Screenland (Nov 1931-Mar 1932)

104 Girls About Town! than pleased with the results. Jim and Thomas were having such a good time that they remained in town much longer than they had planned. Moreover, the deal had been closed and the contracts signed before Chase could even worry about it. He felt unusually grateful to the girls on the morning when he wrote out a check to each for $1,000 and sent them over by messenger. Marie rushed down to the bank, at once, but Wanda tore hers into bits. She didn't have to be paid to fall in love with the most wonderful man in the world. That afternoon when she and Jim met, he said quite casually that since they loved each other, they might just as well get married. "Not so soon," Wanda objected. "But I've got to go back home and if you want to go with me — " "Oh, I'll go with you," she assured him. "All I need is a ticket." "Darling, don't you want to marry me?" "Of course, dear. But what more can we have ?" "Well, all I mean is — you wouldn't be Continued from page 37 them. Marie was still playing the game. Because Ben liked old songs, they had sat home night after night singing and playing. And because he still insisted he was an old-fashioned man, she planned an oldfashioned party for him with cakes, which her tiny hands were supposed to have baked, candy from an old recipe of hers, plenty of games such as they played fifteen years ago, and sweet waltzes instead of jazz. She was hot on the trail of that emerald. In the afternoon an unexpected visitor made her appearance. The lady introduced herself as Mrs. Thomas. "I want you to stop letting that man make a fool of himself," she explained briefly. "I've heard everything. He gave you three thousand dollars, didn't he?" "Gave me what ?" "Some silly bet you made." "He didn't give me a nickel." "He wrote me that he did — bragged about it." "Mrs. Thomas," Marie assured her, "he hasn't done anything but take up space "He's rich, handsome and generous to a fault!" Marie (Lilyan Tashman) gives Wanda (Kay Francis) a brief course in the mining of precious metals — otherwise known as gold digging. But it's all right — the girls have hearts of gold beneath their smooth exteriors.' happy out there unless you were married. You wouldn't have a friend in town." "I wouldn't care." "You would. But what's the difference, dear ? You must have some reason for objecting— " Wanda could not look at him when she answered : "I haven't lived the prettiest life in the world." "Now that that's off your chest, we'll go out and get the ring!" "There's just one other small item. I am already married," she said quite low. It was difficult to say, but now that she had said it, she wondered how she could have been so foolish as to keep it a secret. Jim was, as always, understanding and helpful. Did she think she was the only one who had ever entered into a foolish marriage? Now she could remedy all that. He made her promise that she could call Alex at once and arrange for a divorce. The day of Thomas' birthday party (for Marie would not have it that he go back home without a real old-fashioned party) the girls had a few surprises in store for here. He hasn't even taken me to the flea circus." "Sounds like Ben," Mrs. Thomas conceded. "Look here !" Marie stated. "You could have cured him." "How ?" "If you cared, you could find a way. But you probably don't." That was all the encouragement Mrs. Thomas needed to admit that in spite of the papers, her divorce action, and everything she had said against him, she was still in love with her husband. Marie urged her on, always sympathizing with her and blaming Ben Thomas for not appreciating the right kind of wife. "Listen," said Marie, thinking of that gorgeous emerald that she was dying to get, "if we could get him to spend some real money just once — even though it was on some other woman — it would make a different man of him. It's like taking that first plunge into cold water." By this time the two had sat down cosily together, and Marie outlined her plan. The next day she and Thomas went to luncheon. She led the way back, quite SCREENLAND innocently, of course, past a jewelry shop. She stopped to look at the window display and managed to get him to enter the place quite against his will. She asked about the emerald ring which, the salesman told her, was only seven thousand dollars. "Seven thousand dollars!" Thomas repeated. "That amount on a good first mortgage at eight per cent, interest would bring in five hundred and sixty dollars a year. That's what it would cost you to wear that ring." At that point they heard a woman's voice at the other end of the counter. "Let me look at that ring again. I'll take it. And this necklace." "The name ?" The salesman inquired. "Mrs. Benjamin Thomas — Murray Hill Hotel." "Not the Benjamin Thomas!" the clerk exclaimed. "I guess everybody's heard of Benjamin Thomas," the shrill voice continued. "But what everybody hasn't heard is how stingy he is." "Is that woman your wife?" Marie whispered to Thomas. "I wouldn't even have had a wedding ring," the woman went on relentlessly, "if it hadn't been left him by his mother. In all his life Ben Thomas never spent a dime he didn't have to." "Imagine talking that way to a perfect stranger — a clerk," Marie said in astonishment. "Where are those emerald rings?" Thomas roared at the clerk. "Let me have them — and anything else this girl wants. And let's see some pearls too." Marie chose the best, and Thomas instructed the clerk to send them to his hotel. "I'll give them to you to-night at the party," he told her. The party was well under way. Wanda and Jim had had a long talk. She told him that Alex, her husband, had been to see her, and she had arranged for him to give her the divorce. The guest of honor arrived late with all the jewels he had bought earlier in the day. His response to Marie's announcement that it would be a real old-fashioned party was that he was sick of Virginia reels, parlor games, and old-fashioned songs. He wanted jazz and a wild time. It would have been a perfect party if not for Alex. It had never occurred to Wanda when she had casually mentioned the party, that he would turn up. He had come obviously to see what kind of a man Jim was. She tried to keep him away from Jim, but during the course of the evening Alex managed to corner Jim alone. "You're coming between a man and his wife," he lied. "What are you talking about?" Jim asked impatiently. "She wants to divorce you." "On what grounds? I've done nothing. I'm afraid that I should "be the one to get the divorce." "All right, then. If that's all you have to say — " "And I shall name you as co-respondent," Alex added, with a mocking expression on his face. "You can't do that !" ' "Perhaps not. But I could try." "You're mad !" "I might be reasonable — if you know what I mean." Jim knew perfectly. "How much will it cost me?" he asked. "Say — ten thousand."