merton of the movies- 第68部分

〃It'sit's　like　that　other　time　you　found　me〃　His　bluster　had　gone。　He　was　not　sure　of　his　voice。　Even　these　few　words　had　been　hard。　He　did　not　try　more。

〃There；　there；　there！〃　she　whispered。　〃It's　all　right；　everything's　all　right。　Your　mother's　got　you　right　here　and　she　ain't　ever　going　to　let　you　gonever　going　to　let　you　go。〃

She　was　patting　his　head　in　rhythm　with　her　rocking　as　she　snuggled　and　soothed　him。　There　was　silence　for　another　interval。　Then　she　began　to　croon　a　song　above　him　as　she　rocked；　though　the　lyric　was　plainly　an　improvisation。

〃Did　he　have　his　poor　old　mother　going　for　a　minute？　Yes；　he　did。　He　had　her　going　for　a　minute；　for　a　minute。　Yes；　he　had　her　going　good　for　a　minute。

〃But　oh；　he　won't　ever　fool　her　very　long；　very　long；　not　very　long；　because　he　can't　fool　his　dear　old　mother　very　long；　very　long；　and　he　can　bet　on　that；　bet　on　that；　so　he　can；　bet　a　lot　of　money　on　that；　that；　that！〃　Her　charge　had　grown　still　again；　but　she　did　not　relax　her　tightened　arms。

〃Say；〃　he　said　at　last。

〃Well；　honey。〃

〃You　know　those　benches　where　we　wait　for　the　cars？〃

〃Do　I　know　them？〃　The　imperative　inference　was　that　she　did。

〃I　looked　at　the　store　yesterday。　The　sign　down　there　says　'Himebaugh's　dignified　system　of　deferred　payments。'〃

〃Yes；　yes；　I　know。〃

〃Well；　I　saw　another　good　placeit　says　'The　house　of　lucky　rings'…　…you　knowrings！〃

〃Sure；　I　know。　That's　all　right。〃

〃Well；〃　he　threw　off　the　arms　and　got　to　his　feet。　She　stood　up　then。

〃Well；　all　right！〃

They　were　both　constrained　now。　Both　affected　an　ease　that　neither　felt。　It　seemed　to　be　conceded　without　words　that　they　must　very　lightly　skirt　the　edges　of　Merton　Gill's　screen　art。　They　talked　a　long　tune　volubly　of　other　things：　of　the　girl's　illness　from　which　she　now　seemed　most　happily　to　have　recovered；　of　whether　she　was　afraid　of　himshe　professed　still　to　beof　the　new　watch　whose　beauties　were　newly　admired　when　it　had　been　adjusted　to　its　owner's　wrist；　of　finances　they　talked；　and　even；　quite　simply；　of　accessible　homes　where　two　could　live　as　cheaply　as　one。

It　was　not　until　be　was　about　to　go；　when　he　stood　at　the　door　while　the　girl　readjusted　his　cravat；　smoothed　his　hair；　and　administered　a　final　series　of　pats　where　they　seemed　most　needed；　that　he　broke　ever　so　slightly　through　the　reserve　which　both　had　felt　congealing　about　a　certain　topic。

〃You　know；〃　he　said；　〃I　happened　to　remember　the　title　of　a　book　this　morning；　a　book　I　used　to　see　back　in　the　public　library　at　home。　It　wasn't　one　I　ever　read。　Maybe　Tessie　Kearns　read　it。　Anyway；　she　had　a　poem　she　likes　a　lot　written　by　the　same　man。　She　used　to　read　me　good　parts　of　it。　But　I　never　read　the　book　because　the　title　sounded　kind　of　wild；　like　there　couldn't　be　any　such　thing。　The　poem　had　just　a　plain　name；　it　was　called　'Lucile；'　but　the　book　by　the　same　man　was　called　'The　Tragic　Comedians。'　You　wouldn't　think　there　could　be　a　tragic　comedian　would　you？well；　look　at　me。〃

She　looked　at　him；　with　that　elusive；　remote　flickering　back　in　her　eyes；　but　she　only　said；　〃Be　sure　and　come　take　me　out　to　dinner。　To…night　I　can　eat。　And　don't　forget　your　overcoat。　And　listen　don't　you　dare　go　into　Himebaugh's　till　I　can　go　with　you。〃

One　minute　after　he　had　gone　the　Montague　girl　was　at　the　telephone。

〃Hello！　Mr。　Baird；　please。　Is　this　Mr。　Baird？　Well；　Jeff；　everything's　jake。　Yeah。　The　poor　thing　was　pretty　wild　when　he　got　here。　First　he　began　to　bluff。　He'd　got　an　earful　from　someone；　probably　over　on　the　lot。　And　he　put　it　over　on　me　for　a　minute；　too。　But　he　didn't　last　good。　He　was　awful　broke　up　when　the　end　came。　Bless　his　heart。　But　you　bet　I　kissed　the　hurt　place　and　made　it　well。　How　about　him　now？　Jeff；　I'm　darned　if　I　can　tell　except　he's　right　again。　When　he　got　here　he　was　some　heart…broke　and　some　mad　and　some　set　up　on　account　of　things　he　hears　about　himself。　I　guess　he's　that　way　still；　except　I　mended　the　heart…break。　I　can't　quite　make　him　outhe's　like　a　book　where　you　can't　guess　what's　coming　in　the　next　chapter；　so　you　keep　on　reading。　I　can　see　we　ain't　ever　going　to　talk　much　about　itnot　if　we　live　together　twenty　years。　What's　that？　Yeah。　Didn't　I　tell　you　he　was　always　getting　me；　somehow？　Well；　now　I'm　got。　Yeah。　We're　gonna　do　an　altar　walk。　What？　Oh；　right　away。　Say；　honest；　Jeff；　I'll　never　have　an　easy　minute　again　while　he's　out　of　my　sight。　Helpless！　You　said　it。　Thanks；　Jeff。　I　know　that；　old　man。　Good…by！〃




CHAPTER　XX

ONWARD　AND　UPWARD


At　the　first　showing　of　the　Buckeye　company's　new　five…reel　comedy　Five　Reels…500　Laughsentitled　Brewing　Trouble；　two　important　members　of　its　cast　occupied　balcony　seats　and　one　of　them　throughout　the　piece　brazenly　applauded　the　screen　art　of　her　husband。　〃I　don't　care　who　sees　me；〃　she　would　reply　ever　and　again　to　his　whispered　protests。

The　new　piece　proved　to　be　a　rather　broadly　stressed　burlesque　of　the　type　of　picture　drama　that　has　done　so　much　to　endear　the　personality　of　Edgar　Wayne　to　his　public。　It　was　accorded　a　hearty　reception。　There　was　nothing　to　which　it　might　be　compared　save　the　company's　previous　Hearts　on　Fire；　and　it　seemed　to　be　felt　that　the　present　offering　had　surpassed　even　that　masterpiece　of　satire。

The　Gills；　above　referred　to；　watched　the　unwinding　celluloid　with　vastly　different　emotions。　Mrs。　Gill　was　hearty　in　her　enjoyment；　as　has　been　indicated。　Her　husband；　superficially；　was　not　displeased。　But　beneath　that　surface　of　calm　approvalbeneath　even　the　look　of　bored　indifference　he　now　and　then　managedthere　still　ran　a　complication　of　emotions；　not　the　least　of　which　was　honest　bewilderment。　People　laughed；　so　it　must　be　funny。　And　it　was　good　to　be　known　as　an　artist　of　worth；　even　if　the　effects　of　your　art　were　unintended。

It　was　no　shock　to　him　to　learn　now　that　the　mechanical　appliance　in　his　screen…mother's　kitchen　was　a　still；　and　that　the　grape　juice　the　honest　country　boy　purveyed　to　the　rich　New　Yorker　had　been　improved　in　rank　defiance　of　a　constitutional　amendment。　And　even　during　the　filming　of　the　piece　he　had　suspected　that　the　little　sister；　so　engagingly　played　by　the　present　Mrs。　Gill；　was　being　too　bold。　With　slight　surprise；　therefore；　as　the　drama　unfolded；　he　saw　that　she　had　in　the　most　brazen　manner　invited　the　attentions　of　the　city　villains。

She　had；　in　truth；　been　only　too　eager　to　be　lured　to　the　great　city　with　all　its　pitfalls；　and　had　bidden　the　old　home　farewell　in　her　simple　country　way　while　each　of　the　villains　in　turn　had　awaited　her　in　his　motor…car。　What　Merton　had　not　been　privileged　to　watch　were　the　later　developments　of　this　villainy。　For　just　beyond　the　little　hamlet　at　a　lonely　spot　in　the　road　each　of　the　motor…cars　had　been　stopped　by　a　cross…eyed　gentleman　looking　much　like　the　clerk　in　the　hotel；　save　that　he　was　profusely　bewhiskered　and　bore　side…arms　in　a　menacing　fashion。

Declaring　that　no　scoundrel　could　take　his　little　daughter　from　him；　he　deprived　the　villains　of　their　valuables；　so　that　for　a　time　at　least　they　should　not　bring　other　unsuspecting　girls　to　grief。　As　a　further　precaution　he　compelled　them　to　abandon　their　motor…cars；　in　which　he　drove　off　with　the　rescued　daughter。　He　was　later　seen　to　sell　the　cars　at　a　wayside　garage；　and；　after　dividing　their　spoils　with　his　daughter；　to　hail　a　suburban　trolley　upon　which　they　both　returned　to　the　home　nest；　where　the　little　girl　would　again　languish　at　the　gate；　a　prey　to　any　designing　city　man　who　might　pass。

She　seemed　so　defenceless　in　her　wild…rose　beauty；　her　longing　for　pretty　clothes　and　city　ways；　and　yet　so　capably　pro　by　this　opportune　father　who　appeared　to　foresee　the　moment　of　her　flights。

He　learned　without　a　tremor　that　among　the　triumphs　of　his　inventive　genius　had　been　a　machine　for　making　tendollar　bills；　at　which　the　New　York　capitalist　had　exclaimed　that　the　state　right　for　Iowa　alone　would　bring　one　hundred　thousand　dollars。　Even　more　remunerative；　it　would　seem；　had　been　his　other　patentthe　folding　boomerang。　The　manager　of　the　largest　boomerang　factory　in　Australia　stood　ready　to　purchase　this　device　for　ten　million　dollars。　And　there　was　a　final　view　of　the　little　home　after　prosperity　had　come　to　its　inmates　so　long　threatened　with　ruin。　A　sign　over　the　door　read　〃Ye　Olde　Fashioned　Gifte　Shoppe；〃　and　under　it；　flaunted　to　the　wayside；　was　the　severely　simple　trade…device　of　a　high　boot。

These　things　he　now　knew　were　to　be　expected　among　the　deft　infamies　of　a　Buckeye　comedy。　But　the　present　piece　held　in　store　for　him　a　complication　that；　despite　his　already　rich　experience　of　Buckeye　methods；　caused　him　distressing　periods　of　heat　and　cold　while　he　watched　its　incredible　unfolding。　Early　in　the　piece；　indeed；　he　had　begun　to　suspect　in　the　luring　of　his　little　sister　a　grotesque　parallel　to　the　bold　advances　made　him　by　the　New　York　society　girl。　He　at　once　feared　some　such　interpretation　when　he　saw　himself　coy　and　embarrassed　before　her　down…right　attack；　and　he　was　certain　this　was　intended　when　he　beheld　himself　embraced　by　this　reckless　young　woman　who　behaved　in　the　manner　of　male　screen　idols　during　the　last　dozen　feet　of　the　last　reel。　But　how　could　he