Motion Picture Magazine (Feb-Jul 1923)

f ■MOTION PICTURF VI I MAGAZINE L "You cant save someone else's soul for him," Marysaid, "that's what he told me that night I went to Sans Souci after Lissa— and it's true. Besides, it wouldn't be fair." The sunlight — it seemed to his sick fancy — came from her hair. He closed his eyes, until the click of the door latch told him that she was gone. "She saw me watching her," he thought stubbornly, "that was meant for me to hear. But what is she doing in this room or what am I doing?" When the rubber-soled nurse came in, she found her patient gazing up at her under frowning brows. "Tell me," he said bruskly, "everything. No softening it for my enfeebled ears." The nurse deftly forestalled further questioning by slipping a thermometer into his mouth. "By and by," she smiled with professional cheerfulness. "You've given all your friends a scare, but you're doing beautifully now." Dermott Trent sent the thermometer splintering into a far corner. "I have no friends ! Get me a newspaper and read me about the fire — and mind, no skipping ! I'm not certain yet whether I have all my legs and arms, but my brains are intact." The paper with the hearttwined pictures lay on the table. Shaking her head, the nurse took it to the window and began to read in a monotonous voice, holding the paper with a cold, clean thumb across Lissa's arch smile. The man in the bed listened impassively ?s the bleak syllables told of the panic and confusion in the smoke-filled theater, the surge toward the ? exits and his own return to make certain there was no one left behind, but when the droning voice spoke the name of Lissa Leonard, he uttered a sharp sound of amaze. "And I thought she had a powder puff for a soul ! Good God — that laughing child risk her life for me " A strange humbleness filled him. All thru the night in uneasy dream and fitful waking he went over and over the puzzle of it and when morning came, he sent the nurse for Lissa. Before the mirror in her own room, Lissa had rehearsed the scene many times, but glamor faded in the harsh light of the sick chamber, with its bottles and smell of antiseptics, and for the first time in her life she felt abashed, inadequate. Dermott Trent, in the part of hero, dashing thru the flames was quite another matter from Dermott Trent, haggard and unshaven, propped grotesquely among pillows, smiling the ghost of his old cynical smile. "I never had my life saved by a beautiful lady before," he said to her, whimsically, "and I'm afraid I dont know the etiquette of the occasion! Should I say, 'Thank you,' do you think?" She laughed rather breathlessly, looking away from 50 A Resume of ^fflhat Has Gone Before Mary Leonard, nineteen, and her fiery sister Lissa, seventeen, leave the dull little tozvn ,of C loverly for Hollyivood. After countless disappointments they are chosen as extras in a cabaret scene. Two important men in the Superba Company see them. One. Leon Grey, offers the gentle Mary a part if "she will be nice to him." Horrified, she rushes to tell Lissa and finds her gone. With the help of Dermott Trent, she rescues Lissa from Al Gressler, another director, from a roadhouse of unsavory reputation. Dermott Trent is czar of the movie zvorld. Thru his influence both sisters are given small parts. Mary leads a normal, simple life, but Lissa is draivn into a wild crowd. One night there is a party at Jasper Dorr's, whose orgies are infamous. Mary goes to protect Lissa and again sees Dermott Trent. The party becomes so wild that Mary, horror-stricken, leaves after Trent, whom Alary instinctively trusts, has promised to guard Lissa, zvho is elated at his attentions, resolves to marry him. After Lissa's picture is finished, without a new job, she dissipates more than ever. Mary resolves to ask the advice of Dermott Trent. One evening she goes alone to Dermott Trent's house, and is frightened by his Hindoo servant, who tries to have Trent send her aivay, for, "she is evil." Trent punishes the servant and then with her usual trust she tells hozv Lissa worries her. He promises Lissa a part in his next production. Suddenly Mary finds Trent pouring out the bitterness of years, telling her there is no one you can trust and disclosing to her startled eyes the secret of a concealed temple where a shrine is always lighted. He investigates everyone and all bad that he finds about them he keeps in a strong box in the temple; so does he feed his hatred for people, hatred caused by an unfaithful woman. Mary urges him to destroy the papers, but it is useless. Hozvez>cr, he keeps his promise and Lissa has a prominent part in his next picture. At its first showing, the theater on the Superba lot was jammed. The lights went out, the picture flashed on the screen, when across the film a thin black line, like fine handwriting in an unknown tongue, zcrithed a moment and burst into flame. Pandemonium broke loose. him. "Oh, please dont — let's talk of that !" How different and queer and — meek men looked in bed! Not like magnificent beings at all— — "Or how would this do?" Dermott Trent went on. "You have saved my life! Now do what you will with it ! You must forgive a movie man if he proposes in captions !" It was what she had schemed for, what she had thought she wanted, but her triumph was savorless as Dead Sea fruit. He was thirty-seven — why that was almost an old man! Before her memory flashed a vision of Hollister's burly young bulk bending above the wheel of his racing car with the strong yellow hair close cropped on his great column of neck. "Dont be a fool," whispered Self in her ear. "Hollister has nothing, and never will ! This man can give you a sable coat as good as Saidi Love's, diamonds, a car, servants — these are the things you want, aren't they?" Futilely Lissa put off the moment of decision. "I — I never thought you liked me," she faltered. "I never thought you approved of me." Dermott Trent laid his hand over hers — it was cold and sent a chill thru her. "I never knew you before, little Lissa," he said seriously, "my life seemed such a poor thing to offer to anyone, but if you thought it was worth risking yours for, I want you to take it, and let me try to make you happy." His voice was very gentle, but his eyes, resting on her averted face, were weary and wise. About this woman at least he would never have any illusions, any ideals to lose. Whatever impulse had sent her into the smoke-filled theater after him, he knew Lissa and Lissa's kind, silken, sleek, little animal creatures ■ When Mary Leonard heard of her sister's engagement, she kissed her so solemnly that Lissa wriggled pettishly in her embrace. "For heaven's sake dont act as if the body was in the next room !" she protested. "When you get that kind of a stained glass look on, Mary, you make me feel as if I was in church, and I'd much rather feel as if I were in a cabaret ! Lord knows marriage is bad enough — what is it the minister says — 'till death do you part and may the Lord have mercy on your souls.' '; Dermott Trent had gone back to the big house on the hill, but altho Lissa had insisted on putting off the formal announcement of their engagement until he was well enough to "give a party," she was already making plans for the wedding, "I'll have you for chief mourner — I mean bridesmaid !" she told Mary, giggling, "and Hollister shall be Second Best Man. I think fire weed would be appropriate for the bridal bouquet, dont you ?" "She's only a child !" Mary thought wincing, "she {Continued on page 96)