The Argosy, Vol. 82, No. 3 — page 160: what you’re looking at

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

a34 flected with a rapture that thrilled her, “that I have found you and that you are mine, now and always. I want you if you will have me.” He opened his arms and she nestled against his shoulder. Lowering his head he whispered, ‘‘Marion.”’ Somewhere from the folds of his coat came a faint “Bob.” It was too low for even Burton to hear. But Grayson heard and his blood tingled. “That’s great,” -Tommy — declared. “Really remarkable on your part, Miss Mawbrey. Of course I expected something like that from Mr. Grayson,” he finished with a mischievous glance at Bob which she did not see. Marion’s cheeks were siill red and her eyes bright. “Do you think we did it well enough?” she asked timidly. “Tf venture to say it could not be im- proved. I’m half sorry I did not have the camera on it.” Burton had become so obsessed with his ready lying that for a second he was half believing his regret. Turning now to the patient Hadley, he said, ‘“We are ready.” Hadley placed the box on top of the stand and waited with his hand on the crank. To an experienced eye, or even to one that had ever seen a moving-picture machine, Burton’s home-made contrivance bore but a slight resemblance to the real article. As he said himself later, it looked more like a miniature model of a new kind of submarine with a periscope projecting from its side, but to Marion, whose mind was not on the machine at all, it passed in- spection. She took her position by the tree, her brain a-whirl and her heart a-flutter. Gray- son, several yards away, watched her with a rapt expression, while Burton, whose en- thusiasm over the scheme was keyed to its highest pitch, almost believed for the min- ute that he was a sure enough director. “Ready,” he called, remembering what Payne said, ‘‘Camera.”’ Hadley began turning as he watched Burton like a hawk. The remark about the ten dollars was still in his mind and he knew that the time had now come to earn It. Grayson again entered the scene, going through his part. His master’s ardor sur- prised Hadley, who forgot for the moment THE ARGOSY. to turn the handle, until his duty was brought forcibly to mind by a back kick from Burton’s shoe. Hadley thereupon be- gan turning at the rate of five hundred revolutions to the minute, believing that the faster he turned the better it suited the “director.” At the end of the scene as Grayson en- folded Marion in his arms, the four of them suddenly jumped as the honk, honk, of an automobile horn sounded down at the en- trance to the grounds. Marion came out of her dream, Grayson muttered something about “ darned invention of noises,” and Burton, who was the first to spy the ma- chine coming slowly up the drive, almost collapsed. Even at the short distance he saw and realized what was impending. His quick brain was needed now more than ever, for the big automobile rolling up the drive con- tained five men and a woman, four of them with make-up on their faces. One man drove the machine, while another, who ap- peared to be the leader of the party, was holding a life size regulation moving-pic- ture machine in front of him. Grayson foresaw the sting of impostor being branded upon him, and _ his heart sank. Just when everything was going far better than he had dared hope comes this interruption. Turning to Marion Burton whispered, ‘Undoubtedly another moving picture com- pany, Miss Mawbrey. Ill see if I know them.”’ Tommy did not mean to lose out now. He would bluff the newcomers’ even stronger than he had Marion. His salva- tion lay in none of them happening to know Payne. Grabbing Hadley by the arm he whis- pered, “Take that confounded box and throw it into the bushes.” Then turning he advanced to meet a hard-faced man who had left the automo- bile and was walking toward him. Burton noted the look of surprise on his face as he observed Marion and Grayson in their make-up. For a second he seemed to hesitate and in that second Burton decided that he should take the initiative. The newcomer bowed. “My name is Trent,” he began as he passed Burton a card. “Ira Trent of the Merrick Film Company.” Burton glanced at the card. Just as he had expected, this man was the director. EOPMICGLOOOKS (E@)