The New Movie Magazine (Dec 1929-May 1930)

They Had to See Paris "It's Father!" His mother gazed at him in astonishment, but now it was not the fear that Pike had been run over or hurt. No, Pike's continued absence meant something. "What's he been up to?" she asked. "I — I can't tell you," said Ross, stirred with emotion. "What do you mean? What is it?" his mother demanded. "Whatever it is — it is all your fault." "Your fault!" The words struck home to his mother. "What's the matter?" "What's the matter, Ross?" asked his sister tensely, moved by Ross's distress. "We drove him to it," said Ross. Mrs. Peters and Opal could not understand— "drove him to it." What did Ross mean ? "Do you know what I heard him say?" asked Ross, now prepared to tell. "He said the Peters family was pretty well broken up! He was right. I don't believe we'll ever see him again." "Has he been hurt? Has he been in an accident?" asked his mother, anxiously. "No." "Is it a woman?" asked Cpal. Mrs. Peters turned upon her son. "A woman!" she cried, for she had not thought of that. "Tell me, Ross, that it is not true. Ross, it isn't, is it?" At this moment the door opened and Pike himself entered, but not the broken, subdued Pike that his wife expected. Instead, it was a very jaunty, an almost debonair Pike. "Hello, Idy," he called as if he had been no farther than across the street. Mrs. Peters turned upon him solemnly. "Where is that woman?" she asked sharply. "Which one?" asked Pike. "I can hardly believe it," said Mrs. Peters, suddenly filled with emotion. Her husband! The father of her children! "Daddy, we want to go home," sail Opal with a burst of feeling. France was a splendid place, it had culture and refinement, it could tell America many th'ngs, but still it was not her native land. Pike turned to her in pretended astonishment. "Home!" he echoed. "To that pi*ovincial little old town! Why, say, I haven't seen half of Paris yet! I tell you what we'll do — you folks go home and I'll stay over here." A shock indeed to Mrs. Peters. If Pike was beginning to see the fast side of Paris, what would it be after she had gone? While these thoughts were darting through her mind, Opal spoke: "We'll do nothing of the sort." "I certainly can't go back home now." declared Pike, " — why, I've got no background! I have no broad outlook. I haven't even got a different point of view, nor a new experience!" "You'll not have a new experience as long as I can prevent it," said Mrs. Peters grimly. Mrs. Peters now began to understand how nearly the family had come to going to pieces in Paris. They had spent a great deal of money, they had sought strange gods, and now she began to re (ConUnued from page 111) pent of it. After all, the Marquis had been purely commercial — their money was all he wanted. Clark McCurdy was different. Home boys, yes, but he was steady, reliable, not so dashing as the Marquis, but — and then she remembered Pike's comparison of the skyrocket. A skyrocket wouldn't be a very valuable addition to the family. And now, as these thoughts flashed through her mind, Mrs. Peters said a very remarkable thing: "I'm sorry. I guess I've been too ambitious for the children. I know it's all been my fault!" A tremendous admission for her. "No, it ain't, Idy," declared Pike with sudden feeling. "It ain't your fault at all. It's just kinda the fault of human nature. It's the fault of parents. They just think they can kinda do bette:pickin' out their sons and daughters-inlaw than their own children can. It's just sort of nature that way. "My goodness! the children do bad enough without any outside assistance. Y'know how marriage is — kind of like a poker game — and you've got to play your own hand. Take, y'know, your marriage, it wasn't universally referred to as a brilliant match. Even the society editor of The Claremore Prog s: lid an aroma of horse liniment prevailed." For a moment Mrs. Peters was shocked — yes, Pike was crude, but so is a diamond as it comes out of the ground. But even though he said shocking things, he got to the truth of the affair. He was indeed a good husband—anyway, until he had come to Paris. He belonged in a small town where everybody knew him, and where lie was looked up to. "Yeah," continued Pike, "it didn't look like I'd ever get to Paris then, did it? I tell you, I've come to the conclusion that if parents can just keep their children out of jail, they have fulfilled their obligations to 'em. Yeah — we pick on our young folks too much. We think every succeeding generation is goin' to the devil — well, if they was — if every generation was gettin' worse than the other generation — why, we'd all be in purgatory now! "We think if a girl goes down to the beach and don't go in swimmin', and just gets her back sunburned, that's terrible, but look at the old Romans! Did you ever see those pictures around those baths? Y'know — layin' down on those marble slabs — all draped up — did you ? You never saw a Roman in a tub in your life, did you ? Never was in them baths atall — no. they ain't in them baths — just layin' out there," and Pike gave a humorous imitation of a Roman lying on his bathing marble. "Automobiles are criticized, too. Every time the young folks stop and spoon by the road, they think it's terrible, y'know. But a horse would stop — not only would but y'remember d he said, giving a knowing look at Mrs. Peters. "Couldn't keep goin' all Sunday afternoon, could we ? I tell you, youth has got to have its fling, and just because a lot of us are gettin' too old to fling we shouldn't criticize them that's flingin'!" True enough, but there was something else that must be settled, and Ross was the one who put it into words. "What do you say, Dad. let's go back and start all over again?" "Please, Daddy," urged Opal, "let's back home." Mrs. Peters was the last to speak — her ambition died hard — and then she said a very surprising thing: "Yes, come on. let's go back home." Pike turned to Opal. "You want to see Clark McCurdy, don't you ?" "Yes." responded Opal, her eyes shining. "All right," said Pike, pretending that he was doing them a great favor, "you all want to go home. I want you to know that I was just beginning to appreciate this man's town. If I': .d her another month I'd had some of the Froggies forgettin' Napoleon!" Home! sweet, sweet home. Now they could go back— thev had seen Paris. THE END Surrounded by huge studio lights and other impediments of a talkie stage, Rosetta and Vivian Duncan go over a couple of new songs for their first sound film, temporarily titled "Cotton and Silk." Scm Wood is directing. 113