Janet Hardy in Hollywood
Page 9
_Chapter IX_ BIG NEWS
Janet had gone less than half a block when she heard someone calling toher. Looking back she saw Pete Benda leaning from an upper window of theTimes office. He was waving Janet's story in his hand.
"Great story, Janet," he shouted. "I'll send you a box of candy. Thanks alot."
Janet smiled and waved at Pete. It was just like the impetuous cityeditor to lean out his window and shout his thoughts at the top of hisvoice to someone down the street. But she was glad to know that the storymet Pete's approval. But as for the candy. Well Pete was always makingpromises like that. If he had kept them all he would have needed aprivate candy factory.
Helen was waiting when Janet reached home and she waved a letter at herfriend.
"It's from Dad," she cried. "He says he's about through on the picturehe's making at present and will be home without fail for my graduation.Wants me to send him the dates of the play, of the banquet and ofeverything. Also wants your Dad to make sure the fishing will be good andto line up a good plot where he can find plenty of worms."
"That's splendid news. I'm so happy," said Janet, who knew how much Helenmissed her father's companionship at times, for when he was in Clarionthey were almost inseparable. But Janet realized that Mr. Thorne wasexceedingly smart in keeping Helen in Clarion rather than taking her westwith him to the movie city where she would be subject to all of thetensions and nervous activity there. Here in Clarion she was growing upin entirely normal surroundings where she would have a sane and sensibleoutlook on life and its values.
"I phoned your Dad, and he says he'll have to start hunting good creeksjust as soon as the snow's off."
"That kind of puts Dad on the spot, for he's got to deliver on the wormsand the fishing," smiled Janet.
"Oh, well, Dad doesn't care so much about getting any fish. He just likesto get out and loaf on a sunny creek bank and either talk with your Dador doze. He calls that a real holiday."
Janet went upstairs and got the mimeographed sheets with the synopsis ofthe play and the part she was to try out for. After the drama of lastnight, that of "The Chinese Image" seemed shallow and forced.
The role of Abbie Naughton, who was more than a little light-headed andfun loving until a crisis came along, was comparatively easy for itcalled for little actual acting ability and Janet was frank enough toadmit that she was no actress.
Helen, trying for the straight lead, carried by Gale Naughton, had alwaysliked to think that she had real dramatic talent and Janet was willing toadmit that her companion had more than average ability. At least Helenwas pretty enough to carry the role off whether she had any dramaticability or not.
Coaching each other, they gave their own interpretations of the partswhich they were trying for. An hour and then another slipped away. Thebrightness faded from the afternoon and Janet turned on a reading light.
"I think we've done all we can for one day. If we keep on we'll go stale.Let's forget the tryouts for a while."
"You can," retorted Helen, "but I've simply got to win that part. Whatwould Dad think of me if I didn't?"
"I don't believe he'd think any the less of you," smiled Janet, "but I'lladmit it would be nice for you to win the leading role and I'll doeverything I can to help you."
"Of course, I know you will. It was awfully small of me to say that."
The doorbell rang and Janet answered it. A boy handed her a package.
"It's for Miss Hardy. She live here?"
"I'm Janet Hardy."
"Okay. I just wanted to be sure this was the right place."
"This looks interesting," said Janet, returning to the living room withthe large box. Her mother, who had heard the doorbell, joined them.
Janet tore off the wrapping, opened the cardboard outer box, and pulledout a two pound box of assorted chocolates. On top of the box was aclipping torn from the front page of the Times.
Janet stared hard at the clipping, hardly believing her eyes. There washer story with her name signed to it.
"Why Janet, your name is on this front page story!" exclaimed her mother.
"What's all the mystery?" demanded Helen, and Janet explained, ratherquickly, about her summons to the Times office.
"Pete Benda said he liked the story and was going to send me a box ofcandy, but I thought he was joking. You know he's always telling peoplehe's going to send them candy."
"This is no joke," said Helen as Janet opened the box and offered candyto her mother and to Helen. "In fact, I'd like a joke like this aboutonce a week."
"Yes, but I wouldn't like an experience like we had once a week,"retorted Janet.
Helen's mother phoned that they were having an early supper and Helenpicked up the tryout sheets, put her coat over her shoulders, and startedfor home.
"If I disappear, it's just that I've been swept away in the flood," shecalled as she hurried out.
Janet looked after her. Helen wasn't far from wrong. With the rapidlyrising temperature, the afternoon sun had covered the sidewalks andfilled the street with rushing torrents of water. Another day and therewould be no sign of the storm of the night before.
Mrs. Hardy called and Janet went into the kitchen to help her mother withthe preparations for the evening meal.
"I heard you rehearsing this afternoon," said her mother, "and I wouldn'tset my heart too much on winning one of those parts."
"I won't," promised Janet. "Of course I'd like to be in the senior play,but I won't be heart-broken if I don't win a part."
"Perhaps I was thinking more about Helen than you," confessed Mrs. Hardy."She's so much in earnest that failure would upset her greatly."
"I know it, but I can understand why Helen wants a part and I'm afraidI'd be just as intent if my father were the ace director for a greatmotion picture company. I suppose I'd think that I should have dramaticability to be a success in his eyes."
"That's just it," said Mrs. Hardy. "Helen doesn't need to get a part inthe play. When he comes home, he likes nothing better than being with hiswife and Helen. You know he never goes any place."
"Except fishing with Dad."
"Oh, pshaw. They don't fish. They dig a few worms and take their oldfishpoles along some creek that never did have any fish. It just getsthem outdoors and away from people who might want to bother HenryThorne."
"Well, no matter, Helen has set her heart on winning the leading role andI'm going to do everything in my power to help her along."