_Chapter XI_ A FAMOUS DIRECTOR ARRIVES
Miss Williams looked at the three girls remaining and she spoke slowly,choosing her words with care.
"I regret that Cora took that attitude," she said, "for there was noinfluence used in my selection of Helen for the lead. She was much betterin the tryout than Cora."
Then the instructor turned to Margie.
"You did a nice bit as Abbie," she went on, "and I want you to take thatrole. Janet was practically as good as you were on the lines, but youseem a little more like the character. You're thinner and you flutteraround more than Janet, and Abbie is a very fluttery sort of a person."
Margie grinned. "In other words, Abbie is a dizzy sort of a gal and I'mthat type."
"Call it that if you want to," smiled Miss Williams. "Do you want thepart?"
"And how!"
"Very well. I will expect you and Helen to have your lines for the firstact well in hand by Monday night."
Miss Williams, followed by Margie, left the room and Helen turned to faceJanet.
"I'm sorry it turned out this way. I'd rather you had won a part."
"I'm not," said Janet, and she said it honestly, for a part in the seniorplay had meant so much more to Helen. She knew she had done her best, butshe had to admit that after all Margie was better suited to the role thanshe.
The air softened. April came and went, and the senior play neared itsfinal rehearsals. Miss Williams drove the cast without mercy for on thesuccess of the play would depend her own opportunity for advancement.
Helen, working every spare moment, became tired and irritable.
"I'll be glad when it's all over," she said. "I never dreamed it would beso hard."
"You'll be well repaid when the play is given," said Janet, who had beenassigned to the stage crew. In this capacity she attended almost everyrehearsal and she couldn't help watching Margie go through the lines ofAbbie. It was a delightful part, easy to handle, and so breezy andirresponsible.
Costuming took several nights, for Miss Williams was meticulous. Thencame the dress rehearsals, the first on Monday night. The play would begiven Friday. On the following week came the junior-senior banquet andthen graduation and the end of school days.
Janet, watching the play in rehearsal each night, came to know the linesof almost everyone in the cast for the lighting of the show was in hercharge. It was up to her to get just the right amount of amber in theafternoon scene and just the right amount of blue to simulate moonlightfor the evening scene from the rather antiquated banks of lights on eachside of the stage.
Brief letters and a telegram or two had come from Helen's father,assuring her that he would arrive in ample time for the presentation of"The Chinese Image." Janet's father had found a small plot at the rear oftheir own large lot which yielded an ample supply of worms at almostevery spadeful and Indian creek, two miles north of Clarion, was said toabound with bullheads that spring.
On Wednesday night, after a long and tiring rehearsal, Janet and Helenwalked home through the soft moonlight of the late May evening.
"I haven't heard from Dad today. He was going to wire what train he wouldarrive on. It looks like he won't be in until the morning of the play."
"That will be plenty of time. He can stay on longer after the play'sover," said Janet.
"It won't be plenty of time if he has to do any more retakes on his lastpicture. His letters have sounded awfully tired."
"Let's walk on down to Whet's for an ice cream soda. The walk will doboth of us good and the soda will be refreshing," said Janet.
Helen agreed and they walked leisurely, breathing deeply of theflower-scented air; for it was a perfect evening. From far away came therumble of heavy trucks on a through street, but on their own there was anair of peace and contentment.
"Dad will like this when he finally gets here. He always seems to throwoff his cares when he's back home."
"Which is why he anticipates coming home so much," added Janet.
"But it can't go on this way forever. He needs mother and I'll be goingaway to school next fall."
"I wouldn't worry about that until after graduation. There'll be plentyof time to discuss those matters then." Janet felt somewhat like a veryfatherly old man giving advice to a very young girl and she smiled toherself.
At the neighborhood drug store they dawdled over their sodas, thoroughlyrelaxing after the strenuous hours of rehearsal. On the way home theyagain walked leisurely, discussing little things about the play thatappealed to them.
Helen's mother, waiting on the porch, called to them the moment they camein sight.
"Hurry up, Helen. I've a telegram from your father."
Helen ran across the lawn with Janet close behind.
"He's coming, isn't he, mother?" And to Janet there was something pitifulin Helen's extreme anxiety for she was so desperately intent upon havingher father see her in the leading role in the class play.
"He's coming tonight, dear. He wired saying that he would be on thetranscontinental plane which stops at Rubio at midnight. Janet's fatherand mother are going to drive us over. You girls had better clean up abit. We're leaving right away."
"I'm so happy," said Helen. "I was afraid it was a message saying hewouldn't be able to come."
Janet hurried on home. Her father had the large sedan out in the drivewayand her mother was bustling about the kitchen, making stacks of thinsandwiches.
"Why the sandwiches?" asked Janet.
"I've never known the time when Henry Thorne wasn't hungry. He's beenthat way ever since he was a little boy and his wife is too excited tothink about that. We'll have them all over for lunch after we get home."
"But it will be late. Way after one o'clock and Helen ought to be in bed.She has been keeping terrific hours with the rehearsals."
"It won't do her a bit of harm this time. Being with her father will doher more good than anything else. Wrap these sandwiches up and put themin the breadbox so they'll keep good and moist. Then slice some lemon forthe ice tea and put the slices back in the ice box. We'll stop and getsome ice cream on our way in to town."
They hurried around the kitchen until Janet's mother noticed the disarrayof her daughter.
"For land's sake, Janet, you're a sight. Working with the scenery andlights again at school? Well, hurry upstairs and clean up. Then slip intothat pale green print that makes your hair look golden. We'll be ready infive minutes."
Janet forgot her fatigue and raced upstairs, splashed water on herflushed cheeks, followed that with a few hasty dabs of a powder puff totake the shine off her skin, and then went to her own room where she puton fresh, sheer hose and the green print that was so becoming.
Her hair, with its natural curl, needed only a quick brushing to bringout the highlights.
Down in the driveway her father pushed the horn button and her mothercalled.
"We're ready, Janet."
But so was Janet and she hastened downstairs and joined them. The sedanwas one of those extra-broad stream-lined cars with room for three in thefront seat.
"You and Helen can sit up front with me while your mother and Mrs. Thorneare in the back seat," said her father. "Coming back we'll put theThornes in the back where they can visit to their heart's content."
The car rolled down the drive and her father turned and stopped thelarge, low machine in front of the Thorne home. Half a dozen lights wereturned on downstairs and the house fairly glowed with light.
Helen and her mother came down the walk, Helen in a pink, fluffy creationthat set off her dark coloring to its best effect.
"You're pretty enough to look like a would-be movie star trying to makean impression upon a famous director," whispered Janet.
"Maybe I am," smiled Helen as she slipped into the front seat.
"Everybody ready?" inquired Janet's father. "I don't want to get half wayto Rubio and have one of you women remember that you've left somethingimportant at home."
"You do the driving and we'll worry about what's been left at home,"replied Mrs. Hardy with a chuckle.
The big machine rolled away smoothly and when they turned onto the mainstate road to Rubio, John Hardy stepped on the accelerator and theyfairly flew down the straight, white ribbon which unrolled before theirblazing lights.
The speedometer climbed steadily, fifty, sixty and then seventy miles anhour, and the needle hung there except when they swung around one of thebroad, well-banked curves. Then it dropped to fifty.
The rush of cool air was refreshing and Janet and Helen sank back in thebroad, comfortable seat.
When the lights of Rubio glowed ahead Helen spoke.
"It hardly seems possible that Dad will be here in a few minutes. It'sbeen months since I've seen him."
"Then you'll enjoy seeing him all the more. What fun you're going to havethe next few days."
"I hope it will be several weeks for I think Dad needs a good rest. He'sdone three big pictures in the last year."
They rolled through Rubio to the airport, which was just beyond the citylimits. The clock over the hangar pointed to 11:50 and Janet's fatherguided the sedan to a stop in the parking area behind the steel fence.
"I'll find out if the plane's on time," he said, and went over to theoffice.
Janet thought she could hear the faint, faraway beat of an airplane, butthe noise of another car turning into the parking space drowned it out.
"Come on folks. The plane will be here in a minute," called Mr. Hardy.
They hurried out of the car and followed John Hardy through the gate andonto the ramp. In the west were the red and green lights of an incomingplane.
Suddenly the field burst into a flood of blue-white brilliance as a greatsearchlight came on. Like a ghost, the huge, twin-motored plane glideddown its invisible path and settled easily onto a runway, little cloudsof dust coming up from the crushed rock as the machine touched theground.
With its motors roaring a lusty song of power, the monoplane waddledtoward the concrete ramp. The pilot swung it smartly about and the groundcrew blocked the wheels and rushed the landing stage up to the cabin dooras the pilot cut the motors. The propellers ceased whirling just as thestewardess opened the door.
"There's Dad!" cried Helen and she ran toward the plane with Janet at herheels.
Janet Hardy in Hollywood Page 11