortense。 He passed before the lively portrayal in colours of Hortense driving a motor car off an open drawbridge。 The car was already halfway between the bridge and the water beneath。 He sneered openly at the announcement： 〃Beulah Baxter in the Sensational Surprise Picture of the Century。〃 A surprise picture indeed； if those now entering the theatre could be told what he knew about it！ He considered spreading the news； but decided to retain the superiority his secret knowledge gave him。
Inside the theatre； eating diligently from his box of candy； he was compelled to endure another of the unspeakable Buckeye comedies。 The cross…eyed man was a lifeguard at a beach and there were social entanglements involving a bearded father； his daughter in an inconsiderable bathing suit； a confirmed dipsomaniac； two social derelicts who had to live by their wits； and a dozen young girls also arrayed in inconsiderable bathing suits。 He could scarcely follow the chain of events； so illogical were they； and indeed made little effort to do so。 He felt far above the audience that cackled at these dreadful buffooneries。 One subtitle read： 〃I hate to kill himmurder is so hard to explain。〃
This sort of thing； he felt more than ever； degraded an art where earnest people were suffering and sacrificing in order to give the public something better and finer。 Had he not； himself； that very day； completed a perilous ordeal of suffering and sacrifice？ And he was asked to laugh at a crosseyed man posing before a camera that fell to pieces when the lens was exposed； shattered； presumably； by the impact of the afflicted creature's image！ This； surely； was not art such as Clifford Armytage was rapidly fitting himself； by trial and hardship； to confer upon the public。
It was with curiously conflicting emotions that he watched the ensuing Hazards of Hortense。 He had to remind himself that the slim little girl with the wistful eyes was not only not performing certain feats of daring that the film exposed； but that she was Mrs。 Sigmund Rosenblatt and crazy about her husband。 Yet the magic had not wholly departed from this wronged heroine。 He thought perhaps this might be because he now knew； and actually liked； that talkative Montague girl who would be doing the choice bits of this drama。 Certainly he was loyal to the hand that fed him。
Black Steve and his base crew； hirelings of the scoundrelly guardian who was 〃a Power in Wall Street；〃 again and again seemed to have encompassed the ruin； body and soul； of the persecuted Hortense。 They had her prisoner in a foul den of Chinatown； whence she escaped to balance precariously upon the narrow cornice of a skyscraper； hundreds of feet above a crowded thoroughfare。 They had her； as the screen said； 〃Depressed by the Grim Menace of Tragedy that Impended in the Shadows。〃 They gave her a brief respite in one of those gilded resorts 〃Where the Clink of Coin Opens Wide the Portals of Pleasure； Where Wealth Beckons with Golden Fingers；〃 but this was only a trap for the unsuspecting girl； who was presently； sewed in a plain sack； tossed from the stern of an ocean liner far out at sea by creatures who would do anything for moneywho； so it was said； were Remorseless in the Mad Pursuit of Gain。
At certain gripping moments it became apparent to one of the audience that Mrs。 Sigmund Rosenblatt herself was no longer in jeopardy。 He knew the girl who was； and profoundly admired her artistry as she fled along the narrow cornice of the skyscraper。 For all purposes she was Beulah Baxter。 He recalled her figure as being… …not exactly stubby； but at least not of marked slenderness。 Yet in the distance she was indeed all that an audience could demand。 And she was honest； while Mrs。 Rosenblatt； in the Majestic Theatre at Peoria； Illinois； had trifled airily with his faith in women and deceived him by word of mouth。
He applauded loudly at the sensational finish； when Hortense； driving her motor car at high speed across the great bridge； ran into the draw； that opened too late for her to slow down； and plunged to the cruel waters far below。
Mrs。 Rosenblatt would possibly have been a fool to do this herself。 The Montague girl had been insistent on that point； there were enough things she couldn't avoid doing； and all stars very sensibly had doubles for such scenes when distance or action permitted。 At the same time； he could never again feel the same toward her。 Indeed； he would never have felt the same even had there been no Rosenblatt。 Art was art！
It was only five o'clock when he left the picture theatre； but he ate again at the luxurious cafeteria。 He ate a large steak； drank an immense quantity of milk； and bought another box of candy on his way to the Patterson home。 Lights were on there； and he went in to face the woman he had so long kept out of her money。 She would probably greet him coldly and tell him she was surprised at his actions。
Yet it seemed that he had been deceived in this society woman。 She was human； after all。 She shook hands with him warmly and said they were glad to see him back； he must have been out on location； and she was glad they were not to lose him； because he was so quiet and regular and not like some other motion…picture actors she had known。
He told her he had just put in a hard week on the Holden lot； where things were beginning to pick up。 He was glad she had missed him； and he certainly had missed his comfortable room； because the accommodations on the lot were not of the best。 In fact； they were pretty unsatisfactory； if you came right down to it； and he hoped they wouldn't keep him there again。 And； oh； yeshe was almost forgetting。 Here was ten dollarshe believed there were two weeks' rent now due。 He passed over the money with rather a Clifford Armytage flourish。
Mrs。 Patterson accepted the bill almost protestingly。 She hadn't once thought about the rent； because she knew he was reliable； and he was to remember that any time convenient to him would always suit her in these matters。 She did accept the bill； still she was not the heartless creature he had supposed her to be。
As he bade her good…night at the door she regarded him closely and said； 〃Somehow you look a whole lot older； Mr。 Armytage。〃
〃I am；〃 replied Mr。 Armytage。
* * * * * * *
Miss Montague； after parting with her protege had walked quickly； not without little recurrent dance stepsas if some excess of joy would ever and again overwhelm herto the long office building on the Holden lot； where she entered a door marked 〃Buckeye Comedies。 Jeff Baird； Manager。〃 The outer office was vacant； but through the open door to another room she observed Baird at his desk； his head bent low over certain sheets of yellow paper。 He was a bulky； rather phlegmatic looking man； with a parrot…like crest of gray hair。 He did not look up as the girl entered。 She stood a moment as if to control her excitement； then spoke。
〃Jeff； I found a million dollars for you this morning。〃
〃Thanks！〃 said Mr。 Baird； still not looking up。 〃Chuck it down in the coal cellar； will you？ We're littered with the stuff up here。〃
〃On the level； Jeff。〃
Baird looked up。 〃On the level？〃
〃You'll say so。〃
〃Shoot！〃
〃Well； he's a small…town hick that saved up seventy…two dollars to come here from Goosewallow； Michigan； to go into pictures…took a correspondence course in screenacting and all that； and he went broke and slept in a property room down in the village all last week； no eats at all for three； four days。 I'd noticed him around the lot on different sets； something about him that makes you look a second time。 I don't know what it is…kind of innocent and bug…eyed the way he'd rubber at things； but all the time like as if he thought he was someone。 Well； I keep running across him and pretty soon I notice he's up against it。 He s