Argosy All-Story Weekly, June 13, 1925 — page 48: what you’re looking at

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

520 vanized into a standing position by the words. “Of course,” replied the girl. ‘‘ Don’t you remember? Mr. Clinton put the con- tract through. He went to see you about it to get congratulations but he said you prac- tically ordered him out and refused to talk about it. Then you had me call up the newspapers and cancel the contract. Don’t you remember? ‘They canceled it because it was our stuff, of course. But Mr. Clin- ton had signed up a big outdoor campaign, too, and he went ahead with that, while waiting for you to talk to him about the newspapers. “Why, you must know this,” she con- tinued, nervously studying him. “ The whole trade is talking about it. Every one says it’s the most enterprising exploitation ever staged. We've had post cards and signs and—” “ But for what?” exclaimed Andrew Ben- nett. ‘‘ For what are we being used. Who are we advertising and questioning. Who is paying for ite” “Why the Twentieth Century Film Company, of course!’” exclaimed the secre- tary. ‘‘Oh, Mr. Bennett, you’ve been ill, I’m sure, and I’m almost ready to cry my- self over all this. You must know. They’re putting out a big feature picture called ‘ The Answer Is Yes’ and they’re beginning their national advertising campaign with us. They’ve made the title out of a slang expression, turned it into a slogan and ex- ploited it on the stage and in electric lights on Broadway—you must have seen it, Mr. Bennett. Why, we’ve put it into a song and records are being made and it’s going on the radio and you say you know nothing about it! Why, Mr. Bennett, you saw the airplane we hired scrawling it in smoke all over the sky this morning!”’ Andrew Bennett’s head fell forward on his chest, and remained there a moment. Then he said to Hastings: “ You mean that you have had no hand in this? What have you been doing?” “ Why, dad, Bill’s been in the Berkshire Hills with me,” said Florence, flushing. “ He discovered that I had really taken his suggestion and gone without a word to him. He drove up in his car the same day.” ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. “But these ads,” persisted her father. “These questions? What do they mean? I can’t-——” “Of course, you can’t,” laughed Flor- ence, “ but every little flapper in the coun- try has been using that expression for months. Of course, you don’t know either that Gerald MacHugh is to be starred in the picture as his first feature film on re- turning to the silver screen. He’s an exiled prince in the story who has been driven from his throne, and he wanders into the Balkans where he meets a beautiful princess —why, dad, did you really think Bill was the hero of it or what?” Bill grinned in embarrassment, then turned to Andrew Bennett who now sat erect, as though he had shaken the weight of the world from his shoulders. Florence slipped an arm through Bill’s and drew him to her father’s side. ““Wasn’t there something pending before this movie discussion came up?” she asked, and Bill replied: “There was, and I’m ready to discuss it here, as Mr. Bennett suggested a few min- utes ago, but when I win, I want to win fairly, not through any one’s error of judg ment. Mr. Bennett, I would like your per: mission to ask Florence to be my wife. Andrew Bennett looked into Bill’s eyes steadily and they did not waver under his gaze. Mr. Bennett said slowly: ‘ ‘I’m not so sure of my judgment on anything, any more. If Florence is willing to be married to you, I have no objection.” Bill turned his eyes to the girl, then. She was smiling, faintly, and her cheeks had gone pale. He lifted her hand lightiy. bent over and kissed it. Without relaxing his fingers, he said, very quietly: “ Florence, you’ve heard your father give his consent to me to ask you to be my wife. So I do ask you, now. All that I told you about myself the other night still stands. The only other thing is that some of that million is gone. I heard just before I left town that a block of Bennett agency stock had appeared on the curb and I bought it. I don’t know and don’t care where it came from, but somehow I thought it would be better for me to have it than some one else. That’s all, except that I’m going to work COIN CloOOO© S C@