Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 163: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

BETWEEN THE LINES. Anyway, “ Well,” I says, “if that’s the case, if you ain’t satisfied with the directors you got at present, why not give me a chance?” Mannie glares at me without saying a word for what must of been fully half a minute. Then he says in a slightly calmer tone of voice: ‘So you want to be a director, hey? Well, if nerve was ability, why, you got Griffith stopped right now! Where did you: get that idea?’’« “Well, Dll tell you,” I told him. ‘“ The facts is, I got one of the most helpful and encouraging wives on record. So she wants me to be a director, and so—” “Listen,” cuts in Mr. Eckstein. “ You can believe me, bum directors is as common as Seventh Avenue, but a high class camera man, that’s something else again! So you can tell the wife for me that she should spoil an expert camera man to make a rot- ten director, which the woods is already full of them! And that’s that! Out!” “ But—” I begun. “Out!” roars Mr. Eckstein. So for various reasons I didn’t make no further attempt to prolong the interview. I went away from there. So that night I told the wife things had turned out just like I’d expected they would: It was practically impossible, I told her, for Mannie to see me as anything but a camera man. “ Well,”’ snaps the little woman, “ Mr. Eckstein isn’t the only movie magnate in the world!” “No,” I says. ‘But I got no kick on the way Mannie’s used me, and I’m going to stay with him. And, besides, with this slump going on, I wouldn’t have a chance anywheres else, anyway.” And I made that one stick. ‘Well, then,” says the Mrs., “‘ you'll have to do what I suggested.” “What was that?” I asked her. “Try the power of suggestion,” she re- plied. ‘ Keep suggesting the idea of your- self as a director to him.” “T]l do that,’ I says. “ Let’s go!” So for several weeks, constantly aided and abetted by the little woman, I try the power of suggestion on Mr. Mannie Eck- 793 stein. And at the end of that time, why, it’s perfectly plain to be seen that the mere sight of me affects Mr. Eckstein in the same way that a red flag affects a bull. Also, unless all signs deceive me, my job is hanging by a mere thread. So I laid off the power of suggestion. But for reasons which I’ll leave you to guess at, I didn’t notify the Mrs. Then one day there was a well defined rumor around the lot to the effect that Mr. Ralph Brooks, the well known O-Kay Com- edies director, was on the verge of resigning. And that night, in what must of been a moment of absent-mindédness, or worse, I mentioned the fact to the wife. Right away she was all excitement. ‘* Jim,” she says, “ the first thing to-mor- row morning you see Mr. Eckstein and ap- ply for Mr. Brooks’s position!” It looked like the fat was in the fire all right. | “Now, listen,” I says. ‘‘ On the level, just about one word more from me with regards to this director business, and Man- nie ‘Il give me the gate! You can take that Straight from me! Why—” ‘“Nonsense!”’ cuts in the little woman. “You know very well he wouldn’t let you go! And, anyway, I won’t take any ex- cuses. You’ve simply got to do as I say— see Mr. Eckstein before somebody else gets the job!” “Very well,” I told her, “if I simply must. But don’t forget this: If the next thing you hear from me I’m in a hospital, _and out of a job, why you got nobody to blame but yourself!” Well, I got out of it luckier than I ex- pected after all, principally on account of Mannie being in one of his exceedingly rare fits of good humor that morning, no doubt on account of having picked up a nickel in the street, or the like. Anyway, when I come away I was still in one piece and I still had a job—but it wasn’t Mr. Ralph Brooks’s job. “Yes,” says Mannie, ‘“ Brooks is leav- ing us, but the matter has been understood for some time and Brooks’s successor has already been engaged—Mr. Percival Nor- ris, of Hollywood, who will join us in a few days.” oO GOmMmicoooks (C@) |