The self-enchanted : Mae Murray : image of an era (1959)

He chased me from New York to Paris to Madrid, to Santiago, finally to La Serena Coquimbo. This is in Chile, where I come from. My father is a diplomat. My first trip with him was when I was sixteen. We came to New York and I met Jack." She touched her throat again with her finger. "There are men like this, it is an illness virtually. Once they achieve the goal, once their love is returned — even if the girl hesitates as she runs — it is over." She put down her fork. "I am free to go back to Chile, but it would mean leaving my little boy. I could not leave him." "Don't let them bamboozle you, and don't let them see you're hurt. Go dancing. You couldn't be unhappy when you're dancing. He'll like you better when you're happy." Blanca looked at her, incredulous. "You talk like a child." She stood up and impulsively pressed her cheek to Mae's. "Goodnight, nina" she said and vanished. "You get into bed," Jenny ordered. "I'm staying right here this morning to see you sleep. And you forget these high society men. Doesn't take mother-wit to size them up. Lord ha' mercy ! Look at that dress." When she wakened the place was filled with flowers, every vase was crammed with flowers, so were the pots and pans and a milk bottle. All from Jay O'Brien. "My precious baby," he wrote, extravagantly, "Forgive me. As Allah is my witness, I am in love, I'm tortured, I'm waiting for your call." The bell rang, and a pink suit and blue velvet hat whirled into the room. "Gypsy ! Mr. Ziegf eld wants to see you," Marilyn Miller said. "Today." They fell in each others' arms. It must mean the Follies. "You seem to be celebrating already," laughed Marilyn. "Look at those flowers." "From Jay O'Brien." "Get rid of him," Marilyn said. "The way he behaved last night! Come on, Gypsy, get dressed. We're going to see a girl's best friend" 2J