Escape To Hollywood

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 189, 12 August 1939, Page 13 (Supplement)

Escape To Hollywood

I 1! IF. atmosphere inside Attorney Dchlcr s office was musty and lie'. Linda Bailey, leaning hack in i crc.tky chair and waiting for t'h-- <>id lawyer to go on, closcd her eyes. ■-i ini'ly lie, Till iiim as he spoke n"i i • 1 1. ■l •. ;i 11 v of Jll •j- great Ins-;. She i! :■ ! l"-r ha lids her ];i p, letting !■ ' 1 a \v:i 111Kt, (ben coming back > ! " reakly as his (Ironing words ' •I(.1|;;|| the mist of lansitlldo i I been like a |u"i iti'ctiV(» bai'i jor ii■! i 11L' !or si iii i» the sudden <1 c; 1111 • •' 1 'her, two wicks ago, had made I I I ■ I'llM 11. "... d;-like tn Intrude upon your M s Linda, hut i fi-lt. it my duty i" ;i 1 |.i iint you with the unpleasant f 's :if once, before . . . ahem . . . yon m'kn niiy impossible plnns for tho I'ui ire." i.n l.i opened her eyes. "I haven't c "Mi'y i "i<lr nny ph ns, though I've I ••••!: I 'linking . . . 1 may go to Hollyw!. . . My dn u h ter. Helen. Ir. i I i" aI I Mini' \ i':i ns. .) t n clear hi* I ii. "W li ii'li is' one of Hi- re.i-.mii-|.l -I \ Mil |n ,|, Up in t l|is ; | I't .• ■ I II." I "ii, |, | f,,r«.ird. "I d m 11' I . . . 111 .!. ■i■ ti a nd. What, are you trying In tell ire':' ••.I ii-t 111 i•. Mi-.; I.inda ." Mr. Odder hcr-itl'ed. "Here ill I e 111 er\i 11 e. your father u IS considered a \s i 1111 ll mail bill . . . nil furl una I e|\ . . . lie puttered MTV Ilea \ V |n--es ill fceetlt Veal'S. So hen vv. in fait, lhal he was er — almo.-t f>ri tiie verge nf ha nk ru i-t ey. ' I.inda. 11 ie\v in her hrealh sharply. I!a 11:. rapl <y ! 11 hln't he! Why, there Mill al\\a \- I ll money —all they lie. di d i.>c e\er\l aiir_'. I'.nough to maintain ill,, iiin.l pre |en lions establishment in rent erville, Ihe large mansion on the hilltop. \ n,| vet, somehow. she was not cnl i ly surprised. She had had an illdclineil premonition f«>r some time; had sensed something wrong, though sho had never spoken of it to her father. Henry Bailey's pride had forbade her questioning him about financial matters. "Tell me," she breathed. "Are there . . . debts . . . which can't be paid J"

A Powerful Neu) Serial, With A Modern And Unusual Setting

'No-it isn't • | iii to as bad as that. I here are many obligations—but I believe they can nil be met." Linda sat erect. She was a tall girl, with blak hair drawn smoothly back truin a wide forehead. She had dignity ami poi-e wlii.h made her seem older than her twenty years. "You're sure there is enough to pay . . . everything 7" Mr. Odder nodded. "Yes—but what I wish lo tell you' U that there will be lilt!" left for you. Putting a fair appraisal upon the entire assets of your father's estate. 1 calculate that you will come out in the clear by only a few thousand dollars." I.inda did not wilt, as he had expected her to do. "Vei v well-—that's enough." "Hut but what will you do?" the lawver asked anxiously. I.inda -miled wryly. ''I'll get a job— wmil; Imi my li\ i I rj. Other girls do . . . " .lust then, light fuiitr-l e|«s wer" heard eoie'■ 11 •; up I lie stair-. 'I'll.' office door was thrown open, and Helen Odder I'll me 111. She ua - a pre! I \ girl of the ill! IT \ type. -Hello. Dad . . . and Linda. Am .1 inl erriipt ing so met hi rig." "No," Linda said calmly. "I'm just adjusting myself to a future of patiperi -in. 1 ha I's all." "W hat !" "Von might a.s well know it," Linda went on defiantly. "All of Cent erville will know it soon enough! Father left: me nraet iea II v nothing." "lon I.inda!" gasped Helen. "[ tliMiiL'lit he was rich! What did he do with .ill his money ?" "I don't know." I.inda shrugged. She and Helen had never been good friends. She knew that Helen had always been jealous of her and had thought of her as stuck-up. Now Helen would probably seize the chance to be patronising—just as everybody iri Centerville would, as soon as tho situation was generally known. She wished suddenly that she could keep it from being known. She couldn't l>ear to think of the way the town would talk.

ByKathryn Culver She turned to Mr. Debler. "Doee— does everybody have to know about this 7" "Why—why, I don't see just how it could be kept from them." "Suppose." Linda said softly, "I should go aw ay 7 They needn't know then, need they? That is, if you and Helen keep quiot ?" "No, they needn't know under those circumstances —not right away, at least."j Hut vhere would you go? What would yon do?" "1 might." mused Linda, "really make that trip lo I lolly wood. I have an aunt out in I.os Angeles, and I—l've always wanted to ha\e a try at t.h* movies." Attorney Odder linked very dubious a bout I his idea. Linda sighed, and rose. "Anyway, would you and lle'en please say nothing for the time being about- -about the condition of father's all'airs?" "Of course if that's w hat y>u wish," said the lawyer. Linda lieai out her hand. "Thank you. And if you'll make out a power of attorney. I'll s'gn it and give you authority lo take care of everything." Helen accompanied her down the dingy stairway to the street. "I.inda . . . dn you really mean that a bout 11 oil v wood ?" "I think' I do." "Hut what will Fred say?" Linda detected a note of eagerness in Helen's voice. Fred Lancaster wa* the young man whom the whole town expected Linda to marry, but Linda knew full well that Helen was smitten with Fred, and would be only too glad to have her out of the way in Hollywood. She remembered tliat, when she had gone I'.a-I last year to study dramatics. Helen had made good use of her absence. "What does it matter what he says?" "You know, lie's expecting to marry you," Helen pointed out, envy in her tone.

ill iff: n't mean I'm expecting to 11iyrry liini,'' Linda retorted. She paused beside lifr coupe, parked t the curb. "Are- are yon going to toll liini about —about your father':" Helen asked. "No—and ilon't you tell him, either. Or anyone else. Sou promise. •'Cross my heart. Rut Linda, he'll never let you go tu Hollywood!" "Won't he? Perhaps I don't need his permission," Linda said coolly. With that, she climbed into her car and drove off, leaving Helen staring after her with a queer glitter in her eyes. ♦ ♦ ♦ * CHAPTER 11. LINDA drew her car to a stop before the broad verandah of her home and, for a while, just sat there, thinking. Like many girls reareil in small towns, she had always considered her home town drab and uninteresting, and

often dreamed of a day when slie would leave it. She had been East several times, but she had never been West. Now, this afternoon, her longing to follow that beckoning highway westward was intensified. She had a reason now for going—escape from the humiliation phe would suffer if she stayed here and let it become known that her father had left her virtually penniless. J!cside = . her drama teacher last year had advi-cd her to try the movies. Now that she wanted (o get away, anvwav — now was her chance. It wouldn't cost much to drive to Hollywood—she had enough cash on hand. And once there, the could stay with her Aunt Nora while she tried her luck at breaking into 1110 movies. Aunl Nora was an elder sinter of her mother's. Linda had never seen her, but she had her address, and she felt sure her mother's sinter would make her welcome. There was only one deterrent to hold her in Centerville—Fred Lancaster.

She climbed out of the ear, went slowly up the verandah steps, and entered the dim coolness of the big house. She went toward the kitchen and called to Miss Mattie Holmes, who had been housekeeper in the Bailey household ever since Linda could remember. "Miss Mattie! Would you please ask Sam to get my steamer trunk out of the basement and bring it up to my room?" Miss Mattie, a plump little woman, appeared from the kitchen. She looked vaguely startled. "You going away, Miss Linda." '"I'm thinking about it." Linda tried to speak casually. "Mr. Debler will take charge of the house if 1 do go. Like as not, he'll rent it and will arrange tor you and the others to stay on. I— Ml tell you about it later." "'les. Miss Linda. I'll call Sam." Linda went on tip to her room. In a few minutra she was busily sorting out her belongings, preparatory to [lacking. That evening Linda was seated in the glider on the front verandah when Fred arrived. He lived only a shoit distance iiwiiv, and had walked. Linda watched him coming up the driveway. He was a tall young man, broad-shouldered and athletic in build.

"Hi, Linda!" He climbed tne steps and, seating himself beside her, took her hand. "What's this I hear?" he asked at once, "I saw Helen Debler on the street this afternoon, and she seemed to have a silly idea that you were planning to go away. 1 ' Linda hesitated, then decided she might as well waste no time in breaking the news to him. "It isn't a silly idea, Fred. I am going away—to Hollywood." "Hollywood!" he gasped. "For gosh sake, why?" "I might . . . get into the movies." "But—but, Linda, why have you suddenly got that crazy notion into your head?"' "I've had it at the back of my mind for a long time. You know I have. It's .just that I've decided now to do something about it." "Does—docs that mean you—you aren't going to marry me?" Fred faltered. "1 ... don't know. Anyway, L don't want to think about getting married just now." "Don't—don't you love me, Linda? I thought, ..." l-'red's voice trailed away. "I—l'm not sure I do, Fred ..." He dropped her hand and rose stiffly.

"All ri.crht! I that's cl&ar onoujrh! I suppose you've enjoyed leading me on." he said bitterly. When Linda didn't reply, he stood there, irresolute and bewildered, lookins; down at her. Moonlight shone on her face. Then, suddenly he dropped down beside her again and caught her in his arms. ""Linda! Please don't do this. What's come over you? Please don't go away! Please say you'll stay here and . . . and ..." He was drawing her to him. Jn his arms, Linda felt herself weakening. When his lips found hers, she responded (o his kiss. The lure of Hollywood wasn't half so strong as it had been a few minutes ago. She felt her resolve flowing out of her . . . Then, the moment was abruptly shattered. A oar came up the driveway, its raucous horn startling them apart. Helen Debler leaped out, and came sauntering up the steps. ''Oh! Hope I'm not intruding!" she said, with a little laugh. As Fred scrambled to his feet, Linda didn't know whether she was glad or sorry for the interruption. Continued Next Week