The New Movie Magazine (Dec 1929-May 1930)

money than the Peterses had. They must look about for something else if they wished to draw social attention to themselves. The splendid prize was slipping away from them. Two weeks more went by without contact with the Marquis. "I'm going to see Miss Mason," said Mrs. Peters one day. "Maybe she can suggest something." And Miss Mason did — nothing less than a soiree at the chateau. "It must be brilliant," she concluded. "How brilliant?" "The most brilliant of the season." Mrs. Peters trembled. "You must have the haut monde there. Of course," Miss Mason lowered her voice, "you understand there are many nice people today who are in, alas ! reduced circumstances. They go out where they would never have gone before. In my day it would not have been tolerated, but now ..." Miss Mason's high shoulders shrugged. "It will cost something — naturally ; they will have to be recompensed." Mrs. Peters stared. "Recompensed?" she echoed. "You don't mean paid?" "Yes. There are some very fine people in Paris who allow themselves to be entertained for— well, if you must say it, for money. In my day it would have been unthinkable. There is, I believe, an agency with a telephone and card indexes for supplying ... It makes me shudder to think of it." Mrs. Peters was amazed — an agency to supply guests of title and distinction, as servants are supplied. "But, of course, you should not have the people who respond to an agency. You should have between thirty and forty. I will, first, ask a few in to tea to meet you and your daughter. The others it will not be necessary to meet in advance; the evening of the soiree they can go to the chateau direct. Let me see whom we shall have." Miss Mason's fingers began going down on her silk knee. "I think Comte and Comtesse — " and she gave their names. "And I think I can get Baron and Baroness — " and she added their impressive names. "And, oh! I believe I may possibly be able to get the Grand Duke Mikkail." Mrs. Peters's heart leaped — a grand duke. "Oh, can you?" she cried. "That would be splendid, Miss Mason ! I am so glad that I came to you !" "Of course it will be a bit expensive." She lowered her voice. It will be most impressive to the Marquis. You understand, even he looks up to a grand duke." "Does he speak English?" "Perfectly. Practically all European society does, and especially the Russian nobility. Haven't you read your Tolstoy? Grand Duke Mikkail has composed poetry in English." "But won't the Marquis know that these people have been p-paid to come?" "Naturally, but you will be to a certain extent established— you will have made la grande entree. What happens after that will be entirely dependent upon yourself. It will show that you can meet the right people. The guests know it and the Marquis knows it, but it is — alas! understood." "But won't there be a — well, commercial atmosphere to it?" asked Mrs. Peters. "Not in the least. You will find the people most charming — all real people are. Of course," Miss Mason added, "if some of them saw you the next day they might not know you. I shall arrange it to be written up in the American, English, and French papers in Paris — especially the French papers. And it will be telegraphed to America — 'Mrs. Peters of Arkansas Opens Her Chateau to Society.' " "Of Oklahoma," corrected Mrs. Peters. and feed them and give them a good time, that we've got to pay 'em for coming?" "Not everybody, Pike — not the Americans we met at their dinner — just the French people with titles." "How much?" Mrs. Peters moved uneasily. This was the hard part. "Well, that depends. Some of them we have to pay fifty dollars, some of them a hundred dollars, but we're going to have a grand duke and we've got to pay him five hundred dollars." "Five hundred !" echoed Pike. "What for?" "For coming out here and lending — well, prestige to the affair. It will be something we can talk about the rest of our lives." "I won't. If it ever got back to Oklahoma, I'd be ruined. Pretty soon they'd have a man following me around with 'Keeper' on his cap. Hell's huckleberry!" exclaimed Pike, "that's one on me ! Here I used to look down on dukes as livin' high and throwin' their money away — and instead of that they can go out and eat up people's vittles and get paid for it. It's better'n strikin' oil." AT last the big night came and the chateau, which had f* withstood several sieges, trembled as never before in its long and honorable history. As evening drew on the chateau was filled with men carrying flowers and A FEW days later Mrs. Peters broke the news to Pike. "Broke" is the right word. In fact, the news not only broke but scattered over that amazed man. "Do you mean to tell me, after we ask all them people out here 94 You've got your own life to lead, I suppose," said Pike softly. "You will lead it your own way, reaardless of m*»."