登陆注册
15290000000007

第7章

Merton, after waiting in line, obtained his mail, consisting of three magazines--Photo Land, Silver Screenings, and Camera. As he stepped away he saw that Miss Tessie Kearns stood three places back in the line. He waited at the door for her. Miss Kearns was the one soul in Simsbury who understood him. He had confided to her all his vast ambitions; she had sympathized with them, and her never-failing encouragement had done not a little to stiffen his resolution at odd times when the haven of Hollywood seemed all too distant. A certain community of ambitions had been the foundation of this sympathy between the two, for Tessie Kearns meant to become a scenario writer of eminence, and, like Merton, she was now both studying and practising a difficult art. She conducted the millinery and dressmaking establishment next to the Gashwiler Emporium, but found time, as did Merton, for the worthwhile things outside her narrow life.

She was a slight, spare little figure, sedate and mouselike, of middle age and, to the village, of a quiet, sober way of thought.

But, known only to Merton, her real life was one of terrific adventure, involving crime of the most atrocious sort, and contact not only with the great and good, but with loathsome denizens of the underworld who would commit any deed for hire. Some of her scenarios would have profoundly shocked the good people of Simsbury, and she often suffered tremors of apprehension at the thought that one of them might be enacted at the Bijou Palace right there on Fourth Street, with her name brazenly announced as author. Suppose it were Passion's Perils! She would surely have to leave town after that!

She would be too ashamed to stay. Still she would be proud, also, for by that time they would be calling her to Hollywood itself. Of course nothing so distressing--or so grand--had happened yet, for none of her dramas had been accepted; but she was coming on. It might happen any time.

She joined Merton, a long envelope in her hand and a brave little smile on her pinched face.

"Which one is it?" he asked, referring to the envelope.

"It's Passion's Perils." she answered with a jaunty affectation of amusement. "The Touchstone-Blatz people sent it back. The slip says its being returned does not imply any lack of merit.""I should think it wouldn't!" said Merton warmly.

He knew Passion's Perils. A company might have no immediate need for it, but its rejection could not possibly imply a lack of merit, because the merit was there. No one could dispute that.

They walked on to the Bijou Palace. Its front was dark, for only twice a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays, could Simsbury muster a picture audience; but they could read the bills for the following night. The entrance was flanked on either side by billboards, and they stopped before the first. Merton Gill's heart quickened its beats, for there was billed none other than Beulah Baxter in the ninth installment of her tremendous serial, The Hazards of Hortense.

It was going to be good! It almost seemed that this time the scoundrels would surely get Hortense. She was speeding across a vast open quarry in a bucket attached to a cable, and one of the scoundrels with an ax was viciously hacking at the cable's farther anchorage. It would be a miracle if he did not succeed in his hellish design to dash Hortense to the cruel rocks below. Merton, of course, had not a moment's doubt that the miracle would intervene;he had seen other serials. So he made no comment upon the gravity of the situation, but went at once to the heart of his ecstasy.

"The most beautiful woman on the screen," he murmured.

"Well, I don't know."

Miss Kearns appeared about to advance the claims of rival beauties, but desisted when she saw that Merton was firm.

"None of the rest can touch her," he maintained. "And look at her nerve! Would your others have as much nerve as that?""Maybe she has someone to double in those places," suggested the screen-wise Tessie Kearns.

"Not Beulah Baxter. Didn't I see her personal appearance that time Iwent to Peoria last spring on purpose to see it? Didn't she talk about the risks she look and how the directors were always begging her to use a double and how her artistic convictions wouldn't let her do any such thing? You can bet the little girl is right there in every scene!"They passed to the other billboard. This would be the comedy. Apainfully cross-eyed man in misfitting clothes was doing something supposed to be funny--pushing a lawn mower over the carpet of a palatial home.

"How disgusting!" exclaimed Miss Kearns.

"Ain't it?" said Merton. "How they can have one of those terrible things on the same bill with Miss Baxter--I can't understand it.""Those censors ought to suppress this sort of buffoonery instead of scenes of dignified passion like they did in Scarlet Sin," declared Tessie. "Did you read about that?""They sure ought," agreed Merton. "These comedies make me tired. Inever see one if I can help it."

Walking on, they discussed the wretched public taste and the wretched actors that pandered to it. The slap-stick comedy, they held, degraded a fine and beautiful art. Merton was especially severe. He always felt uncomfortable at one of these regrettable exhibitions when people about him who knew no better laughed heartily. He had never seen anything to laugh at, and said as much.

They crossed the street and paused at the door of Miss Kearns' shop, behind which were her living rooms. She would to-night go over Passion's Perils once more and send it to another company.

同类推荐
  • 法华经安乐行义

    法华经安乐行义

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 朝野新谭

    朝野新谭

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 家常语

    家常语

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 明伦汇编皇极典圣学部

    明伦汇编皇极典圣学部

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 道书援神契

    道书援神契

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 相思谋:妃常难娶

    相思谋:妃常难娶

    某日某王府张灯结彩,婚礼进行时,突然不知从哪冒出来一个小孩,对着新郎道:“爹爹,今天您的大婚之喜,娘亲让我来还一样东西。”说完提着手中的玉佩在新郎面前晃悠。此话一出,一府宾客哗然,然当大家看清这小孩与新郎如一个模子刻出来的面容时,顿时石化。此时某屋顶,一个绝色女子不耐烦的声音响起:“儿子,事情办完了我们走,别在那磨矶,耽误时间。”新郎一看屋顶上的女子,当下怒火攻心,扔下新娘就往女子所在的方向扑去,吼道:“女人,你给本王站住。”一场爱与被爱的追逐正式开始、、、、、、、
  • 我为青天

    我为青天

    十万年前,孕神大陆的天叫青天,十万年后,孕神大陆的天变成了黄天。
  • 千年:蛇仙恋

    千年:蛇仙恋

    首先,一个二十一世纪的“美旅”演员一觉醒来到了一个全古代的地方。其次,她发现这个地方竟然是存在法术的。然后呢,这里的一切又让她觉得似曾相识。原来啊,这些都是她的小说。那么后悔的时刻就到了,她当时写的可是很虐心的!当时应该把主角写的再厉害一点啊!!!最可悲的是,情节她已经记不清了······林飘然不禁感叹:唉,命运真TM多舛(chuan)
  • 黑狐秘事

    黑狐秘事

    这是我和老人之间的约定轻易不可对人谈起这是规矩,也是另一个世界的秘密,黑狐,哭泣小孩,下证,美女精神病........不想这些真实发生过的事情就随风而逝,还是忍不住一一揭开它的面纱
  • 尽斩苍穹

    尽斩苍穹

    白眸剑心。一身麻衣,一把锈剑,剑斩苍穹。
  • 福妻驾到

    福妻驾到

    现代饭店彪悍老板娘魂穿古代。不分是非的极品婆婆?三年未归生死不明的丈夫?心狠手辣的阴毒亲戚?贪婪而好色的地主老财?吃上顿没下顿的贫困宭境?不怕不怕,神仙相助,一技在手,天下我有!且看现代张悦娘,如何身带福气玩转古代,开面馆、收小弟、左纳财富,右傍美男,共绘幸福生活大好蓝图!!!!快本新书《天媒地聘》已经上架开始销售,只要3.99元即可将整本书抱回家,你还等什么哪,赶紧点击下面的直通车,享受乐乐精心为您准备的美食盛宴吧!)
  • 红尘歌韶华千忆

    红尘歌韶华千忆

    直到那日,看到你站在漫天的桃花飞舞的灿烂夕阳下,我才知道,年少的心如此动荡不安,从此,那颀长的身影印在我这一生的眸光里,滟潋不去。望锦绣河山,且看倚马少年。你的马蹄绝尘而去,踏碎一片寂寥的秋色。这乱世便硬生生的谢去曾经的荣华,落尽往日沧桑。落雪。飞花。是谁夺得这江山如画。又是谁与一个人踏山寻水,自在相伴一生。几曾醉卧故里,笑看佳人靥。何时轻狂年少,夜歌为红颜。
  • 难缠入眠

    难缠入眠

    婚姻真的是爱情的坟墓吗?刘小锦是彻底体验到了,这不仅是坟墓还是万丈深渊。既然这样,那有何意思,离婚吧,自己也能打拼出精彩的。“小锦,你一定要这样吗?”他声音疲惫的问着。“对,这是最好的选择。”她毫无感情的回答。一纸离婚协议切断了感情,一本证件却阻隔不了孩子的心愿。是最终各有所家?还是合成一家?(本文纯属虚构,请勿模仿。)
  • 来自过去的你和过去的那个我

    来自过去的你和过去的那个我

    由FATE系列衍生的同人作品对阿尔托莉娅和吉尔伽美什cp不满的可以跳文
  • 慈禧全传之伟大的统治者慈禧太后(第三部)

    慈禧全传之伟大的统治者慈禧太后(第三部)

    我到达中国开始在《香港孖剌西报》的工作时,义和团运动已经发展到顶峰了。从外国记者和中国沿海居民的口中,我常常可以听到诸如“慈禧太后是个嗜杀成性的老泼妇”或“慈禧太后是一个杀人女魔王”的话语。时代在不断变革中前进。近年来,我常常从美国人口中听到对慈禧的赞美。美国人毫不吝啬地给予慈禧太后以热情的赞美,我承认,我并不能解释清楚其中的缘由,但是这并不能否认欧洲人对慈禧太后的厌恶。