Argosy All-Story Weekly, August 9, 1924 — page 76: what you’re looking at

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

226 burg,” she told him. ‘“ You’ll want to get your ads in right away.” MacKechnie hurried. IV. THAT night, with awe and wonderment in his soul, he produced the “ Standing Room Only ” sign from its hiding place and hung it high above the gilded box office in his lobby. On the second day the tremendous re- sults of Eva Ray’s coup became glaringly apparent. As the papers drifted in from St. Louis, Chicago and other Midwestern metropoli, MacKechnie’s bewilderment in- creased. Whether the bold statement was good business or not, it was certainly ex- cellent news—and every city editor de- -voured it with relish. The paragraphers seized upon it eagerly and converted it into wise cracks; the art departments dug up all available portraits of Miss Ray and dis- played them prominently. In the wake of all this publicity there flocked to Delphis many special correspondents and feature writers to interview the radical star, who had provided them with fresh food for thought and whose name fitted so easily into the headlines. Eva received them all with easy courtesy and referred them to the Pleasure Palace, where her only public statements would be made. And business thrived! The bombshell had been exploded on Monday. By Thursday it was a matter of common gossip everywhere from the Arm- strong Carleton Café on Hollywood Boule- vard to the Hotel Algonquin in New York. Strangest result of all, the roses bloomed once more in the wan cheeks of Sol Mosher. Bad publicity or good, the word “ Art- Plus ” was at least creeping into print with gratifying regularity. For four days MacKechnie saw Eva only from a distance during her nightly appear- ances at the Pleasure Palace. They both had been too heavily occupied for any so- cial discourse—she with the newspaper men and he with the box office. Then, on Saturday, she summoned him once more to her hotel. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. ‘““T wanted to see you before I go,” she said; and her tone was anything but jubi- lant. “ Before you go—” MacKechnie hadn’t stopped to think that the thing would have to end some time. “Yes. The engagement concludes to- night—the big show is over—the curtain is going down.” ‘Tm sorry.” She looked up at him. ‘I’m sorry, too,” she said simply. ‘It’s been marvelous, while it,lasted, but we mustn’t try to overdo it. The public grew sick of the old bunk, and they’d grow sick of the new truth if we rubbed it in too hard.” ‘“‘T guess you're right,” he admitted. “Yesterday,” she went on, ‘“ Charlie Gates arrived from Hollywood. He offered me a new Art-Plus contract. It’s twice as good as the old one.” “That’s fine,” muttered MacKechnie, with no enthusiasm whatever. offer myself—from Mayer, who owns the Tivoli. He wants to buy the Pleasure Pal- ace on the strength of the publicity we’ve had this week. There was another offer from Kaplan, in St. Louis. He runs a chain of theaters.” ‘“* Are you going to sell?” ‘“‘ No—I guess not. It’s the only busi- ness I know anything about, and I might as well stick.” For a long time they were silent—elo- quently, expressively silent. MacKechnie walked over to the window and looked blindly through the cheap scrim curtains at the vague outlines of the buildings across the street. He didn’t know why he should be so vitally upset about all this—but he knew definitely that he was just that. Cer- tainly there was no obvious reason for his blighting unhappiness; he had made a great deal of money this week, and he was in a position to make considerably more. But the realization came to him, with startling clarity, that his box office no longer held first place in his affections. There was the touch of an arm on his sleeve. He turned slowly, hesitantly, and confronted her. ‘“‘What’s your first name?” she asked him. “T got an. CoOMmicloo (-) SS CO) nn