Argosy All-Story Weekly, November 12, 1927 — page 109: what you’re looking at

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

THE RETURN OF GEORGE WASHINGTON. reflected, were far more resourceful and enterprising than newspaper reporters. There were other beneficiaries of Wash- ington’s miraculous return to life. Prom- inent among them was Polly Morgan. She had been caught simultaneously, it would seem, by at least twenty cameras in the act of kissing Washington. One of the tabloids carried a photograph of a Miss Rebecca Levine, of the Bronx, seated on her apart- ment doorstep, revealing delightful legs, weeping because she could not similarly greet the Father of her Country. Advertisements of the Classic Features Corporation, containing photographs of Polly Morgan and her camera smile, boasted of. her speech over the radio; quoted it all in full. Her first film under Classic Features auspices would be entitled “ Polly of Lake Shallon,” and would thrill the nation with its authentic glimpse of her life and the heroic part she played in the miracle of Washington’s resurrection. Larry gave his attention to the editorial pages and read vigorous criticisms. “ What a pity,” bemoaned the Vew York Times, “,that the dignity of the conference between George Washington and Mr. Gal- loway should have, at the end, been cheap- ened by Miss Morgan’s efforts to gain notoriety for herself and a film company. Her behavior is an irritating commentary upon the femininity of the America in which Washington finds himself. Accus- tomed as he was to the womanly virtues of reticence and modesty, he must surely have been rudely shocked. . “ The episode is to be regretted.” The Sun said: The action of Miss Polly Morgan, in seiz- ing the microphone at the termination of the Galloway-Washington conference, was mis- chievous and unfortunate. It came in the nature of a jarring discord after Mr. Gallo- way’s commendable effort to~present Wash- ington to all-listening America as the intelli- gent, straightforward young man he appears to be. In our opinion, this young woman has been grasping opportunity indiscreetly. We are reminded, to our sorrow, that the second- ary function of the old-fashioned hairbrush has been permitted to languish. “ Can nothing be done,” bitterly inquired the Evening Post, “to prevent notoriety, hunters from exploiting America’s latest and greatest hero? Will no one intervene to spare him the ignominy of exploitation by ambitious cinema amateurs and tactless advertisers? Has our noblest American been returned to us for the purpose of testifying to the sterling qualities of popular pickles, pastries and pork? It has come to our attention that an offer of one hundred thousand dollars is to be made to him for his written approval of a certain cigarette. “Is George Washington to be ashamed of the great nation that he founded? Let us unite to quash all attempts at tampering with the dignity of our beloved hero!” Larry frowningly examined the editorial page of The Ji. Printed in red and blue, it rang with a rhapsodic acclaim of the hero’s return to his people. McWhorter _ presently Larry’s breakfast. “The colonel went out horseback riding with Polly before I could nail him, boss. He left word he’d be back in an hour and wanted to see you. I’ve got to do a story on you now. Is there anything in par- ticular except that for eleven hours you gave a fine imitation of a buzz-saw messing around with knots and heartily breakfasted on Peaver’s Palate Pleasing ham and four cups of Oh-So-Good Coffee?” “TI want you to wire, Morrisy,” Larry grimly answered, “to have a _ red-hot editorial written, if he hasn’t already done so, condemning all these advertisers. who are exploiting Washington. It’s disgrace- ful. Did you see the other editorial pages?” “No, boss; I’ve been too busy sorting out telegrams. There are three bushel baskets of them out in my tent for you. Most of them are from nuts. There are twenty operators taking messages for the colonel. Everybody wants to know what the colonel is going to do. | Where’s he going from here, and when does he start?” Larry said: “I don’t know. I'll have a talk with him.” | “Tt would be a shame if Washington hogged him the way they did Lindbergh. At least forty Congressmen have wired saying he’s got to make his first appearance in Washington. Can’t you fix it for him to see New York first?” entered with Comicboo cS Sage (C6)