Argosy All-Story Weekly, July 1, 1922 — page 106: what you’re looking at

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

896 day. Naturally those meetings were not without interest for both the partici- ts. Bill Bailey had a fresh, glowing skin that advertised the product he delivered, and a breezy, easy way that was refresh- ingly independent. Not many of the actors and actresses to whom he delivered milk greeted him with a smile in the morning; for the most part they snobbishly looked down upon a man who was not an artist. That didn’t bother Bill in the slightest degree, for he had little respect for them, but it was nice to have a girl meet you every morning and smile and chat a moment. It relieved the monotony of milk delivery for him just as it relieved Lucia’s loneliness. With Bill she could be herself, wigless and natural. He saw her as she ‘was, rather ordinary looking, but with a nice smile and a pleasant word. And that green kimono was an intriguing costume. It wouldn’t be bad to have a kimono similar to that one hanging in his own little bun- galow. “‘ Are you in the pictures?” he asked one morning, early in their acquaintance. “Oh, no,” said Lucia. “I—I’m a hair- dresser.” “Say, I’m darn glad of that!” Bill allowed. ‘I can’t see these movies janes for dust. They’ve all got a lot of stuck-up notions about clothes and things. It makes me tired. Of course, a girl should dress pretty, but there’s no use going crazy about things. And they all think that because they happen to be pretty the world owes ’em a living. It ain’t their fault they’re born that way. They give me a pain, don’t they you? A girl like you that works hard for her living has ’em beat ten ways!” IV. Lucia was playing a very small part— now at ten dollars a day—in a new picture in which Reginald Berkeley had a leading role. Reginald invited her to dine with him at a beach resort in Venice, but she declined. The invitation was repeated and she compromised by eating lunch with him in the studio cafeteria. But she did not _ of a great star. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. have much of an appetite. The actor’s con- versation was a little difficult to handle. She had to resort to the slangiest lines in her show girl repertory. And that only seemed to make him more dangerous. Taking her for what she represented herself to be, he had sized her up as a wise burlesque girl who knew the world and the ways thereof, and who would probably be willing to over- look some of the conventions in order to advance herself in motion pictures. His implications became distasteful and un- pleasant to the little prude who dwelt be- neath the crown of curls. Her pose left her suddenly and at that same time she left the table, with a remark that was alto- gether a part of the decent little hairdresser who had worked hard for her living. Murder will out, so they say. At the next table there happened to be, on this particular day, another girl from Madame Murphy’s salon, a girl who had been sent out to the studio to marcel the raven locks She had been looking at Lucia for many minutes, trying to place that familiar face without success. But when the girl spoke aloud and left the table the other hairdresser was sure it was Lucy Lyons. Just to satisfy her curiosity she asked the handsome, smiling man at the table. Reginald told her. “What do you think of that?” said the hairdresser to herself. “‘ Of what?” ‘““ Darn if Lucy hasn’t got herself a wig and got into pictures!” the girl exclaimed. “What?” demanded Reginald. The story of Lucia’s drab past came out. It was too choice a bit to keep, and besides, the hairdresser didn’t know who the man was or what she was giving away. It might be that Lucy was wearing the wig just in one picture. The first scene to be shot that afternoon was one, to Lucia’s dismay, in which she had to walk across the drawing-room set with Reginald Berkeley’s arm about her waist. She hated him and hated the scene, but the director’s orders had to be carried out. Besides, he couldn’t say or do any- thing while they were on the set. She wasn’t afraid of him, she told herself, even DOOK C©