The haunting hand
do to me, it wouldn’t go easier with him for having dragged me into
it. _He_ stole the radium. I had nothing to do with that. He’ll go up
for that anyway, and a wad in the bank at his convenience, when he
gets out of jail, won’t be anything to sneeze at. So _that’s_ why I’m
so sure I won’t be dragged back from Hollywood--that is, if _you_ play
the game as I believe you will, Miss Anstruther.”
“I’ll play it just that way,” she said quietly. “Good-by, Mr. Stoner.
I advise your sticking to romance in the pictures you direct. It won’t
require the assistance of science to aid realism.” The smile she gave
him, although conveying a mocking taunt, was not unfriendly. He struck
her suddenly as so much more a fool than a knave, even in his
childishly malicious gossip about Gene.
Abruptly he stuck out his large hand. “Will you shake on it, Miss
Anstruther, just to show there’s no hard feeling?”
“Certainly!” She gave him her hand and he shook it with a great show
of sexless cordiality. That was for Corinne’s benefit.
He turned to go, without so much as a glance at Corinne. She said
sharply:
“You’re darn lucky you have to deal with a girl as square as Margot
Anstruther. Even if I wanted to play you a mean trick, she wouldn’t
let me do it.”
“Don’t need to remind me,” he said, with an ugly look at the star,
“that you’d play me a dirty trick if you dared. But _she’ll_ see to
that!” And the next instant the door closed behind him.
“Dirty dog!” It was Corinne’s irrepressible but final disposal of the
man for whom her love had turned to hate.
Margot, with her unquenchable sense of humor, said, with a smile she
tried to keep from spreading into a roguish grin:
“That gives you the last word. Now forget him! He’s really occupied
more time and space in my young life than he’s worth, except that he’s
furnished me with considerable amusement, first and last.”
“Well, I don’t see it--the amusement part. But, as you say, forget
him! Only there’s one little matter I’m not quite through with, that
is about Lulu Leinster. I signed her up last week, for a part in my
new picture. She may have played me a nasty trick, but I doubt it. I
believe Stoner sprung that stuff about her going out to the coast,
just to spite you, because you’d cornered him. I’m pretty sure it’s a
lie, and I’m dead sure the part about seeing her with Gene _was_ a
lie.”
Margot moved restlessly. “That’s of no importance, is it, but it is
important whether she’s broken her contract with you.”
“I’ll soon find out. I’ll send for her to come here.”
Corinne summoned her maid and directed that she request Miss Leinster
to meet Miss Delamar in her dressing-room within a half hour.
“And now for the board meeting,” she said cheerfully, rising. “We’re
late, of course, but they’ll wait. Just watch them jump to their big
flat feet, and bow and scrape as if I’d done them an honor by keeping
them waiting.”
“But, Miss Delamar,” Margot hung back, “whatever your business is with
the directors, you won’t need _me_ now.”
“I most certainly will!” Corinne put her hand on Margot’s arm, and
pushed her toward the door. “Now, more than before, if you only knew!”
And then she laughed into Margot’s questioning eyes.
“But--I don’t understand. You’re going to drop the case of Stoner
altogether, you said?”
“I am! But I didn’t say I was going to drop _your_ case, did I?”
Margot was puzzled. She didn’t know Corinne well, after all. What on
earth was she driving at? However, she, Margot, had nothing to
conceal--except for the sake of her promise to Stoner--and her
curiosity was aroused. Also she wasn’t a quitter. If Corinne wanted
her to go with her to that board meeting, why she’d go!
“You won’t tell me why you want me to go with you,” she temporized
once more.
“You’ll find out quick enough. Come on, please, Miss Anstruther! Have
a heart and don’t let us keep the poor things waiting any longer!”
So they hurried--until they reached the door of the board room. Then
Corinne put on her most nonchalant manner, and walked into the room as
if royalty itself had arrived with, as it were, a blowing of silver
trumpets and a tinkling of silver bells. Even Margot was impressed,
not by the star’s importance, but by the way she got away with it.
Every man in the room rose to his feet, bowing obsequiously, with
broad and admiring smiles centered on Corinne. A few glances wavered
in Margot’s direction, and all eyes were focussed on her, as their
star, with a little wave of her hand in Margot’s direction, said very
sweetly:
“Some of you have had the pleasure of meeting Miss Anstruther, some of
you haven’t, but of course you’ve _all_ heard about her fine work as
_Conchita_, in _A Toreador’s Love_!”
The men bowed to Margot, who gave to each of them a frank, personal
smile of acknowledgment, and a slight inclination of her head.
Corinne, without another glance at anyone, sat herself on the chair
put forward for her, crossed her knees, and beckoned to Margot to sit
beside her. It really was amusing, this stardom! If Corinne hadn’t
acquired the status of star, even her talent--and she had
talent--would not have commanded any particular respect from these
men, accustomed as they were to rather cavalier methods with the girls
in their employ. But Corinne was not only a good little actress; she
had her own increasing number of fans, and she was an asset to the
Superfilm Company. Margot felt that it was a definite accomplishment,
and she looked at Corinne with new respect.
“Well, Miss Delamar, you wished to have a meeting called to transact
some important business. But first let me tell you that Frederick
Stoner has run out on us. His resignation reached us this morning.”
Joseph Livingstone’s small eyes focussed on Corinne. Margot,
accustomed to reading human eyes, and finding it easy in so heavy a
countenance as that of Livingstone, understood that he was wondering
if a love-quarrel between the star and the director were the cause of
his sudden resignation.
Corinne turned upon the president a wide, innocent gaze of such
complete astonishment--such convincing surprise--that Margot bit her
lip, and looked quickly down at her lap. It would be awful if she were
to giggle or even smile in the august presence, and at that particular
moment. Corinne appeared far too amazed for speech. Joseph
Livingstone, apparently afraid of some temperamental outburst, said
hurriedly:
“Of course we’ll go on just the same. We’ve got plenty of good
directors. And now, Miss Delamar, what can I do for you?”
Corinne’s expression changed to frank and disarming friendliness. She
said sweetly:
“By doing what I ask, Mr. Livingstone, you will be doing something for
your company. I haven’t come here to ask a favor for myself. First, I
wish to call your attention to the marked talent Miss Anstruther has
shown in her work with us. You will agree with me, I’m sure?”
Margot looked at Corinne with an amazement which she had difficulty in
disguising. Joseph Livingstone rubbed his beringed hands, and said:
“I certainly agree with you, Miss Delamar. The young lady shows
decided promise. We think she has considerable talent.”
“Well, Mr. President,” Corinne smiled directly at him. “I now want to
call your attention to another important point. Miss Anstruther has
acquired, in the last few days, much publicity, of a kind that does an
actress a lot of good with the public. This publicity will be
invaluable, not only to her, but to me and to the whole company. Do
you understand, Mr. Livingstone?”
“I get your point.” Livingstone’s eyes looked suddenly more alive.
“I’m sure you do,” Corinne said warmly. “And I’m sure you’ll _all_
agree with my suggestion that you star Miss Anstruther, just as soon
as _A Toreador’s Love_ is finished!” She threw bright, eager glances
around the room.
Margot stared at Corinne in a surprise so intense that she forgot to
disguise it, but all eyes were fixed on the star.
“But,” gasped Joseph Livingstone, “I was thinking--we all
thought--that you and this young lady were not good friends.”
“How funny!” Corinne’s smile was genius--pure and simple genius,
Margot decided. “We’re the very _best_ of friends, and I admire Miss
Anstruther so much that I made up my mind to have a frank talk with
you, and try to make _you_ see what _I_ see so clearly.”
“Well, well, you take me by surprise, Miss Delamar. But, after all,
why not? Only we’ll have to find a picture for her.”
“Oh, that’s easy!” Corinne threw her beaming smile once more around
the room, then let it rest on Margot. “The title of the picture will
be _The Haunting Hand_, and the story will be the mystery of the arm,
and the strange lights in her room. It will make a _wonderful_
picture!”
“Fine! Fine!” The President again rubbed his white, short-fingered,
carefully manicured hands.
There were murmurs of approval, and glances of admiration bestowed on
Margot, who sat without a word, far too overcome with genuine
gratitude to Corinne for any casual acceptance of her kindness and
generosity. A few more remarks, a few more smiles and bows, and the
two girls left the board room. Outside they stood still and looked at
each other. Margot put out her hand and gripped Corinne’s.
“I don’t know why you did it, but you’re a little brick and I’m
honestly so grateful that I haven’t words to tell you how I feel about
it, Miss Delamar!”
Corinne returned the pressure of Margot’s fingers, then she said
slowly:
“Well, to be honest, I do like you immensely, and I admire you and
your work. You’ve got real talent. But I suppose--and an honest
confession is good for the soul--I suppose that I’m so darn glad you
put it all over Stoner, and opened my eyes for fair, regarding his
conduct in general, that I felt there wasn’t anything too much I could
find to do for you. That’s the God’s truth about it!”
And Margot knew that it was, looking into those strange green eyes
with their yellow lights.
In Corinne’s dressing-room they found Lulu Leinster smoking a
cigarette, stretched at ease in the one comfortable chair. She rose
languidly and smiled greetings to the star and to Margot.
Without preamble Corinne went to the point.
“Are you going out to the coast engaged by Stoner?”
The utter amazement in Lulu’s large blue eyes was sufficient reply to
Corinne’s question, without the astonished “No!” that followed.
Corinne flashed a look at Margot, then she said:
“He told me he’d signed you up to go out there. I was sure you
wouldn’t play me such a trick, but I thought I’d put it right up to
you.”
“Why, he must be a terrible liar, Miss Delamar, to say such a thing.
He _asked_ me to go out there and offered me something good if I’d go,
but I told him I’d signed up with you and that I’d rather stay here
with you.”
“Good child!” Corinne patted her hand. “As he’s such a picturesque
liar, I dare say he lied when he told us he’d seen you and Gene Valery
in a night club last night--or rather early this morning.” Corinne’s
inflection seemed to state a fact rather than ask a question.
Lulu’s fair skin grew slowly pink and she made a nervous pretense of
flicking the ashes from her cigarette. Without raising her eyes she
said a little unevenly:
“Mr. Stoner did see me last night with Gene Valery.”
Margot’s pulse beat suddenly very fast, but her eyes and mouth were
under control when Corinne’s astonished gaze flew to her, in
embarrassed uncertainty.
“Well----” The exclamation came from Corinne in a gasp of annoyance at
being put in a false position. “That’s funny! Since when have you and
Gene Valery been such friends?”
“Why, we’re _all_ good friends,” Margot broke in eagerly, “aren’t we,
Lulu?”
Lulu gave her a sidelong glance, then she said laconically:
“Sure thing.”