Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 5, 1921 — page 121: what you’re looking at

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

THE NIPPED BUD. At the call Myrtle left the bargain-hun- ters. ‘“Lookit, Myrt! Worth Brent, auto- graphed ’n everything!” Myrtle took the proffered photo and held it approvingly at arm’s length. ‘Swell, [ll say so! Where'd y’ get it?” ‘ Belongs to that lady with the gray bon- net. She’s a friend of his an’ I’m pickin’ her a frame for it. Thought y’d like to see it. Quick, here comes old Smithers!”’ Mary was back behind her counter and busily engaged with the little woman when Smithers, the floorwalker, strolled by. “ Now what y’need for this picture is a nice oval like this one. Them eight-ly-tens only ought to be used on views of the ‘‘ Old Homestead’ and groups. There! Just look at that! Swell? An’ that frame only costs you two dollars!” “Ves,”’ said the little woman. ‘I be- lieve that is much better than the large one. Can you have the picture framed and send it?” ‘That ain’t usually done in the novelty, ma’am, but I'll get it fixed up all right!” ‘Thank you very much. Here is just the right change and my,address is on this card. I’m really in a great hurry. Thank vou, good day!” “Say, ain’t that what you call nice!” Mary said to her fast-disappearing back. ‘If they was all like you this job ‘d be a (ream!”’ Then she picked up’ the card the little woman hact left. ‘' Ann Bickers!” IT. Just as the closing gong sounded, Mary sauntered over to her chum’s counter. ‘Well, girly, hope you and I'reddie have a good time. Sorry I can’t go along. Y'know these dates. An’ take my aclvice and don’t go vampin’ too many of ‘em. I'reddic’s a pretty nice reg’lar.” She turned as if to leave and then came back. “Oh, Myrt! Jady was?” “ Give up.” ‘Ann Bickers!” Guess who the nice little 407 ‘Go on!” ‘“ Herself! Gimme her card, see?” ‘“ Well now! Why didn’t y’tell me it was her? She didn’t look half bad. Stuff she writes is kinda good, too, but she put it on thick about them movie mashers. But us girls gotta be careful. Guess she means wel]. C'mon, let’s beat it, I gotta get fixed up for Freddie!” They parted at the corner, Myrtle mak- ing a dive into the subway while Mary turned up Broadway. The “ date” that had made it impossible for her to go with I*reddie and Myrtle was Worth Brent’s lat- est picture, ‘‘ The Lotus Isle.” For two long months it had been showing at a legiti- mate theater at top prices, so Mary had bided her time until the superfeature should come to a popular-priced movie-house. The suspense of the past two months had been terrible and nothing under the sun was go- ing to stop her from secing the first lower- priced showing. There was a young man in a green cap standing at the corner of Thirty-Sixth Street ‘as She passed. It was the bright hue of the headgear that attracted her attention. As she was swallowed up in the whirling mael- strom at Times Square she caught sight of the green cap again. This time she delib- erately looked at the wearer. He smiled as if in recognition, and Mary coldly tossed her head in the other direction. The traffic whistle shrieked its clarion order and she “was swept on. She was breathless when she reached the theater, not only from the exertion of boring a way through the milling crowd, but also from that elation which is attendant upon all events close to the heart-strings. Some ex- perience it at a horse-race or when the mighty Ruth hits a home-run. To Mary it was the chance to sce a Worth Brent movies coupled with that ever-present hope that some day she herself would be a Worth Brent star. Once inside the theater she found a com- edv on the screen, so she picked out a good seat and settled down for the treat that was to come. Her hand sought her powder- puff. Tt was then she noticed some one com- ing in to take the vacant cesta /pesile here