diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'old/55815.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | old/55815.txt | 5486 |
1 files changed, 0 insertions, 5486 deletions
diff --git a/old/55815.txt b/old/55815.txt deleted file mode 100644 index c916ab4..0000000 --- a/old/55815.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,5486 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Peggy Plays Off-Broadway, by Virginia Hughes - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Peggy Plays Off-Broadway - Peggy Lane Theater Stories, #2 - -Author: Virginia Hughes - -Illustrator: Sergio Leone - -Release Date: October 26, 2017 [EBook #55815] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PEGGY PLAYS OFF-BROADWAY *** - - - - -Produced by Stephen Hutcheson and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - -[Illustration: _"I know," Peggy said excitedly. "But which airline?"_] - - PEGGY LANE THEATER STORIES - - - - - _Peggy Plays Off-Broadway_ - - - By VIRGINIA HUGHES - - Illustrated by Sergio Leone - - - GROSSET & DUNLAP _Publishers_ - NEW YORK - - (c)GROSSET & DUNLAP, INC., 1962 - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - - MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - - - - - CONTENTS - - - 1 Cast Call 1 - 2 The Hopefuls 12 - 3 First Reading 21 - 4 A Shy Angel 30 - 5 An Unexpected Scene 39 - 6 Two Acts of Faith 50 - 7 An Intermission 58 - 8 Curtain Fall 69 - 9 One for the Money 80 - 10 Two for the Show 93 - 11 Three to Make Ready 108 - 12 Which Way to Go? 119 - 13 A Decision 130 - 14 Race Against Time 137 - 15 Act One 152 - 16 Act Two 161 - 17 S. R. O. 167 - - - - - PEGGY PLAYS OFF-BROADWAY - - - - - I - Cast Call - - -"First casting calls are so difficult," Peggy Lane said, looking -ruefully at the fifty or more actresses and actors who milled about -nervously, chatting with one another, or sat on the few folding chairs -trying to read. - -"With only nine roles to be filled," she continued, "it doesn't matter -how good these people are; most of them just haven't got a chance. I -can't help feeling sorry for them--for all of us, I mean. After all, I'm -trying for a part, too." - -Peggy's friend and housemate, Amy Preston, smiled in agreement and said, -"It's not an easy business, honey, is it? But the ones I feel sorriest -for right now are Mal and Randy. After all, they have the unpleasant job -of choosing and refusing, and a lot of these folks are their friends. I -wouldn't want to be in their shoes." - -Peggy nodded thoughtfully, and reflected that it must, indeed, be more -wearing on the boys. Mallory Seton, director of the new play, had been -an upper-class student at the Academy when Peggy had started there, and -he was a good friend of hers. She had worked with him before, as a -general assistant, when they had discovered a theater. It would not be -easy for him to consider Peggy for an acting role, and to do so -completely without bias. It would not be a question of playing -favorites, Peggy knew, but quite the reverse. Mal's sense of fair play -would make him bend over backward to keep from giving favors to his -friends. If she was to get a role in this new production, she would -really have to work for it. - -And if it was difficult for Mal, she thought, it was more so for Randy -Brewster, the author of the play, for her friendship with him was of a -different sort than with Mal. Mal was just a friend--a good one, to be -sure--but with Randy Brewster, somehow, things were different. There was -nothing "serious," she assured herself, but they had gone on dates -together with a regularity that was a little more than casual and, -whatever his feelings were for her, she was sure that they were more -complicated than Mal's. - -"Do you think they'll ever get through all these people?" Amy asked, -interrupting her thoughts. "How can they hope to hear so many actors -read for them in just one afternoon?" - -"Oh, they won't be doing readings today," Peggy replied, glad to turn -her attention from what was becoming a difficult subject for thought. -"This is just a first cast call. All they want to do today is pick -people for type. They'll select all the possible ones, send the -impossible ones away, and then go into elimination readings later." - -"But what if the people they pick for looks can't act?" Amy asked. "And -what if some of the rejects are wonderful actors?" - -"They won't go back to the rejects," Peggy explained, "because they both -have a pretty good idea of what the characters in the play should look -like. And if the people they pick aren't good enough actors, then they -hold another cast call and try again. Mal says that sometimes certain -parts are so hard to cast that they have to go through a dozen calls -just to find one actor." - -"It seems kind of unfair, doesn't it, to be eliminated just because -you're not the right physical type," Amy said, "but I can understand it. -They have to start somewhere, and I guess that's as good a place as -any." Then she smiled and added, "I guess I'm just feeling sorry for -myself, because Mal told me there was no sense in my trying out at all, -because I didn't look or sound right for any part in the play. If I -don't get rid of this Southern accent of mine, I may never get a part at -all, except in a Tennessee Williams play!" - -Peggy nodded sympathetically. "But it wasn't just your accent, Amy," she -said. "It's your looks, too. At least for this play. Mal and Randy told -you that you're just too pretty for any of the parts that fit your age, -and that's nothing to feel bad about. If anybody ought to feel insulted, -it's me, because they asked me to try out!" - -"Oh, they were just sweet-talking me," Amy replied. "And as for you, you -know you don't have to worry about your looks. You have a wonderful -face! You can look beautiful, or comic, or pathetic, or cute or -anything. I'm stuck with just being a South'n Belle, blond and helpless, -po' li'l ol' me, lookin' sad and sweet through those ol' magnolia -blossoms!" She broadened her slight, soft accent until it sounded like -something you could spread on hot cornbread, and both girls broke into -laughter that sounded odd in the strained atmosphere of the bare -rehearsal studio. - -It was at this point that Mal and Randy came in, with pleasant, if -somewhat brisk, nods to the assembled actors and actresses, and a -special smile for Amy and Peggy. In a businesslike manner, they settled -themselves at a table near the windows, spread out scripts and pads and -pencils, and prepared for the chore that faced them. Amy, who was there -to help the boys by acting as secretary for the occasion, wished Peggy -good luck, and joined the boys at the table. Her job was to take names -and addresses, and to jot down any facts about each actor that Randy and -Mal wanted to be sure to remember. - -Mal started the proceedings by introducing himself and Randy. Then, -estimating the crowd, he said, "Since there are fewer men here, and also -fewer male roles to cast, we're going to do them first. I hope that you -ladies won't mind. We won't keep you waiting long, but if we worked with -you first, we'd have these gentlemen waiting most of the day. Shall we -get started?" After a brief glance at his notes, he called out, "First, -I'd like to see businessman types, young forties. How many have we?" - -Four men separated themselves from the crowd and approached the table. -Peggy watched with interest as Mal and Randy looked them over, murmured -to Amy to take notes, and asked questions. After a few minutes, the men -left, two of them looking happy, two resigned. Then Mal stood and called -for leading man types, late twenties or early thirties, tall and -athletic. As six tall, athletic, handsome young men came forward, Peggy -felt that she just couldn't stand watching the casting interviews any -longer. It reminded her too much of the livestock shows she had attended -as a youngster in her home town of Rockport, Wisconsin. Necessary though -it was, she felt it was hardly a way to have to deal with human beings. - -Slipping back through the crowd of waiting actors, she joined the -actresses in the rear of the room, and found an empty seat next to a -young girl. - -"Hi," she said. "What's the matter, can't you watch it either?" - -The girl smiled in understanding. "It always upsets me," she replied, -"but it's something we simply have to learn to live with. At least until -we get well-known, or get agents to do this sort of thing for us." - -"It sounds as if you've been in a few of these before," Peggy said. - -"I have. But not here in the East," the girl replied. "I'm from -California, and I've been in a few little-theater things there, but -nobody seems to pay much attention to them. I heard that off-Broadway -theater in New York attracts a lot of critics, and I thought that I'd do -better here. Have you had any luck?" - -"Oh, I'm just beginning," Peggy said. "I'm still studying at the New -York Dramatic Academy. I hope I can get some kind of supporting role in -this play, but I don't think I'm ready for anything big yet. By the way, -my name is Peggy Lane. What's yours?" - -"I'm Paula Andrews," the girl answered, "and maybe I'm shooting too -high, but I'm trying out for the female lead. I hope I have a chance for -it." - -Peggy looked carefully at her new friend, at the somewhat uncertain -smile that played about her well-formed, generous mouth and the -intelligence that shone from her large, widely placed green eyes. Her -rather long face was saved from severity by a soft halo of red-brown -hair, the whole effect being an appealing combination of strength and -feminine softness. - -"I think you do have a chance," Peggy said. "In fact, if you can act, I -bet you'll get the part. I've read the play, and I know the author and -director, and unless I'm way off, you look just the way the lead should -look. In fact, it's almost uncanny. You look as if you just walked out -of the script!" - -"Oh, I hope you're right!" Paula said with animation. "And I hope you -get a part, too. I have a feeling that you're going to bring me good -luck!" - -"The one who needs luck is me, I'm afraid," Peggy said. "Being friendly -with Randy and Mal isn't going to help me in the least, and I'm going to -have to be awfully good to get the part. And it's really important to -me, too, because I'm getting near the end of my trial year." - -"Trial year?" Paula asked curiously. - -"Uh-huh. My parents agreed to let me come to New York to study acting -and try for parts for a year, and I agreed that if I didn't show signs -of success before the year was up, I'd come home and go back to college. -I've been here for eight months now, and I haven't got anything to show -my parents yet. The part I'm trying for now isn't a big one, but it's a -good supporting role, and what's more, we get paid. If I can show my -mother and father that I can earn some money by acting, I'm sure that -they'll let me go on trying." - -"But do you expect to make enough to live on right away?" Paula asked. - -"Oh, no! I'm not that naive! But when my year is over at the Academy, I -can always take a job as a typist or a secretary somewhere, while I look -for parts. If you can type and take shorthand, you never have to worry -about making a living." - -"I wish that I could do those things," Paula said wistfully. "The only -way I've been able to make ends meet is by working in department stores -as a salesgirl, and that doesn't pay much. Besides, the work is so -unsteady." - -"My parents are very practical people," Peggy said with a smile, "and -they made sure that I learned routine office skills before they would -let me think about other and more glamorous kinds of careers. Daddy owns -the newspaper in our small town in Wisconsin, and I've worked with him -as a typist and a reporter of sorts and as a proofreader, too. I'll -always be grateful that he made me learn all those things. I don't think -he has much faith in the acting business, but he's been wonderful about -giving me a chance. What do your parents think of your wanting to be an -actress?" - -Instead of answering, Paula suddenly stood up. "Let's go see how they're -coming with the actors," she said. "I think they're almost finished." - -Not wanting to press Paula further, and feeling that perhaps she had -asked too personal a question on such short acquaintance, Peggy -reluctantly stood too, and joined Paula to watch the last of what she -now could only think of as the livestock show. - -As she drew closer to the table, she heard Mal saying, "I'm really -sorry, Mr. Lang, but you're just not the right type for the role. -Perhaps some other...." and his voice trailed off in embarrassment. - -Lang, a short, thin, unhappy young man, answered almost tearfully, "But, -Mr. Seton, looks aren't everything. I'm really a funny comedian. -Honestly! If you would only give me a chance to read for you, I know -that I could make you change your mind about the way this character -should look!" - -"I don't doubt that you could," Mal said gently, "but if you did, the -play would suffer. I'm afraid the comedian we need for this must be a -large, rather bluff-looking person, like these three gentlemen whom I -have chosen to hear. The part calls for it. I'm sorry." - -Mr. Lang nodded sadly, mumbled, "I understand," and walked off, his head -hanging and his hands thrust deep in his pockets, looking less like a -comedian than any man in the world. Peggy watched him go, not knowing -whether to feel sorrier for him or for Mal. - -"All right, gentlemen," Mal called out. "That takes care of the male -roles. All of you who are left will be given copies of the play to -study, marked at the passages I want to hear. Be sure to read the whole -play carefully, so that you understand the workings of the characters -you have been selected to read. You have three days to look it over. -We'll meet at ten o'clock on Saturday morning at the Penthouse Theater -to hear you. Thank you. And now for the ladies." - -The men left, after being given their scripts, and though they chatted -amiably with one another, Peggy was sure that each was casting rather -hostile looks toward others who were trying for the same parts. Keeping -friendships in the theater was not an easy thing, she thought, -particularly for people of similar physical types! - -Mal's first concern in reviewing the actresses was, of course, for the -leading role. And, of course, it was for this role that he had the most -applicants. More than twenty girls came forward when the announcement -was made, and Peggy thought that she had never seen so many striking and -beautiful faces and figures. It was not going to be easy for Mal to make -a choice. As Paula, her new friend, went forward to join the others, -Peggy whispered a word of encouragement, then stood to one side to -watch. - -Mal went down the line, regretfully dismissing one after the other of -the girls, and occasionally asking one to step aside to try for another -role. His tough-looking expression hardly varied as he spoke to each -one, but Peggy thought she saw the ghost of a smile cross his face when -he spoke to Paula Andrews. Another review of the remaining girls -eliminated a few more. Finally, there were only four left, Paula among -them. Mal thanked them, distributed scripts, and asked them to be at the -Penthouse Theater on Saturday at noon. - -Paula returned to Peggy with eyes shining. "Oh, Peggy! I think you were -right! I just know I'm going to get the part! I know it!" - -"Don't count too much on it," Peggy cautioned, "or you may be too -bitterly disappointed if you don't get it. But," she added, -enthusiastically violating her own rule of caution, "I'm sure, too! I'll -see you Saturday. Even if I don't get a script, I'll be there just to -hear you read!" - -Then, with a smile of farewell, Peggy turned her attention to the -"career woman, early thirties" classification that Mal had called for -next. Once that was out of the way, she knew it would be her turn. - -This time, there were not so many applicants and Peggy remembered Randy -telling her that this would be one of their most difficult roles to -cast. Only four actresses came forward, and Mal, with difficulty, -reviewed them all. Unable to eliminate by type, he gave them all scripts -and asked them to come to the theater. Then he called for "character -ingenues" and Peggy joined seven other girls in the "livestock show." - -Mal reviewed them carefully, managing to look at Peggy with complete -lack of recognition. He gently eliminated three of them on the basis of -hair coloring, height or general type. Another, curiously enough, was -eliminated, like Amy, for a Southern accent, and a fifth, also like Amy, -was too beautiful. "The part calls for a pretty girl," Mal said with a -rare smile, "but not for a girl so pretty that she'll dominate the -stage! It was a pleasure to look at you, but I'm afraid you're not quite -right for the part." - -When he was done, Peggy and two others were given scripts and told to -come to the theater on Saturday. Feeling lightheaded and giddy, Peggy -settled herself on one of the folding chairs that lined the back wall, -and waited for Mal, Randy, and Amy to finish so she could join them for -coffee. - -Scarcely noticing the rest of the proceedings, she thought only about -the coming readings. She was so familiar with the play that she knew she -had an advantage, perhaps unfairly, over the other two girls. She had -watched the script grow from its first rough draft to the finished text -now in her hands, and had discussed it with Randy through each revision. -She knew she could play the part; in fact, she suspected secretly that -Randy had written it for her, and the thought made her blush. Still, it -would not be easy, she knew. Mal's sense of fairness and his absolute -devotion to the play above everything else would keep him from making up -his mind in advance. - -But despite this knowledge, she could not help looking ahead--all the -way ahead--to the restless stir of the opening-night audience out front, -the last-minute preparations backstage, the bright, hot lights and the -smell of make-up and scenery paint as she waited to go on in Act One, -Scene One of _Come Closer_, Randy Brewster's brilliant new play in which -Peggy Lane would be discovered! - - - - - II - The Hopefuls - - -The audience consisted of a handful of actors and actresses, and Randy -Brewster and Mallory Seton. The stage lighting was a cold splash -produced by two floodlights without color gels to soften them. The -scenery was the brick back wall of the stage, two ladders, a table and -two straight-backed chairs. Only the front row of house lights was on, -and the back of the theater was dark, empty and gloomy, a shadowy -wasteland of empty rows of seats like tombstones. - -On the stage, a "businessman type" was reading his lines. Peggy knew, -after the first few words, that he would not do. He had somehow -completely missed the character of the man he was portraying, and was -heavily overplaying. Mal, being perhaps more patient than Peggy, -listened and watched with great care. Amy, who was acting as Mal's -assistant for the production, sat in a chair by the proscenium, reading -her script by the light of a small lamp and feeding the actor cue lines. -Mal followed the whole sequence with no visible sign of impatience and, -when the actor was through, said, "Thank you. We'll let you know our -decision in a day or two." - -The next "businessman type" was better, but still not quite on target, -Peggy thought. He seemed to be playing the part for laughs, and although -there were some comic values to be extracted from the role, it was -really far more a straight dramatic character. Still, he was clearly a -better actor than the first, and with direction might do well. - -Following his reading, Mal again repeated his polite, invariable -formula, "Thank you. We'll let you know our decision in a day or two," -and called for the next reading. - -Peggy watched the remaining actors try for the role, and made mental -notes of which ones were possible, which probable, and which stood no -chance at all. - -The same process was then followed for the leading men, and the same -wide range of talent and understanding of the part was displayed. Some -seemed to have no idea at all about the play or its meaning, and Peggy -was sure that these men had read only the parts marked for them. Others -had a clear understanding of the kind of character they were playing, -and tried to create him in the brief time they had on stage. Others -still were actors who had one rather inflexible way of playing, and used -it for all kinds of parts. Their performances were uniform imitations of -each other, and all were imitations of the early acting style of Marlon -Brando. They seemed to forget, Peggy thought, that Brando's style -developed from the roles he had to play, and that as he got other roles, -he showed other facets of a rounded talent. It made her angry that some -actors thought they could get ahead in a creative field by being -imitative. - -Each actor, no matter how good or how bad, was treated with impersonal -courtesy by Mal, and each left looking sure that the part was his. Peggy -was glad that she would not have to see their faces when they learned -that they had not been selected. - -"The pity of it," she whispered to Randy, "isn't that there are so many -bad ones, but that there are so many good ones, and that only one can be -selected for each role. I wish there were some way of telling the good -ones you can't take that they were really good, but that you just -couldn't take everyone!" - -"You can't let yourself worry about that," Randy replied. "The good ones -know they're good, and they're not going to be discouraged by the loss -of a role. And the bad ones think they're good, too, and most of them -have tremendous egos to protect them from ever finding out--or even -thinking--otherwise!" - -The door at the back of the theater opened quietly, and Peggy, turning -around in her seat, saw a few of the actresses entering. They quietly -found seats in the rear and settled down to await their turn. - -"I think I'll go back there with the girls," Peggy whispered. "I'm -looking for a girl I met at the casting call, and I'd like to chat with -her for a few minutes when she comes. Do you mind if I don't look at all -this?" - -Randy grinned. "Go ahead. I'd get out of here, too, if I could without -getting Mal mad at me. This kind of thing always breaks my heart, too!" - -As she went up the aisle as unobtrusively as possible, Peggy glanced at -the actresses who had just come in. She recognized a few of their faces -from the casting call of three days ago, but did not see her new friend -among them. She decided to go out to the lobby to wait for her there. A -new group of girls entered the theater as Peggy was leaving and, as she -passed, one reached out and grabbed her arm. - -Peggy turned in surprise to find herself greeted with a broad grin and a -quick companionable kiss. - -"Greta!" she cried. "What are you doing here?" - -"Come on out to the lobby, and I'll tell you," Greta Larsen said, with a -toss of her head that made her thick blond braid spin around and settle -over her shoulder. - -"But I thought you were in New Haven, getting ready to open _Over the -Hill_," Peggy said, when they had reached the lobby. "What on earth are -you doing here?" - -"I'm afraid you don't read your _Variety_ very carefully," Greta said. -"_Over the Hill_ opened in New Haven to such bad notices that the -producer decided to close out of town. At first we thought he'd call in -a play doctor to try to fix things up, but he finally decided, and very -sensibly, that it would be easier to just throw the whole thing out. I'm -afraid he lost a lot of money, and he didn't have any more left." - -"Oh, I'm so sorry," Peggy said. "And it was a real chance for you, -wasn't it?" - -"Not really," Greta said. "The part wasn't too good, and I'd just as -soon not be in a disaster. Anyway, it gave me a chance to work for a few -weeks, and an agent saw me and said he thought I was good, so maybe I'm -not any the worse for the experience." - -At that moment, Peggy saw Paula Andrews enter the lobby, and she -motioned to her to join them. "Greta, this is Paula Andrews. She's -reading for the lead today, and I hope she gets it. Paula, I want you to -meet Greta Larsen, one of my housemates." - -"Housemates?" Paula questioned, a little puzzled. - -"Yes. There are about a dozen of us, more or less. We live in a place -called the Gramercy Arms--a wonderful place--and we live like one big -noisy family. The Arms is run just for young actresses, so we all have a -lot in common. I haven't seen Greta for weeks--she's been out of town -with a play--and I'm just getting over being stunned at seeing her now." - -"Peggy tactfully neglected to mention that the play flopped," Greta -laughed, "and now I'm back in town without a job. In fact, that's why -I'm here." - -"You mean you're going to read for Mal?" Peggy asked excitedly. - -"Uh-huh. I met him on the street an hour or so ago, and he told me he -had a part he thought I should try out for, and that he was thinking of -me for it all along, but assumed that I wouldn't be available. Well, you -can't be more available than I am, so here I am!" - -"Have you read the play?" Paula asked. - -"I'm lucky there," Greta replied. "I've seen it in three different -drafts since it started. Peggy's friendly with Randy Brewster, the boy -who wrote it, and each time she brought a draft home, I got to read it. -So I'm not at a disadvantage." - -"What do you think of _Come Closer_, Paula?" asked Peggy. - -"I think it's wonderful! I hope more than ever that I get the part! Do -you really think I have a chance?" - -Greta nodded decisively. "If you can act, you're made for it," she said. - -"That's just what Peggy said!" - -Peggy stole a glance through the doors to the theater. "I think we're -about ready to find out whether or not you can act," she said. "They -seem to be about through with the actors, and that means you're on -next!" - -Wishing each other good luck, they entered the darkened part of the -house and prepared for what Peggy could only think of as their ordeal. - - -Afterward, as Peggy, Amy, Paula, and Greta sat at a table in a nearby -coffeehouse waiting for Mal and Randy to join them, each was sure that -she had been terrible. - -"Oh, no!" Peggy said. "You two were just marvelous! But I couldn't have -been worse. I know I read the part wrong. I thought I had the character -clear in my mind, but I'm sure that the way it came out was a mile off!" - -"You have a lot more talent than judgment," Greta said mournfully. "You -were perfect. And so was Paula. As for me...." Her voice trailed off in -despair. - -"I don't know how you can say that, Greta," Paula put in. "I know you -were the best in your part, and nobody even came close to Peggy. But -I've never felt so off in my life as I did reading that part. It's a -wonder any of you even want to be seen with me!" - -Only when Amy started to laugh did the three others realize how much -alike they had sounded. Then they joined in the laughter and couldn't -seem to stop. When they seemed at the point of dissolving helplessly -into a permanent attack of the giggles, Randy and Mal joined them. - -"If you're laughing at the play," Randy said gloomily, "I can hardly -blame you. You never know just how badly you've written until someone -gets up and starts to read your lines." - -All at the same time, the girls started to reassure him and tell him how -good the play was, and how badly the actors, including themselves, had -handled the lines, but this was so much like their last exchange of -conversation that once more they broke up in helpless laughter. - -When they got their breath back, and when coffee and pastry had been -ordered, they tried to explain the cause of their hilarity to the boys. - -"... so, you see," Peggy concluded, "we were each explaining how good -the others were and how bad we were, and when Randy started telling us -how bad he had been as a writer, we just couldn't stand it!" - -It was Mal who got them back to sane ground. With his tough face, like a -movie gangster's or private detective's, and his gentle, cultured -English voice and assured manner, he calmly gave his opinion of the -afternoon's auditions. - -"First of all, I think the dialogue plays remarkably well, Randy. It's a -good play, and I don't think there'll be too many changes to worry -about. Secondly, you're all right and you're all wrong. I might as well -tell you now that you each have the part you tried out for. I'm very -pleased with you, and proud to have you in the cast." - -Peggy and Greta excitedly embraced each other, and when they turned to -do the same to Paula, were dismayed to see that she was crying. "What's -wrong?" Peggy asked. "Is anything the matter?" - -"Oh, no," Paula wailed, trying to smile through her tears. "It's just -that I wanted this so much, and I'm so happy, and I started to laugh and -it came out tears...." She rummaged for her pack of tissues, dabbed her -eyes, and emerged with a radiant smile. - -"There, that's better," Randy said. - -"The tears were all right too," Mal said. "I feel like doing the same -thing when I'm really happy, but it wouldn't go with my face. It looks -great on yours!" - -By the time the coffee and pastry arrived, Paula's emotional storm had -so far been put behind her that she fell on the cakes with the appetite -of a lumberjack. - -"A little restraint, please, madam," Mal said, "or you'll lose your -part. We want a nice, slim leading lady, not a butterball! You're in -training now!" - -"Let me take them," Greta said. "I have a fat, round face to begin with, -and you wouldn't have picked me if you wanted a sylph for the part. -You'll never notice a few ounces more!" - -"I'm sorry to tell you that we not only would notice it, but we'd mind -it very much," Mal said, "but nobody minds a fat director. So...." He -reached for the cause of the debate. - -"What I can't understand," Greta said, "is how you picked me for the -part. Why did you want me to try for a thirtyish career girl role? I'm -not really the physical type, and those other girls were. Will you tell -me?" - -"Just a hunch," Mal said. "You'll be the type with your hair out of that -braid and put up, and with a little make-up to age you a few years. I -felt that you had the kind of crisp delivery we wanted, and it looks as -though I was right. As for Peggy, it's as if the part were written for -her." This last he said with a sly side look at Randy, who reddened -slightly. "And as for Paula, well...." He broke off and looked at her -intently. - -"I don't know what it is, but the minute I saw you in cast call, I knew -you were our girl. And when I heard you read, I knew that I hadn't made -a mistake. There's something about you ... some quality that I seem to -recognize ... I suppose it's talent. But that's enough of compliments. -If we don't get out of here, we'll soon be writing long epic poems to -each other's genius." - -So, finishing their coffee with a toast to the success of _Come Closer_, -they said their good nights and parted outside the coffeehouse. - -"Don't forget," Mal called after them, "rehearsal Monday night. See you -then!" He walked off with Paula, and Randy escorted Peggy, Amy, and -Greta back to the Gramercy Arms. - - - - - III - First Reading - - -Peggy was at stage center, under a bright bank of floodlights. Amy -entered from stage right, crossed down center and turned her back to the -house to look upstage. She paused a moment before speaking. - -Her position, back to the audience, would have been unforgivable if -there had been an audience, and her lines, when she spoke them, were -scarcely dramatic. - -"You have paint on the side of your nose," she said, "and there's a rip -in the seat of your jeans. Now where I come from, no lady...." - -"The same to you," Peggy grinned, looking around from the flat she was -painting. "At least, the same to you as regards the paint on your nose. -I can't see the seat of your jeans from here!" - -Amy put down the bucket of paint that she had brought with her and -stepped back to the apron of the stage to get a better look at Peggy's -handiwork. It was a small wing flat that was to represent the corner of -a frame house. A window frame had already been installed in it, and -later the suggestion of a back porch would be added. Peggy was busy with -the somewhat tedious work of painting clapboards on the flat canvas. -Each was made with two lines of gray paint drawn across the -white-painted surface; first a dark line, then a somewhat broader -light-gray line. From working distance, it looked like nothing but -striped canvas, but from a few feet away, the dimensional effect was -surprisingly real. Peggy joined Amy at the edge of the stage to get a -look at what she had been doing. - -"It looks pretty good, doesn't it?" she asked. - -Amy nodded. "Keep it up, honey child, and you may find a real niche for -yourself in the theater!" - -Laughing, the two friends worked together on the flat, each using one of -the shades of gray. The work went much faster now, which pleased Peggy, -because she didn't want to leave the flat half-finished when it was time -for her to stop and go to her section of the readings. - -In the early part of working on a play, the stage is seldom used. First -readings usually take place in small groups gathered in any convenient -spot, and it is not until the actors are fairly familiar with their -lines and with the way the director wants them read that the play begins -to take form on the stage. _Come Closer_ was in the earliest days of -rehearsal, and Mal was still in the first stages of familiarizing -himself with his cast and them with the play. - -The Penthouse Theater was ideally suited for the work they were doing. -It was actually a very old theater which Peggy and Amy had discovered, -under exciting and mysterious circumstances, when they had first come to -New York and met Randy and Mal. The theater itself occupied the top -floor of an old loft building, and when Randy and Mal had leased it, -they had rented the whole building. Both the theater and the other -floors below it had seen much alteration since, and it was now a unique -actors' workshop from top to bottom. - -The boys had converted part of the loft space into compact apartments -for themselves, and other rooms into living quarters for young actors -whose rent, although low by city standards, was still enough to pay most -of the costs of operating the building. The ground floor had been turned -into a series of rehearsal studios, which, when not being used by Randy -and Mal for a current play of their own, were rented to other groups. In -its short time of operation, the Penthouse Theater had already become an -off-Broadway institution. - -For Randy and Mal it had proved to be the best thing that had ever -happened to them. It not only gave them a theater in which they could -stage their productions, but it gave them enough income so that they no -longer had to work at other jobs while trying to pursue their careers in -the theater world. - -Before, Randy had worked in small night clubs as a song-and-dance man--a -way of life for which he had the deepest contempt. Mal had been an actor -in movies and television where, because of his tough face, he had been -type-cast as a gangster. He not only didn't like gangster roles, he -found it hard to get them because of the cultured English accent that -issued so surprisingly from that face. For both boys, the Penthouse -Theater meant a new life and new opportunity, doing Randy's plays, -directed by Mal. - -Peggy and Amy put the last touches on the clapboard wall, stepped back -to review the work, and smiled with satisfaction. - -"It looks perfect," Peggy said. "Now I just hope that we stretched the -canvas tight enough on the frame in the first place, so that it doesn't -flutter if somebody bumps into it. If anything looks terrible, it's a -clapboard wall that flutters!" - -"I think it's tight enough," Amy said, "and besides, if it isn't, it's -too late to think about it now." - -"You're right," Peggy agreed. "Not only that, but I think it's too late -to think about anything right now but my part. I've got to clean up and -be downstairs for a reading in five minutes. Do you want to keep working -here, or will you come down to hear us?" - -"I've got to come to hear you," Amy said, "whether I like it or not. Mal -asked me to work out the first go-round with you and make notes on the -script as we go. He'll be in to hear you and the others in about an -hour." - -"Like it or not!" Peggy said in mock indignation. "What makes you think -there's even a chance you won't like it? I propose to be brilliant!" - -Of course she knew better. Brilliance is not in the picture in these -early readings. A half hour later, in Studio 3, having gone once through -Act Two, Scene Two, she realized wryly just how far from brilliance they -were! - -The play, which Randy described as a fantasy, or a "modern morality -play," was not an easy one for the actors. The parts could, with too -broad a reading, descend into farce or, with not just the right quality -of the fantastic, slide off into dullness. The setting was a resort -which was, in actuality, a sort of rest home for wealthy people who -needed to get away from themselves for a while--or to find themselves. -The point of the play, which gradually emerged, was that each of the -characters had somehow led at least two distinct kinds of lives and had -found both of them unsatisfactory. All the people in the play were -trying, in whatever ways they could, to find some third or fourth kind -of life that might be more pleasant and satisfying than the last; all of -them were getting more confused every day they tried. - -Peggy's part, then, was not easy. She was playing the role of a young -girl of twenty-one who had been a very successful child movie star, but -who had not made a picture since she was twelve. Realizing that she was -through with show business, she had tried to pretend that she was just -an ordinary person who could live an ordinary life. She had gone through -college and started work as a secretary, keeping secret the fact that -she had been a movie star. But shortly before the play opens, she has -suddenly come into the fortune which she had earned as a child, but -which had been held in trust for her. The money confuses her, and the -publicity she gets when the story of the money comes out makes it -impossible for her to continue as a secretary. - -The difficulty for Peggy was in making this character seem true and -alive. This meant that the personalities of an ex-child movie star, a -quiet, precise secretary, and a bewildered new heiress must all be -combined in one believable whole. - -Each of the other actors had a similar problem of dual personality, and -they all had great difficulty not only in interpreting each role, but in -deciding how any two or more characters were to speak to each other. -Part of the point of the play, cleverly conceived and written by Randy, -was that each character brought out one special aspect of each other -character, so that Peggy had to act quite differently, almost minute by -minute, depending on whom she was speaking to. - -Their first efforts in this reading were often so wrong as to be -hilarious. The scene included Peggy, Greta, the "businessman type" who -was an affable, charming man named Alan Douglas, and the comedian, a -roly-poly actor named Gil Mulligan. Their attempts at finding a suitable -kind of relationship for this scene were not very successful, and they -were so intent on establishing character that they often paid very -little attention to their lines, and garbled the words. To make matters -worse, Mulligan had a knack of taking each "fluff," which is what actors -call a mistake, and carrying it on one step farther toward madness. When -Mal finally arrived to see how the group was doing, they were all -doubled up in helpless laughter. - -When they had caught their breath, Amy tried to explain to Mal. "The -characters are so shifting," she said, "that everybody's confused about -how they're supposed to act to whom. Or am I confusing it more? Anyway, -they've all been fluffing lines like mad." - -"Of course," Mal said matter-of-factly. "Wrong approach, and all of you -should have known it. It's far too early in the game to try to define -your characters. You have more than enough work to do in just getting -your lines down cold. What I want you to do for a while is just to go -over the lines and learn your cues. Read your parts straight. After -you're easy in what you're doing, we'll work at establishing character -and shifting viewpoint and response. Besides--and pardon me if I sound -like a tyrannical director--I'd rather you wouldn't play around with -character development when I'm not here. Now, have you read the scene -through yet?" - -"Nearly," Peggy answered, "if you can call what we've been doing a -reading. I don't think any of us benefited much by it, though." - -"All right," Mal answered. "Don't worry about it. Why don't you start it -again from the top? I think we have time to go through it at least one -time, just to get the feel of it. Then you can all go off by yourselves -to learn your own sides." - -This time, with no worrying about character, the scene went smoothly. -Almost mechanically, Peggy thought. At first she could not understand -the point of having them all just sit around and read the words of the -scene to each other without any attempt at acting, but gradually she -began to appreciate the value of the method. As each one read in turn, -she discovered that every actor had his own personal style or rhythm of -reading, a rhythm which, by the end of the scene, she was beginning to -catch and anticipate. By the time they were done, she thought that she -could tell fairly accurately in advance how each would read his next -line. Now that they weren't trying to make themselves fit the parts, -they fell easily into their own natural patterns of speech. - -Things went much more quickly in this fashion, and they were able to run -through the scene twice before it was time to call a halt. The second -time around was much smoother, Peggy noticed, and as they worked, the -pattern of the scene and the interplay of the characters began to -emerge. When it was done, all the actors agreed that they now had a much -clearer idea of what they were doing, and would be better able to go -home and study their lines. - -As they were on their way out, Peggy fell into step alongside Mal. "I -noticed that you didn't say a word about how we should read," she said, -"and I also noticed that the individual reading styles of the people -were pretty clear this time. Is that what you were after?" - -"Exactly," Mal said. "You're catching on to the tricks pretty quickly, -Peggy. You see, a director has to work with actors, as well as with a -play. I can't force anyone to fit precisely into my own preconceived -notions of a character, because if I tried, the performance would be -stiff and unnatural. What I have to do first is get to understand the -actors as they are, and then start building from there. That's why a -Broadway play has a much better chance than an off-Broadway venture. -When you're working with stars, you have known quantities--and -qualities--and you cast people who already correspond to your own vision -of the part. But when you have to work with unknown actors, you must -remember that they're unknown to the director as well as to the -audience. Because of this, my first job is to get to know them as they -are, and to get the feel of each one's natural way of reading a line. -Then I can build on that." - -"My, there sure are a lot of hidden problems in directing a play," Amy -said. "I used to think of a director as a kind of wild-animal tamer, -standing in the middle of a ring of snarling actors with a whip and a -chair, and making them jump through hoops, but it's more complicated -than that, isn't it?" - -Mal laughed. "The wild-animal trainer's life isn't so simple, either," -he said with a mischievous grin. "After all, they have to understand the -psychology of lions and tigers, and that must be nearly as difficult as -understanding actors!" - - - - - IV - A Shy Angel - - -Rehearsals had been going on for over a week now, and Peggy was feeling -strangely depressed. - -The actors were learning their lines, all right, and cues were not being -missed too often, but somehow, the play showed no sign of coming -together as a whole. What seemed worse to her, the first attempts at -characterization were bad--shockingly bad--and did not correspond in the -least to her ideas about the play. - -Unfortunately, neither Mal nor Randy, nor any of the cast did a thing to -cheer her up or make her feel that she might be wrong. Now it was nearly -midnight, and Peggy's depression was deepened by a sheer physical -tiredness that was the result of working all day at the New York -Dramatic Academy and all night in the rehearsal studios at the Penthouse -Theater. - -Peggy, Amy, and Greta, in mutual silent gloom, put on their coats and -prepared to go home to the Gramercy Arms. In the hallway, they saw Randy -and Mal, equally silent and equally gloomy, looking at each other -through a cloud of pipe smoke. - -"Is it that bad?" Peggy said. - -"It's not good," Randy said hollowly. - -"I'm sure you're overstating," Greta said, in an attempt to cheer them -up. "I've seen rehearsals go a lot worse than this for a long time, then -suddenly pull into brilliant shape overnight. After all, it's less than -two weeks, and it's not as if this were a simple drawing-room comedy. -It's a good play, and a complicated one, and it's not the easiest thing -in the world to do...." - -"It may be impossible to do," Randy said. "But cheer up, girls. We -weren't concerned about your acting. We've got other problems." - -"Not problems. Just problem," Mal put in. - -"What's wrong?" Peggy asked. "Can you tell us, and is there anything we -can do?" - -"You're going to have to know sooner or later," Randy answered, "so we -might as well tell you now. Come on in for a cup of coffee and we'll -tell you all about it." - -Nothing more was said until the three girls were seated in Mal's -comfortable living room upstairs. Then, while Mal was in the kitchen -getting the coffee ready, Randy told Peggy and the other girls what was -on his mind. - -"It's the age-old theater problem," he sighed. "To put it in one word, -it's money. I'm afraid we badly misjudged our budget for _Come Closer_, -and unless we can find a way to raise some more cash in a hurry, we may -have to close up shop." - -"But how can that be?" Amy said. "You were so sure that you had enough, -and it's not as if this were a high-cost production with a lot of -costumes and expensive sets and all that--" - -"No, that's not it," Randy said. "We figured the scenery and costumes -and lighting right down to the nickel. What threw us is the salary -expense, and a bad guess about the amount of rehearsal time we would -need." - -"My fault," Mal said, as he came in from the kitchen, bearing a tray of -cups and saucers, sugar, cream, cookies and an enormous pot of coffee. - -"Why do you say it's your fault, Mal?" Peggy asked. - -"I figured the rehearsal time into the budget, and I figured wrong. I -didn't take into account just how difficult the play is to do, and I -should have known that we would need to go into extra weeks. Actually, I -think we'll need at least three and maybe four more weeks of rehearsal -than I had first called for, and that's a big hunk of salary money that -wasn't figured in." - -"We have twelve actors, all working for minimum scale wages," Randy -explained. "During the contracted rehearsal period, as you know, they -get paid half of scale. We put aside enough money to pay for that, plus -full scale for two weeks after opening. Unfortunately, when we go into -extra rehearsal weeks, we have to pay full scale for those, just as if -the play were open. What it means is that we'll be short by about a -month's full salary money, and although it doesn't seem as if you're -getting paid much, when you add it all up, it comes out to be quite a -sum." - -"Three thousand, seven hundred dollars, to be exact," Mal said. - -A moment of silence followed, while the girls took in this disturbing -new fact. They covered their distress by the routine of pouring coffee -and passing cream, sugar, and cookies. - -"What about the original group of backers?" Peggy asked. "They already -have a good-sized investment to protect. Won't they put up the extra -money just to keep from losing what they've already put in before the -play even opens?" - -"I've already approached them," Randy said, "and they all agree that it -makes sense to put up more money. Unfortunately, none of them has any -more to put in. I'm afraid that the only thing left to do is to find -more money from other people." - -"I should think it would be easier now than it was before," Greta -observed. "After all, when you started, all you had was a script to -show. Now you have a cast and some scenery and--" - -"And that's all," Mal interrupted. - -"I don't understand," Amy said. "Why doesn't that make it easier?" - -"Because at this stage," Mal explained, "a prospective backer would want -an audition--at least a home reading of the play, if not a stage -performance of a couple of scenes. And we're not ready for that. You -know yourselves how the readings sound. That's why we need more -rehearsal time and therefore more money. A backer's audition at this -stage of the game would be a pure disaster." - -"Couldn't we change the rehearsal schedule?" Peggy asked. "I mean, if we -all started working just on one particular scene, couldn't we get it in -good enough shape to be heard in about a week's time?" - -"We probably could," Mal answered, "but there are a few problems in -working that way. For one thing, we take a chance on throwing the whole -development of the play out of balance by perfecting one scene before -we've worked on the rest. My own method is to work slowly on all parts -at once, bringing them into focus at roughly the same time. The second -problem, a smaller one, is that by doing this at all, we let the cast -know that we're in financial trouble. I'd rather avoid that, if we -could." - -"I don't think you need to worry about that," Peggy said. "I've gotten -to know them pretty well in this last week or so, and I don't think -there's one of them who would panic about money or refuse to go into the -extra rehearsal time and the auditioning. They're a good group. Don't -you think so?" She appealed to Greta and Amy. - -"Absolutely," Greta said firmly. - -"I'm sure of it," Amy agreed. - -"Well, then! That ought to settle it!" Peggy said. "Now all you have to -do is find someone to audition for, and give us a week to get ready for -him!" - -"I've got him," Randy said quietly. - -"You've what?" Peggy gasped. - -"I've got him. I've got the man to audition for." - -"But ... but," she sputtered. "How? And why were you so gloomy if you -have a good prospective backer?" - -"I was gloomy because I hate to have to raise more money, not because I -didn't think we could do it," Randy explained. "And as for the -backer--if he turns out to be a backer and not just a prospect--I've had -him from the beginning. He's a wealthy and important man, and although -he's crazy enough to like to invest in plays, he's cautious enough never -to put up a nickel unless he's seen an audition he likes. I showed him -the play quite a few months ago and he said he liked it and was very -interested, but he wouldn't put up any cash until I could show him a -cast and have them read. In a way, I guess he's right. He claims that in -off-Broadway shows even more than on Broadway, the actors make the play. -You can have the best play in the world but a bad group of amateurs can -ruin it, and there's always a chance of getting a group of amateurs when -you put on a play downtown. At any rate, he's half-sold already, so I -guess we have a good chance of selling him all the way," Randy finished. - -"Who is he?" Peggy asked. - -Randy hesitated. "He's ... well, he's a rich man who's interested in the -theater," he said awkwardly. - -"We know that much," Peggy replied, "but which rich man? What's his -name?" - -"Well--" Randy said, "it may sound peculiar, but I'd rather not say just -yet. You see, I can tell you this much about him, he's a very important -sort of a man--a public figure, you might say--and I know how he hates -publicity of any sort. I spoke to him earlier this evening to see if -he'd be willing to come down for an audition, and he agreed, providing -we told nobody about it. It's not that he'd mind having it known that -he's invested in a play, after he decides to do it. But if it were to -get out that he was coming down here for a private audition, the -Penthouse Theater would be crawling with newspaper reporters and -photographers. Not only would he be bothered, but the publicity would -almost force him to invest, whether he wanted to or not." - -"Boy!" Peggy said in wonder. "He must be really important!" - -"He is," Randy said. "I wouldn't be this secretive if he weren't. You'll -just have to go along with the game until next week. Then you'll find -out who he is when he shows up." - -"You can trust us," Amy said. "We wouldn't breathe a word of it. And -besides, we don't know any reporters!" - -"I do," Greta said. "And even if I didn't, I wouldn't want to know any -secret. If it ever got out, I wouldn't want to be among the suspected -leaks." - -"That's just why I'm not telling anybody," Randy agreed. "That way, if -anybody finds out he's coming down here, it will have to be from one of -his associates, not from one of us." - -"I guess that makes sense," Amy agreed ruefully. "But I can hardly wait -to find out what this is all about!" - -"What scene are we going to do, Mal?" Peggy asked. - -"I think the best one," he replied, "would be Act Two, Scene Three. The -second-act curtain is really powerful, and besides, it's Paula Andrews' -best scene. Not only that, but it brings most of the main characters -together at a time of crisis, when they can be understood without having -seen the rest of the play." - -"Most of the characters except me," Peggy said. "Couldn't you have -chosen something where I'm on stage?" - -"Sorry, Peggy," Mal said, "but this one really makes the most sense." - -"I suppose it does," she agreed, "but I just hate to be so useless at an -important time like this." - -"Maybe you'll be useless," Mal answered, "but I'm going to see to it -that you won't be idle. Since we don't want anything to slip up, and -since Paula hasn't been looking well lately, I want you to understudy -her part for this audition. Amy will understudy you, Greta. Some of the -other actors who aren't on in that scene will back up other parts. -Nobody's going to be left out of the preparation, even if everyone isn't -actually used. In that way, the whole cast can get a chance to see how I -go about developing a complete scene, and maybe that will keep us from -throwing the development of the play off balance, which is what I'm -worried about." - -"It might even help," Randy said hopefully. - -"It might," Mal said, looking completely unconvinced. - -"Before you sink into that swamp of gloom again," Peggy said with a -laugh, "I think that we'd better get going. Do you realize that it's -almost one in the morning, and tomorrow I have a nine-o'clock class in -TV acting techniques? If I don't get some sleep I'm going to be the only -out-of-focus actress in the picture!" - -Quickly finishing their coffee, the girls put on their coats once more -and said good night to Randy and Mal. Mal, always thoughtful, insisted -on coming downstairs and seeing them into a taxi, so they wouldn't have -to make their way home alone at that late hour. - -"There's only one thing now that worries me," Peggy said to Amy and -Greta as they were being driven to the Gramercy Arms. - -"What's that?" Amy asked. - -"The rest of the cast," she answered. "We promised a lot of cooperation -from them, and the fact is that we hardly know them at all. I just hope -we were right!" - - - - - V - An Unexpected Scene - - -Peggy had not been wrong. Far from grumbling about the extra weeks of -rehearsal, most of the actors were happy about being assured of the -additional pay. Of course there was the inevitable disappointment that -comes from the postponement of an opening night, but this did not seem -really to upset anyone. Most of the actors agreed that the extended -rehearsal time was needed, and everyone felt a relaxation of some of the -pressure under which they had been working. - -Of course, the main question in the air was the identity of the secret -investor, but Randy maintained a stubborn silence on this score. - -Peggy attended all of Paula's rehearsals as well as separate readings of -Paula's role for Mal. She wrapped herself so thoroughly in Paula's part -that she nearly forgot her own, which was not difficult, since -rehearsals of all other scenes had been stopped. - -Even her lunch hours at the Academy were spent studying Paula's lines. - -It was not an easy part at all. If the other characters had seemed -difficult because of their double or triple points of view, the leading -role was almost impossible. It had no point of view at all, and every -point of view imaginable! - - [Illustration: Studying lines] - -Paula was to play the part of the daughter of a pair of embittered -millionaire eccentrics who had withdrawn from society and had never -allowed their only child any contact with the world. She had been -educated by her mother and father and had grown to the age of -twenty-three without ever leaving their enormous estate. She had never -seen any adults except her parents and a few servants. Before the action -of the play, both of her parents have died within a few months of each -other, and the girl is suddenly left alone to cope with the problems of -existence in a world for which she is completely unprepared. Dazed both -by the loss of her parents and the new business of having to deal with -people, she decides to come to the rest home which is the scene of the -play, to slowly get used to her new position. - -The principal difficulty of the role, Peggy saw, was quite the reverse -of the difficulty of the other parts. Instead of having been two or -three different people, this girl has never actually been anybody. As a -result, she reacts to each of the actors according to their characters -at the moment. And since each of them assumes many different roles, -depending on whom he is talking to, the girl is in complete confusion. - -Listening to Paula read, Peggy was filled with admiration. Somehow, in -the short time in which the rest of them had been trying to grasp their -roles, Paula seemed to have mastered hers. Each time she slipped into a -new manner of speech and action, she gave the impression of doing so -with a mixture of eagerness and fear. As the pace quickened and the -characters and manners changed more rapidly, the balance between -eagerness and fear changed until, as the scene rose to its climax, -eagerness was replaced by hysteria, fear by terror. At the curtain, -Paula sobbed wildly as the characters around her shifted as swiftly as -the pieces in a kaleidoscope. - -The whole group, including the usually taciturn Mal, broke into applause -for Paula, who managed to smile through the play-tears that she seemed -unable to control. - -"We'll have a fifteen-minute break," Mal called. "Then, if Paula can -stand it, we'll run through it again!" - -As the actors stood up and stretched before drifting off to different -parts of the room to talk in groups of twos and threes, Peggy went to -Paula Andrews, still sitting in her straight chair. - -"You were wonderful!" she said. "I feel like a fool understudying you!" - -"Don't be silly, Peggy," Paula replied. "It's not me. It's the play. -Randy has written a marvelous role in Alison; it almost plays itself. If -you have to do it, I know you'll do every bit as well." - -"I certainly won't," Peggy said, "but what worries me is that I may have -to try if you don't take care of yourself. Paula," she said in a softer -tone, "is there anything the matter? You haven't been looking at all -well lately, and I'm worried about you. Is something wrong that I might -be able to help you with? If there is, I wish you'd tell me. You know -that I want to be your friend." - -Smiling wanly, Paula took Peggy's hand. "Don't worry about me," she -said. "There's nothing wrong. I guess I've just been working too -hard--at--at the department store, you know--and then at night with -these rehearsals. And the part is so demanding, and I'm so wrapped up in -it--" She stopped abruptly, as if on the verge of tears, but not acting -tears this time. Then she once more managed to smile. "Thank you, Peggy, -but you don't have to worry. I'll be perfectly all right." - -Peggy said nothing more. She had done all she could by offering to help, -and if Paula wouldn't admit anything was wrong, there was nothing -further she could say. But Paula's manner had convinced her that -something was very wrong indeed, something far more than a simple case -of overwork. - -However, when Mal called the cast together again for a second reading of -the scene, all of Paula's tiredness seemed suddenly to vanish. She drew -strength from some inner reserves and played with the same conviction -and brilliance as before. Even more, perhaps, Peggy thought. - -Caught in the pace and rhythm of her reading, the rest of the cast took -hold and played up to her, shifting in and out of character with all the -timed precision of a complex machine. Once again the action built to the -climax, the tears, the curtain, and the applause. And once again Paula, -unable to stop the crying, went as limp and washed-out as a rag doll. - -"That's all for tonight," Mal called. "But before you go, Randy has a -bit of a surprise for you." - -"As you know," Randy began when the actors had formed a circle about -him, "tomorrow night is the audition performance. Our possible backer is -grateful for all the work you've done on this scene for him, and to show -his gratitude, he's buying us all a good dinner first. So instead of -coming here, come to Paolo's Restaurant on East 48th Street, to the -private dining room upstairs. See you there about six o'clock." - -Delighted with this gesture, the cast gathered their coats and hats and -prepared to leave. Peggy hesitated, looking at Paula, who was no longer -crying, but who still sat exhausted where she had finished the scene. - -"Peggy," Randy said, "will you take Paula home, please? She looks really -exhausted, and I don't want her walking, so take a cab, and I'll pay for -it." - -"That's a good idea," Peggy agreed. "I've been worried about her, too. -Maybe I can get her to tell me if something's bothering her. I tried -once, but she didn't want to talk about it. Maybe in the taxi, -though...." - -Paula gladly accepted the lift but, though still friendly and warm, was -no more inclined to talk about her troubles, if any, than before. The -address she gave proved to be in a fine block of remodeled town houses -on East 36th Street, just a half block off Park Avenue--not at all the -sort of place where Peggy expected a department-store salesgirl to live. - -Without inviting Peggy in, she thanked her for the ride, waved good-by, -and let herself in through a green-lacquered door with polished brass -fittings. - -Puzzled and worried, Peggy leaned back in the taxi seat and gave the -driver the address of the Gramercy Arms. - - -Peggy had been in the crowded, brightly lighted, vaulted cellars of -Paolo's before, on dates with Randy, but this was the first time she had -ever been in the private dining room. In fact, until now, she had not -even suspected that such a room existed. She could not have been more -astonished, then, to find that the restaurant occupied the entire -four-story building instead of just the basement. - -A tiny automatic elevator, that had barely room enough for four -passengers squeezed together, carried Peggy and Amy to the top floor. -Although they were scarcely five minutes late, the rest of the cast had -already preceded them and were wandering about talking gaily and eating -appetizers from the long, beautifully decorated table that filled one -end of the room. Peggy spotted Paula, eating hungrily and, between -bites, talking with animation to Greta and Alan Douglas. She looked much -better than she had the night before, and Peggy felt a sense of relief. -Maybe she had been making too much of just a normal case of tiredness. - -Randy and Mal came hurrying over to take the girls' coats and to lead -them into the room, which they showed off as if they owned it. - -"This is just the lounge," Randy said, waving his hand to indicate the -laden table, the fine paneling, the handsome chandeliers. "Wait till you -see the dining room!" - -Leading Amy and Peggy to the other side of the little entry hall that -separated the two rooms, Randy opened the door of the dining room to let -them get an advance look. The room was dominated by the biggest circular -table that any of them had ever seen--with ample room for place settings -for fourteen. The center of the huge table was filled with a low floral -centerpiece, punctuated by dozens of tall, thin candles. - -The heavily beamed ceiling sloped sharply upward from a row of six -dormer windows facing a courtyard. On the high wall opposite was an -enormous fireplace whose blaze was reflected in the bright crystal and -silver on the table. - -Dazzled by the setting, the girls allowed themselves to be led back to -the lounge to help themselves to appetizers. Giant cheeses of all shapes -alternated with towering bowls of apples and oranges in the center of -the table, while at the foot of these mountains were platters of smoked -fish, caviar, sliced cheeses, spiced Italian ham sliced so thin as to be -almost transparent, orderly rows of crackers, baskets of sliced bread -and rolls, bunches of grapes, bowls of black and green olives, slivers -of smoked turkey and brilliant platters of sliced tomatoes. And -surrounding it all were the actors, airing their manners like the -traditional strolling players invited to a baronial feast, behaving -grandly as if they ate this way every day in the week! - -Laughing at the sight, Peggy happily helped herself to some of the more -exotic foods, wisely conserving her appetite. After all, if these were -just the appetizers, whatever would dinner be like? - -An hour and a half later, contentedly sighing as the waiter poured a -second cup of coffee, Peggy was glad that she had saved a little -appetite. Otherwise she might never even have tasted it all! Dinner, -from the delicate clear soup, to the lobster Newburg, the tiny green -peas with pearl onions, the crackling thin julienne potatoes, the crisp, -herb-tinged salad, and the sweet-sour key lime pie, had been a sheer -delight. - -Now, while everyone was resting over coffee and quiet conversation, -Randy stood up to speak. He tapped gently on his glass with a spoon, and -the crystal rang like a clear, thin bell. The cast members turned their -attention to him. - -"I think that you would like to know now whom to thank for this -wonderful dinner," he said. "I'm allowed to tell you all at this point, -because we're going straight from here to his house for the reading. It -seems that the gentleman has several other appointments, and can't allow -himself time to come down to the theater, but he does want to hear the -reading, so we're bringing the theater to him, from eight to -nine-thirty. Now, not to keep you in suspense any longer, I'll tell you -his name: Sir Brian Alwyne, Special British Representative to the United -Nations!" - -A murmur of surprise went up around the table as the actors turned to -each other to comment on this distinguished man's interest in their -play, and to speculate on the experience of acting in his home. But, -looking from face to face, Peggy noted, with surprise, Paula's peculiar -expression. She had gone pale and white as the table linen, and her face -was drawn. One hand, held to her mouth, was trembling. Suddenly she -stood up, bunching the tablecloth in a tight grip. - -"No!" she cried. "No! I won't! I won't act in his house!" - -A shocked silence gripped the room as everyone turned to stare at her. - -"But, Paula, I don't understand...." Mal began. "What does it matter if -it's in his house instead of in the theater? I think you're being--" - -"No!" she said again tensely. "You don't understand. Of course you -don't. But"--she paused and looked about her in bewilderment--"I'm -sorry," she said abruptly, then turned and ran from the room. - - [Illustration: Paula turned and ran from the room.] - -Before Mal and Randy could recover their senses sufficiently to run -after her, she had grabbed her coat from the startled cloakroom -attendant and run down the stairs. They could hear her heels clattering -more than a floor below. - -Randy started after her, but Mal restrained him. - -"No use, old chap," he said. "I don't know what's got into her, but -whatever it is, she's not going to act tonight. And as far as I'm -concerned," he added grimly, "I don't care if she never acts again. If -there's one thing I can't stand it's temperament. Forget it. Peggy will -do the role, and she'll do it well." - - - - - VI - Two Acts of Faith - - -Jittery though they all were after this startling experience, the -audition went off with surprising smoothness. Sir Brian, a handsome -gentleman with beautiful manners, received them cordially, allowed them -to rearrange his drawing room, and made them feel thoroughly at home. - -Peggy, though feeling too dazed at Paula's behavior to be really aware -of what she was doing, somehow turned in a fine performance. But even as -she was acting to the climax of the scene she was aware that she was not -so much playing the character of Alison as she was playing Paula's -version of Alison. - -At the scene's end, Sir Brian and Lady Alwyne applauded -enthusiastically, complimented Peggy especially, and thanked the company -for their trouble in preparing the scene and coming uptown to act it. - -"It was most good of you," Sir Brian exclaimed to Randy. "And I must -compliment you on having found a company that does justice to your -splendid play. And by the way," he added in a quieter voice, "my check -for five thousand dollars will be in the mail tomorrow." - -"Five thousand?" Randy asked, startled. "But that's really more than we -need, sir." - -"Nonsense," Sir Brian said firmly. "There's no such thing as too much -money. You can use the extra for a little more advertising than you had -planned, or for an extra bit of scenery or something. Now, I don't like -to hurry you along, but you really must excuse me if...." - -Thanking him profusely, Randy rounded up the cast, let them know the -good news, and hurried them out. Only the cold bite of the night wind -off the East River convinced him that the whole evening had not been -some sort of fantastic dream, engendered by an overheated imagination. - -"The whole evening!" he said to Peggy, who was walking arm-in-arm with -him a few paces behind Mal and Amy. "Everything about it seems -completely unlikely!" - -"I know," she agreed. "That fantastic spread at Paolo's ... the peculiar -business with Paula ... Sir Brian and Lady Alwyne, looking like a movie -Lord and Lady sent in from Central Casting ... and then a check for five -thousand dollars! It's almost too much to believe!" - -"What do you think about Paula?" Randy asked. "Have you any idea what -could have been behind that outburst of temperament?" - -"I don't know," Peggy said, "but I don't think that temperament is the -word to describe it. You know yourself that she's not a prima donna -type. She's always cooperative, works hard at rehearsals, takes every -direction that Mal gives her.... No. I know she's not a temperamental -person. This is something else; something we haven't any idea about. But -whatever it is, I think she's in some kind of trouble, and I want to -help her if I can." - -"Mal says he doesn't want to have her in the show any more," Randy said. -"He told me he thinks you can do a good job in the part. If you just -forget about Paula, you can have the role." - -"Randy!" Peggy said in a shocked voice. "Paula's my friend, and I want -to help her, not steal parts from her! And besides, I couldn't possibly -do Alison as well as she does. You saw for yourself tonight that I -wasn't creating a role. I was imitating a role. Paula's a far better and -more finished actress than I'll be for many years, if ever, and I think -that we owe it to your play to get her back, if she'll come." - -"And if Mal will have her," Randy added. - -"And if she's all right," Peggy mused. "Randy, I'm really worried about -her. Let me go talk to her right now for a half hour or so, and I'll -join you three for coffee after. When I've spoken to her, I'll have a -better idea, I know, about whether or not we can count on her. Leave it -to me, will you, Randy?" - -Randy walked along in silence for a moment before replying. "All right," -he said. "I'm perfectly willing to trust your judgment, and I know that -Mal will give every consideration to what you say. I guess it is a good -idea for someone to go see her now. Whatever's wrong with her, she's -gone through a bad evening and can use a friend." - -After catching up with Amy and Mal and explaining what Peggy wanted to -do, they arranged to meet at Dodo's Coffeehouse downtown. Randy hailed a -cab and helped Peggy in. "I think you're right about Paula," he said -before closing the door. "And I'm glad you want to help her. Good luck!" - -At 36th Street, Peggy dismissed the cab, sure that she would find Paula -at home. She pushed the button marked "ANDREWS" and waited a moment -until the little speaker crackled and Paula's voice, sounding tired and -far away, answered, "Who is it?" - -"It's Peggy Lane. May I come up to see you?" - -A moment's hesitation, and then, "All right. Third floor rear." A buzzer -sounded in the green door, and Peggy let herself in. - -Going up in the little elevator, Peggy wondered again how Paula could -afford to live in such an elegant place. She had some idea of the rents -in these well-maintained remodeled buildings, and also some idea of what -a salesgirl in a department store earned. "Well, it's none of my -business," she told herself. "Maybe someone left her an income or -something. Or maybe her parents pay the rent for her. But that's not -what I'm here to find out." - -Paula, looking more pale, drawn, and tired than Peggy had ever seen her -before, opened the door and motioned Peggy in. The apartment, obviously -rented furnished, was comfortable enough, but almost without -personality, like a hotel room. It consisted of one bedroom-sitting -room, a compact kitchenette and a bath. The only sign that anyone lived -in it was a small collection of books, no more than a dozen, on a shelf. - -"Sit down, Peggy," Paula said formally. Then, as if she were asking -about some event that didn't concern her at all, but asking only out of -politeness, she said, "And how did the audition go? Were you good? And -did Sir Brian invest in the play?" - -"It went very well," Peggy said gloomily, "considering that it was me -and not you. Sir Brian is putting five thousand dollars into the -production." - -"Then I guess I'm fired," Paula said, in the same lifeless tone. - -"You don't have to be," Peggy said. "If you can only explain--or just -convince Mal and Randy in some way that it won't happen again--I know -they want you back!" - -"That's nice of you, Peggy," Paula said, "but I can't explain. And -there's no point in my trying to. No, the part is yours." - -"But I don't want it!" Peggy said earnestly. "I'd never have been able -to play that scene if I hadn't seen you do it so often! All I was doing -was a fair imitation. You've got to come back and do the part!" - -"Peggy," Paula said with sudden intensity, "it's not a question of my -wanting to come back and do the part or not. It's a question of being -accepted back. Of course I want to do it! But Mal and Randy have to make -the decision that they're willing to let me come back after the terrible -way I acted this evening." - -"If you could just tell them why--" Peggy began. - -"I can't. Honestly, I can't," Paula interrupted. "I would if I could, -but if they're going to take me back, it can't depend on an explanation. -They'll just have to do it on faith--and on my promise that nothing like -this will happen again. That's the only assurance I can give them." - -"Are you so sure it won't?" Peggy asked. "I mean, it was such an -emotional outburst, you hardly seemed to know what you were saying. How -can you be positive that you won't fly off again like that? I don't mean -to be hard on you, but they have to know." - -"All I can say, Peggy," Paula answered, "is that as long as the -rehearsals are as private as they have been, and as long as Sir Brian -doesn't come around the theater till opening night, I'll be all right." - -"And after opening night?" Peggy pursued. - -"Oh, once we open, I don't care who comes!" Paula said. "In fact, all I -want is to have the whole world come to see us!" - -"Well," Peggy said after a moment's reflection, "I'm convinced that -you'll be all right, and I'll do what I can to convince the boys. But I -won't mention what you said about Sir Brian not coming around. It'll -just sound peculiar, and I'm sure he won't come anyhow, he's so busy. -We'll be lucky if he even comes to a performance." - -"Thanks, Peggy," Paula said warmly. "Thank you so much for your faith in -me. You're a wonderful friend. And I know you'll convince the boys! I'll -call you in the morning to find out, all right?" - -"Fine. Meanwhile you'd better get a good night's sleep. You look as if -you need some rest. We've all been worried about your health. I'll see -you tomorrow at the theater, I'm sure!" - -The whole visit with Paula had taken only fifteen minutes, and Peggy -arrived at Dodo's Coffeehouse only a minute after the others, who had -taken a bus. She sat down and looked in silence at the three expectant -faces that confronted her. - -"You look like baby birds," she laughed, "waiting for a worm!" - -"How's Paula?" Amy asked. "Is she all right?" - -"Yes, she's all right," Peggy replied, "and I think she'll be all right -for the rest of the play, too, if you'll have her back, Mal. The only -thing that troubles me is that she can't--or won't--explain what -happened to her tonight. She wants to be in the play, but she says that -if you want her, you'll just have to take her back on faith." - -"Is that all?" Mal asked. - -"That and her promise that it won't happen again," Peggy answered. "I -know it sounds pretty unreasonable, but, Mal, I really believe she knows -what she's saying, and that she'll be okay. I don't know what's wrong, -but as I told Randy, I'm sure she's in some kind of trouble, and if she -is, we shouldn't make it worse. I think we ought to try to help her in -whatever way we can. Maybe if we trust her, and show her that we do by -taking her back, she'll get to trust us, and tell us what's wrong. -Anyway, I think that we should take the chance." - -"How about you, Amy?" Mal asked. - -"I agree with Peggy," she said. - -"Randy?" - -"I'm for taking her back. If not on her own word, then on Peggy's. And -besides, I think everybody ought to have a second chance." - -"All right," Mal said. "I don't want to hold out against the rest of -you. She's back. Peggy, do you want to be the one to tell her?" - -"She's going to call me in the morning to find out," Peggy answered. - -"Good," Mal said. "And while you're at it, tell her she'd better start -reading up on the whole play again, with special attention to Act One, -Scene Three. That's what we're starting on in the next rehearsal -tomorrow night." - -That settled, they turned their attention to coffee and cake, and their -conversation to the five-thousand-dollar investment and what they would -do with it--as if, Peggy thought, it had been the least important part -of the busy evening's events! - - - - - VII - An Intermission - - -It was a good thing, Peggy thought, that she was going to the New York -Dramatic Academy and not to a more conventional kind of school. Mr. -Macaulay, the director of the Academy, approved of his students' taking -part in off-Broadway plays, and made certain concessions to those who -were doing so, such as excusing them from school plays. While this -eliminated the necessity of learning the lines of two plays at once, and -also gave Peggy more free time than the other students, it did not -excuse her from her regular school work. - -She attended classes in History of the Theater, Elizabethan Playwrights, -Restoration Drama, Acting for the Camera, Ballet and Modern Dance, and -Make-up Techniques. - -It was a full schedule all by itself. - -But, of course, it wasn't all by itself. Classes filled the day from -nine in the morning till three in the afternoon, and rehearsals began at -six in the evening at the Penthouse Theater and ran on to midnight. On -Saturdays, rehearsals and scene painting and construction filled the day -from nine to six. This grueling schedule left Peggy only three hours -each day to study for her classes at the Academy and to learn her lines -for _Come Closer_, and practically no time except Sundays for such -things as hair washing, personal laundry, letter writing and all the -other things that usually seem to take no time at all because they are -spread through the week. - -Sometimes she wondered how she would ever do it all. But other times she -wondered how she could ever again enjoy a life that was less full, less -active, less exciting. She was very busy, and very, very happy. - -Now it was a few minutes past six on a Saturday evening, and she and Amy -were carefully washing the paint from their hands and faces. Peggy -leaned across the basin, very close to the mirror, for a minute -inspection, found one last little spot of green on the lobe of her ear, -and carefully removed it. - -"I think I'm all clean," she said. "How about you?" - -"Just a few more spots," Amy answered. "Then I'll inspect you and you -inspect me." - -"Oh, we don't need to be that thorough," Peggy said. "If we hurry, we'll -have plenty of time for baths at home before the boys come to pick us -up." - -"I would surely like to know what you call plenty of time," Amy laughed. -"The boys are coming for us in two hours, and we have to face the -Saturday night line-up at the bathrooms, which can be worse than waiting -for tickets at a World Series game!" - -"No, the worst is over by now," Peggy said. "I happen to know that -Irene, the Beautiful Model, has a date picking her up at six-thirty, -which means that she's climbing out of the tub right now. Greta is -staying home tonight, which means she'll let us have the bath first. Dot -is out of town, so that just leaves us, Gaby and Maggie to share the two -baths. I think we'll make it!" - -"You have it planned like a general!" Amy said. "I salute you." - -"Right down to the camouflage!" Peggy laughed in answer. "Mine is the -dark blue cocktail dress. What are you wearing to divert the troops?" - -"A print," Amy said, with an unusual air of decision for a girl who -could never make up her mind about what to wear until the last possible -minute. "The only thing I haven't decided yet," she added, "is whether -to wear my print with the three-quarter sleeves, or yours with the cap -sleeves, or Maggie's sleeveless chiffon. What do you think?" - -"Why not wear any one of them, and take the other two in a little -suitcase?" Peggy teased. "Then you can change during the evening and -keep us in a constant state of surprise!" - -By this time, they had finished washing, had changed from their -stagehands' coveralls, and were dressed to go. They found Greta waiting -for them in the little lobby downstairs, and the three set off for the -Gramercy Arms. - -"How did your rehearsal go today, Greta?" Peggy asked. - -"Fine," Greta said, but her tone was a little doubtful. - -"Is something wrong?" Amy asked. - -"No. Not exactly, that is. The scenes we were working on are shaping up -very well, but all of us are still a little worried about Paula. Not -about her acting," she added hurriedly. "We think she's just wonderful. -It's ... well, it's something else." - -"You're not still worried about last week, are you?" Peggy asked. "I -mean about that scene at Paolo's? If you are, I'm sure that--" - -"No, it's not that," Greta said. "We're all convinced that whatever it -was that caused that blowup, it won't happen again. She's not at all a -temperamental person. No, we're worried about her health. At least I -am." - -"So am I," Peggy confessed. "Amy and I were talking about it today. She -looks so drawn and pale and ... tense. I've tried to speak to her about -it, but she just refuses to admit that there's anything wrong." - -"That's the way she's been with all of us," Greta said. "She insists -it's just our imaginations, and that she never felt better. Or she says -that it's a case of character identification, and she's beginning to -look like the part she's playing. But if that's true, then she's the -best actress in the history of the theater." - -"Which she may well be," Peggy said loyally. "But even if she is, I -don't think that's the cause." - -"Since there doesn't seem to be anything we can do about it," Amy -commented, "I think the best thing to do is to leave her alone and not -bother her by asking about it. If she wants help, she knows we're her -friends." - -"I guess so," Peggy agreed reluctantly. "Still, I'm worried." - -They continued home in a rather troubled silence. - - [Illustration: Preparing for an evening's date] - -Peggy's planned attack on the bathtubs worked out just perfectly, and -the two friends had plenty of time to prepare themselves for the -evening's date. The comforting dip in the hot tub and the change to -their best party clothes (or, rather, Peggy's best party clothes, since -Amy elected to wear her print dress) served to change their mood as -well. By the time that Randy and Mal rang at the door, Peggy and Amy -were ready and waiting, in a cheerful mood of anticipation. - -This was the first time that they had taken a real night off for over a -month, and they were all looking forward to an enjoyable evening, free -of the worries of the production. After a few minutes devoted to -discussion, they decided to go for a drive into Westchester County for -dinner and dancing in the country. All agreed that if they were trying -to get their minds off the play, the best thing to do was to get out of -the city, with its permanent air of show business. - -It was a clear and starry night that had mixed in it the elements of two -seasons--the end of winter and the first hint of spring. The stars were -as hard and bright as in winter's clear skies, but the air was almost -soft, and the trees silhouetted against the pale sky, though still bare -of leaves, were fuller in the bareness than they had been a week before; -the buds on the branch tips were swollen, nearly ready to burst into -little green flags. - -Randy's car, an old, but still elegant English convertible sedan, purred -smoothly through the countryside. Peggy, settled comfortably in the deep -leather seat, felt as if she were already a thousand miles away from New -York, the theater, and her hard week's work. - -Randy drove with skill and confidence, and in far less time than they -had thought possible, they were pulling into the driveway of a low stone -restaurant with a slate-shingled roof, screened from the road by -evergreens and shrubbery. The restaurant overhung a little lake in whose -still surface its lights were reflected. - -Inside, in a low room illuminated only by candles, a small orchestra was -playing quiet dance music, and a few couples drifted about the floor. A -courteous headwaiter, after checking their names on the list of -reservations, led them to a small room containing only about a dozen -tables. Their table was at the side of the room, by a picture window -overlooking the lake, which could be seen, dark and bright, through the -reflections of themselves and the swaying flames of the candles on their -table. - -"A thousand miles away," Peggy was thinking. "No, a million miles!" as -the conversation, as light and pleasant and unimportant as the music, -went on. They were talking about the charming restaurant, the -countryside, and the pleasures of getting out of the city. - -"We'll have to come here in summer," Randy was saying. "They have little -boats on the lake and you make them go with paddlewheels worked with a -kind of hand crank. They have fringed canvas awnings on top, and -cushioned seats to lean back in. The lake is bigger than it looks, and -has lots of pretty coves and inlets, and even a landscaped island up at -the far end. It's a nice place to drift around." - -With a little twinge of feeling that she did not care to examine too -closely, Peggy found herself wondering whom Randy had rowed around the -lake, but she quickly put the thought out of her mind. She had no right -to think about things like that, she told herself. Her relationship with -Randy was ... well, it was what it was. - -Peggy had no desire to be serious, except about the theater. And even -the theater, she thought, should stay in the background tonight. She and -the others had been living nothing but theater lately, and it was good -for them to sit in this cozy, candlelit room and talk about things that -didn't matter; things like the coming of spring, rowing on the lake, or -what to have for dinner. - -But keeping actors from talking about the theater is as hopeless as -trying to keep the tide from coming in. No matter what they start to -talk about, it always ends up on stage. If the conversation is about -books, somebody soon mentions a book that was made into a play, and -they're off again in stage talk. If the conversation is even about -something as far removed from the theater as, say, sailboat racing, -sooner or later somebody will be reminded of a sailor who wrote a play, -or was an actor, and ... on stage. - -Tonight was no exception, and by the time they were on their main course -of rare, tender steaks with Idaho potatoes, buttered peas and green -salad with Roquefort dressing, the talk had quite naturally drifted onto -the inevitable subject. - -"Are you satisfied with the way the play is developing, Mal?" Randy -asked. "Does the cast live up to your hopes?" - -"It's going well," Mal answered, with his usual English reserve. "My -worries about making the development lopsided by working out one scene -so thoroughly for the audition have proven to be groundless. If -anything, I think it was a good experience for us all. We learned, under -the most intense conditions, how to work together. We learned to respect -each other, too, and that's probably the most important thing that can -happen to a company." - -"How about Paula?" Peggy asked. - -"A wonderful actress," Mal said with unusual enthusiasm. "I wonder where -she learned it all. Even a natural talent like hers isn't all natural, -you know. Somewhere along the line, she had first-rate instruction." - -"She said something to me about coming from California and doing some -little-theater things there," Peggy said, "but she was rather vague -about it, and I got the feeling that she wouldn't welcome any -questions." - -"She's rather vague about everything," Randy said, "except her acting -ability. That's as clear as can be." - -"I wonder where she played in California," Mal said. "I have the feeling -that I've seen her somewhere before, and I may have run across her when -I was out in Hollywood. I know she looks familiar, at any rate." - -"She didn't say," Peggy replied. "All she told me was California, and I -know it's a big state. I suppose it might have been in the north, around -San Francisco, but somehow I have the impression it was Los Angeles. -Maybe that's just because I only think of Los Angeles when I think of -the acting business and California." - -"Why are you so anxious to know?" Amy asked Mal. - -Taken aback a little, Mal hesitated before answering. "I'm not actually -anxious to know about her," he said at last. "For my purposes as a -director I already know all I need to--that she's a splendid actress. -It's just that such secretiveness as hers always inspires a little -corresponding curiosity." - -"Well, frankly, I am curious," Peggy said. "But I'm not as curious about -her past as I am about her present. What worries me is her health. -Haven't you all noticed how pale she looks, and how thin and drawn she's -getting?" - -"I have noticed her condition, of course," Mal said with concern, "and -I've asked her about it, as you have. She only says that I'm not to -worry, and that she'll be all right for the opening." - -"Well, I hope she knows what she's doing," Randy said. "I'd hate to have -her get ill now, and have to start training a replacement. Besides, -where would we get someone as good as...." He looked at Peggy and -reddened. - -"Oh, Randy," she laughed, "you don't have to be embarrassed about -telling the truth. I know I'm not nearly as good as Paula, and you all -know it, too. Though it's very sweet of you to try to pretend that I am. -But I didn't walk away from the part just because I'm a nice girl and -wanted to help Paula. I'm too much of an actress to be entirely -unselfish when it comes to a good role! No, I just knew it was meant for -her, and it was more than I could handle." - -Since, out of honesty, nobody wanted to contradict her, and out of -embarrassment, nobody wanted to agree, an awkward little silence fell -over the table. It lasted for only a moment, though, until Randy broke -it by asking Peggy if she would like to dance. She nodded happily, -relieved, and Mal and Amy followed them into the next room where the -band was playing. - -Randy was a wonderful dancer, having performed professionally as a -song-and-dance man for some time, and Peggy felt that she herself never -danced as well as when she was with him. Once again, the theater and its -worries, Paula Andrews and her mysterious trouble, faded into the -background as Peggy and Randy drifted slowly and easily about the -polished floor. - -Once again, the conversation turned light and pleasant and far removed -from their everyday problems, and the candlelit restaurant seemed to -Peggy to be a thousand miles removed from everything real. - -But when it came time to leave, and when the car was once more purring -along the road, the thousand-mile distance shrank to its true -proportions of perhaps thirty-five miles. And every mile they drove -brought them closer again to the busy, theatrical city, where even -Randy's good-night kiss at the doorstep could not remove from Peggy's -mind a sense of tension and trouble to come. - -What the trouble might be, she could not say. What the tension's cause -was, she did not know. But surely at the center of it was the pale and -sensitive face of Paula Andrews. - - - - - VIII - Curtain Fall - - -"No, not that way, Greta," Mal called from his seat in the orchestra. -"Don't sit down as if you knew the chair was there and as if you knew -exactly what kind of a chair it was. I want you to give the impression -of being unsure of yourself and your surroundings. Before you sit, look -behind you quickly--maybe even touch the top of the chair--_then_ sit -down." - -"But, Mal," Greta said, coming to the apron of the stage to talk to him, -"I've already used this chair earlier in the act, and I should be -familiar with it by now. If I do it this way, isn't it just going to -look like an awkward piece of acting?" - -"No," Mal said. "When you used it before, it was when you were in a -different personality mood, remember? This little difference will help -to establish the change in your personality. It's a small thing, and the -audience may not even be aware of it consciously, but it'll help to form -the impression I want them to get. Try it, anyway, and I'll see how it -looks from out front." - -Greta agreed, and returned to the wings to pick up her entrance cue -again. This time, when she entered, it was as if she had not been on -stage before at all. She crossed unsurely to stage center to exchange a -few lines with Alan Douglas and, when she was asked to sit down, turned -a little, as Mal had told her, reached out a tentative hand to touch the -back of the chair--but withdrew it before she touched it, and then -swiftly sat down. - -"Like that?" she asked Mal. - -"Just like that," he answered with satisfaction. "That chair bit is the -give-away, and it's perfect. I like your not quite touching it. Keep it -in! Now let's take it from there, Alan." - -Peggy waited in the wings for her own entrance cue. This time she was to -come on aggressively, as the pampered ex-child movie star, to play -against Greta's shy confusion. In their previous exchange, Peggy had -been quiet, well-mannered, even subservient in her character of -plain-Jane secretary, for Greta had been acting the crisp, assured -businesswoman. - -Waiting, she watched with fascination how the play was taking shape. -This evening was the first time they had been allowed to run through the -entire play from beginning to end. The first time they had tried it, -everyone could see how much work needed to be done, how shaky the whole -structure was. But this time, the second of the evening, Mal had already -done much to establish character and to direct movement on stage, and -the production was gradually achieving a vitality of its own. - -It was late, and everyone was tired, but they had all decided to finish -their second run-through of the evening anyway, feeling that they would -gain more from doing it all at once. At the rate they were going, it -would be after one o'clock before they were through, and two o'clock -before most of them were in their beds. - -Peggy heard her cue lines coming up, and she got ready. At the right -moment, she entered the stage with a kind of athletic bound, swinging an -imaginary tennis racket. She tossed the "racket" (she would have one in -the play) at the "couch" (a row of three chairs, at present) and perched -on the edge of a table. - -"My travel agent said that this place was different," she said -contemptuously, "and I guess it is, if different means dead." - -"Don't take it quite so heavy, Peggy," Mal called out. "You shouldn't be -so much disgusted with the place as you are, really, with yourself. You -know that no matter how good it really might be, it wouldn't suit you, -because nothing ever does. Make the expression more regretful than -contemptuous. And for the same reason, tone down your entrance a -little." - -Peggy nodded to show her understanding, and went back to the wings -again. - -The scene, when played, would last only about five minutes, but Mal was -hard to please and would let nothing pass. By the time it was over, the -rehearsal of it had taken forty minutes and Peggy was glad to make her -exit and sit down on a box near the switchboard where she could watch -the next scene. - -This one would go smoothly, she knew. It was the scene they had worked -on for the audition at Sir Brian Alwyne's, and although they had not -worked out their stage movements as yet, the cast already had developed -pace and rhythm. - -Paula's entrance, bewildered, awkward and eager to please, was perfect. -She was as graceful and appealing as a doe. One by one, the other actors -came on, each in turn trying to find some point of contact with her, -each trying to please her. And as each failed, he went off, to return -again in another mood or personality. The pace quickened. Paula's -confusion grew greater. The tension she projected was communicated to -everyone present, those on stage and those in the wings or in the -orchestra seats watching, as it would be to the audience. The second act -was approaching its emotional crisis, uninterrupted by Mal, who sat as -if entranced, on the edge of his seat. - -Finally, at precisely the right moment, when it could go on not one -moment more without shattering, the tension broke in a flood of emotion. -Paula dropped to her knees in tears, then sank in a heap on the floor, -sobbing. The scene was over. The actors turned expectantly to Mal, -waiting for his comments, his praise. - -But Paula did not rise, and she was not sobbing any longer. - -Peggy realized in a flash that this was not like some of the previous -rehearsals where Paula had been unable to stop the flood of stage tears -that she had so skillfully built up to. This was different. - -She rushed out on stage to where Paula lay huddled in a pool of light, -and knelt by her side to shake her gently, but Paula did not move. Peggy -turned her over and motioned the rest of the cast to move back. Paula -lay pale and limp beneath the floodlights. She was breathing in quick -uneven gasps. - - [Illustration: She's fainted!] - -"She's fainted," Peggy announced. "Somebody call a doctor!" - -But Paula's eyes flickered open, and she said in a weak voice, "No. Just -take me home, please, Peggy. I'm ... I'm sorry. But I'll be all right. I -just want to go home now." She closed her eyes again. - -"What do you think?" Peggy asked Mal, who by this time had reached her -side. "Shall I take her home, or call a doctor?" - -"I think you can get her home before we could persuade a doctor to come -down to this half-deserted neighborhood," Mal said. "Why don't you take -her home and make her comfortable? We'll get a cab, and I'll go with you -to carry her in case she faints again. Meanwhile, Randy can call a -doctor and have him go directly to Paula's apartment." - -"No," Paula protested, "I don't need a doctor. I'll be all right once -I'm home. There's nothing really wrong with...." She tried to sit up, -and with the effort fainted once more. - -"Come on," Mal said. "Get your coat, Peggy. Alan! Will you go out after -a cab, please? Randy, call the doctor right away! Everybody else, go on -home. Rehearsals are over for tonight. See you all tomorrow, same time." - -This time Paula did not come out of her faint until they were nearly at -her house. She made no attempt to talk, or even to protest when Mal -carried her from the taxi. When they had her upstairs, lying on the -daybed, Mal turned to leave. - -"I don't think I'd better stay," he said, "but the doctor ought to be -here any minute. You'll stay with her, won't you, Peggy, until you find -out from him what's wrong?" - -"Of course," Peggy said. "And if it's not too late, I'll call you when I -leave. Otherwise, I'll let you know in the morning. Good night, Mal, and -thanks for your help." - -"Yes, thank you, Mal," Paula said weakly, with a small smile. Then, once -again, she closed her eyes. - - -It had not taken the doctor long to diagnose Paula's condition. Peggy -had gone out to fill the prescription, and was now busy preparing it. It -was some chicken soup, toast and tea, to be followed in the morning with -a light breakfast, then a good, hearty lunch. - -"I can't understand why you didn't tell me about it," Peggy said. "You -know I would have loaned you some money. It's just ridiculous for anyone -to go hungry when she has friends! You can't imagine how shocked I was -when the doctor said that you were suffering from malnutrition, and that -you didn't seem to have eaten anything for at least two days! Maybe I've -led too sheltered a life, but I never even _heard_ of anyone -starving--not in this country, anyway." - -"It can happen anywhere, I guess," Paula said, with a sad smile. - -"But why?" Peggy cried. "Why didn't you let me help you?" - -"I would have, Peggy, if it had been just a sudden thing, but it wasn't. -It was a continuing thing. I guess if I had had enough to eat during the -last month, I wouldn't have keeled over from going for two days without -anything. I've been living on canned beans and bread and other cheap -food for over a month now, and to ask for help would have meant asking -for regular help--every week. And I didn't want to take advantage of -anyone that way." - -"But, Paula, that's so silly!" Peggy protested. "How long did you think -you would be able to go on without proper food?" - -"I was just trying to hold out until tomorrow, when my pay check comes -in from Randy and Mal. Then I could have had something to eat." - -"Do you mean to say," Peggy asked in astonishment, "that you've been -trying to live on just the rehearsal salary? Why, that's hardly enough -to pay the rent in a place like this, much less to eat!" - -"I know," Paula said. "I've been finding that out. But we go into full -pay for rehearsal next week, and I thought I could hold out until then. -I guess I was wrong, wasn't I?" - -"But what about your job at the department store?" Peggy asked. - -"Oh. I--I lied about that, Peggy. I was laid off right after the -Christmas season, and I haven't been working since then. I had some -money put aside, but it was almost gone when I got the part in the play. -Then I thought I could live on the rehearsal money until we went into -full pay. By the time I found I couldn't, I was too weak to take a -full-time job." - -"But you could have moved to some less expensive place, couldn't you?" -Peggy asked. "This little apartment must cost a lot of money." - -"It does," Paula admitted, "but I like it here, and I didn't want to -give it up. I thought that I could manage. I'm sorry now. I've caused -everybody so much trouble." - -"That's the least of our worries," Peggy said, filling up Paula's bowl -with a second helping of chicken soup. "The question now is how you're -going to get along for the next week until the full pay comes in. And -also how you're going to live here, even on that." - -"Oh, I'll get by, Peggy. I know I will. Besides, I have such faith in -the play. I know it will be a hit, and if it is, our salaries will go up -above the minimum. Randy told me how much I could expect to earn as the -lead, if we have a success, and it's plenty for me to live on." - -"But until then," Peggy said, "you're going to need more cash. Isn't -there somebody you can go to for help? How about your family?" - -"Oh, no!" Paula said. "My family ... I haven't any family. I mean, I'm -an orphan. My parents are dead, and I haven't anyone else. I've been -supporting myself for a long time, and I'm used to it." - -"Well, then," Peggy said firmly, "I'm going to have to be your family, -and you'll have to accept help from me. I would say that you'll need -about fifty dollars a week to add to what you earn--at least until we -get to be a hit, if we do. And since you haven't anybody else, you'll -have to let me get it for you." - -"Oh, no, I can't let you do that, Peggy!" Paula protested. "I know that -you haven't got that kind of money, and besides, I ... I don't want any -help. I can take care of myself. I want to take care of myself!" - -Peggy sat down on the edge of the bed and took Paula's hand. "I can -understand the way you feel," she said, "but that's a foolish kind of -pride. Everybody wants to think they're taking care of themselves, but -really nobody does. Before your parents died, they took care of you. -They fed you and clothed you and taught you to walk and talk. If -somebody hadn't taken care of you then, you wouldn't have lived to want -to take care of yourself. As we grow up, we take care of ourselves more -and more, but we're never completely on our own. Everybody needs someone -else. That's what friends are for. And you've got to let me be your -friend." - -Paula's eyes filled with tears. "I suppose you're right, Peggy. It is -just foolish pride, and you're so good to talk to me this way and to -want to help me. But ... what I said before. I know you can't afford -it!" - -"Of course I can't," Peggy said. "But I've got friends--and many of them -are your friends, too, and I intend to ask them. I'm going to talk to -all the members of the cast who have jobs, and to the girls who live at -the Gramercy Arms, and we'll get up a group to help you out. That way it -won't cost anyone more than three or four dollars a week, which we won't -miss too much." - -"Oh, Peggy, that's so good of you," Paula said, "but I feel so ashamed -to take your money!" - -"Think how ashamed we'd feel," Peggy said, "if we weren't able to help -you. And besides, we're not doing it just for you. We're doing it for -the play. We need you in the play. There's nobody else who can do the -Alison part the way you can ... and even if there were, it would be too -late now for a cast substitution. No, it's your part, and it's our play, -and we have to keep you in good condition to do it. It's a difficult -enough role to play even if you're well-fed, and I just don't believe -you can do it if you're half-starved. Now I don't want to hear another -word about it except 'yes.'" - -Paula's smile was stronger now, between spoonfuls of soup. She looked -up, her eyes still wet, and softly said, "Yes. Thanks." - -"Good. That's settled," Peggy said. "Now, would you like some tea and -toast? The doctor said not to give you more than this to eat tonight, no -matter how hungry you said you felt. No. No butter. He said dry toast, -but I suppose you can dunk it in the tea, if you like." - -While Paula was eating the last scrap of tea and toast, and protesting -that she felt a good deal more like eating a steak, Peggy got some -pajamas for her from a bureau drawer, and a robe and some slippers from -the closet. Then, since Paula was still weak, she helped her change into -them, made up the daybed, and tucked her in bed. - -"You look a lot better now," Peggy said. "The best thing for you to do -is get a good night's sleep. You'll feel better in the morning. You'll -find eggs and butter and coffee and orange juice in the kitchen, so you -can make breakfast for yourself, but after eating, go back to bed and -rest. That's doctor's orders. I'll come up here at noontime, and we can -go out for a good lunch together." - -Cutting Paula's thanks short with a wave of her hand, Peggy said a quick -good night and left. It was past her bedtime, too. - - - - - IX - One for the Money.... - - -In the comfortable, well-furnished living room of the Gramercy Arms, -Peggy prepared to call a meeting to order. - -May Berriman, the retired actress who owned the house, sat regally in a -high-backed, thronelike chair. Her hands were busy with a tiny silver -bobbin and a tatting needle, making delicate lace; but they seemed to be -working with an intelligence of their own while their owner, not even -looking at them, was busily observing the faces of "her girls." - -Irene Marshall, the house beauty, was gracefully curled up on the couch -in the sort of decorative pose hardly ever seen outside the pages of the -more expensive fashion magazines. At the other end of the couch, her -knees drawn up and her feet tucked under her, sat Gaby (Gabrielle Odette -Francine Du-Champs Goulet), looking about her expectantly, her head -cocked to one side like a toy French poodle's. - -Maggie Delahanty, the dancer, sat cross-legged on the floor like a -Hindu, her back straight and her hands loosely folded, a magazine open -on her knees. She could sit for hours like this in apparent perfect -comfort, in a position the other girls found almost impossible to get -into at all. - -In more conventional positions, seated on chairs, were Greta, Amy, and -Peggy. - -"I guess everybody's here now," Peggy said, "so I might as well tell you -why I asked you all to meet in here. I need your help, but I didn't want -to explain it several times, because it's rather a complicated story." - -As briefly as she could, Peggy told them about Paula, as Paula had told -her. Then she recounted the events of the night before, ending with the -doctor's visit. - -"When he told me that she had fainted from hunger," Peggy concluded, "I -was so shocked I didn't know what to say. I'm still not sure I -understand how it came to happen, but I am sure of one thing. Paula -needs help, and I told her that I would see to it that she gets it." - -"She needs some common sense even more than she needs help," Maggie said -tartly. "Unfortunately, I don't think we have any of that to spare. Why -did she let this go on so long without doing something about it?" - -"Yes, why?" Irene asked. "I know a lot of people who are out of work, -but they don't let themselves starve. I've been out of work myself -plenty of times, the way every beginner in show business is, and I've -always gone straight to the unemployment people. The government check -hasn't been much, but it's been enough to eat on." - -"I asked her that," Peggy said, "and she told me that she didn't qualify -for unemployment insurance. Apparently you have to have worked for a -certain length of time before you can collect any insurance, and she -hadn't worked that long when the department store laid her off after the -Christmas rush." - -"That's true," Greta said. "I was in a fix like that myself once, and I -had to ask my parents for help until I could get a job. Luckily, I have -parents and they have enough to be able to spare some for me." - -"Most of us have someone to turn to," Peggy said, "but Paula's an -orphan, and hasn't even got any aunts or uncles or cousins. But she does -have friends, and that's what I want to talk to you about." - -"Oh, we all of us 'ave understand that alreadee," Gaby said with a toss -of her head. "That part of the problem is no more worree. I give a few -dollar each week--we all give a few dollar--nobodee give enough for to -miss it, an' presto! Mademoiselle Paula 'as plentee to live on. No?" - -"That's just what I had in mind," Peggy said, relieved not to have had -to actually ask for the money. She had been hoping her friends would -offer it as their own idea. "How do the rest of you feel about it?" - -Everybody nodded agreement and murmured assurance that they would do as -much as they could to help. "How much does she need?" asked Maggie, -practical as always. - -"I think about fifty dollars a week would do it," Peggy answered, "but -it doesn't all have to come from us. There are several members of the -cast who are working at other jobs and who would be glad to contribute. -In fact, I think they'd be insulted if they weren't approached about -it." - -"Won't Paula object to their knowing all about her troubles?" Amy asked. - -"I don't think so," Peggy said. "Besides, they all saw her faint last -night, and some explanation will have to be given. Not only that, but I -don't think we should try to hide it as if it were some disgraceful -thing not to have enough money for food. Paula has been hiding her -troubles too long, and she's going to have to accept the fact that you -can't hide trouble and fight it at the same time." - -"Very wise, Peggy," May Berriman approved. "I agree, just as I agree -with Maggie that your friend needs some common sense more than she needs -help. It's possible that by helping her in this open way, you may also -provide her with a little common sense!" - -"Speaking of common sense," Greta put in, "I think it's about time we -got down to dollars and cents in this discussion, instead of just going -on vaguely about wanting to help. Does anyone have a suggestion about -how much we should all contribute to the Paula Fund?" - -After mentioning several figures, and after some discussion about how -much should come from the Gramercy Arms and how much from the cast, an -agreement was reached. - -"So it's settled," Peggy said. "Gramercy Arms will give twenty-five -dollars a week, and the cast will give the rest. Now, twenty-five -dollars divided among the six of us girls...." - -"Seven," May Berriman interrupted. "I may not be a girl any longer, but -you'll grant I am a part of Gramercy Arms." - -"Thanks, May," Peggy said gratefully. "Well, seven then. That comes to -... let's see. Three-fifty each a week would add up to twenty-four -dollars and fifty cents. That's close enough, I guess, and we can all -surely spare that. It's only fifty cents a day." - -"I have another suggestion, Peggy," May Berriman said. "As you all know, -Dot is on tour and isn't due to return for another three months. I'm -sure she wouldn't mind if Paula were to use her room. Why don't you ask -her to come in here with us and give up that expensive apartment?" - -Peggy reflected for a minute. "No, I don't think so," she said at -length. "If she had been willing to move out of that apartment, she -would have done it before this. I don't think she'd be at all happy -here. She's so--well, so secretive, and I think that all she wants is to -be left alone. I suppose that sounds pretty strange, and pretty -self-indulgent, too, but as I told you, I think she's having some kind -of trouble that we don't even know about, and she obviously doesn't want -us to know. I don't think it would be helping at all if we tried to get -her to come to live with us." - -"Maybe you're right," May Berriman said. "One sure way to be of no help -at all is to try to change a person's way of living. At any rate, you -can tell her that the room is here for her to use in case she wants to." - -"I will," Peggy said. "And I'd like nothing better than to have her say -yes, but I just know she won't." - -Maggie stood up, uncoiling from her cross-legged position in a single, -fluid movement. "I guess it's all settled, then," she said. "The only -thing for us to do now is to get up the money." Digging into the pocket -of her blue jeans, she produced a small wallet from which she extracted -three crumpled dollar bills and two quarters. "Here's my first week's -dues in the Help Paula Club," she said. - -The rest of the girls hurried up to their rooms to find money and, five -minutes later, after a confused session of change-making, Peggy had -twenty-five dollars (May Berriman had insisted on giving an extra fifty -cents to make the sum come out even) carefully sealed in an envelope. - -Thanking their housemates, Peggy, Amy, and Greta excused themselves. -They had barely enough time for a quick dinner before reporting to -rehearsal. - -"We've got good friends," Peggy said as they seated themselves in a -booth in a nearby restaurant where they often went. "It certainly was -generous of them to contribute to a girl they don't even know." - -"That's one of the nicest things about show business," Greta said. "I -guess it's because everyone in the business has been out of work and in -hard circumstances at one time or another. They're always willing to -help another actor who's having a hard time. Maybe it's a kind of -insurance policy against the next time they're in trouble themselves." - -"It ought to be even easier to collect the other half of the money from -the cast," Amy commented. "And once we have that, Paula will be all -right." - -"In a sense, she will be," Peggy said with a worried expression. "At -least she'll be all right financially. But I don't think we've begun to -settle her problems, and I don't know if we should even try." - -"What do you mean?" Amy asked. "What other problems does she have, and -why shouldn't we try to solve them?" - -"I don't know," Peggy said uneasily. - -"What makes you think something else is wrong?" Greta asked. - -"I know something else is wrong," Peggy said firmly. "It's not just -guesswork. The question is whether or not we have a right to poke our -noses into Paula's business." - -"Stop hinting, Peggy," Amy said with unaccustomed sharpness. "Why don't -you just tell us what your suspicions are, and we can all contribute our -thinking." - -"I suppose that's best," Peggy said sadly. "I just hate to tell you that -I think Paula still hasn't told us the truth about herself and the -reason she had to go hungry. I saw things when I was at her apartment -that convinced me of that. But I don't know why." - -"You think she's lying?" Greta asked. "Why?" - -"To begin with," Peggy said, determined to have the whole thing out in -the open, "she's lying about ever having worked in a department store, -and about being a poor orphan. I know because of the clothes I saw in -her closet and her bureau when I was getting her pajamas and robe for -her." - -"How can clothes tell you she never worked in a department store?" Amy -asked, puzzled. - -"Shoes," Peggy said. "Didn't you ever notice salesgirls' shoes? Standing -behind a counter all day long is pretty hard on the feet, and your shoes -have to be practical and comfortable. Paula had a large collection of -shoes in that closet--all of them very smart and fashionable and -expensive--but not one pair that a girl could stand in all day long, -except for the sport shoes that a department store wouldn't allow its -clerks to wear. You know, moccasins and things like that." - -"It makes sense," Greta said grudgingly, "in a way. But maybe she had -work shoes and they wore out and she threw them away." - -"Maybe," Peggy said, "but that doesn't account for the kind of shoes she -did have. For instance, there were high riding boots and low jodhpur -boots in that closet. Now, I have a horse at home in Wisconsin, and I -know something about riding equipment, and those boots were handmade and -must have cost a fortune. Where would an orphan salesgirl get boots like -that? And why would she want them in the city? Not only that, but there -were ski boots and golf shoes, too, and I have the same questions about -those. I suppose it all sounds very nosy and suspicious of me, but I -couldn't help thinking about it and what it means." - -"What it means," Greta said, "is that you're probably right. From what -you say, I'm sure that Paula wasn't telling the truth about herself. But -what can we do about it, and why should we try to do anything? It's -really none of our business, is it?" - -"That's just the problem that's been worrying me," Peggy confessed. "I -keep asking myself whether it's any of our business who Paula is and -what she's hiding. I think I've finally decided that it is." - -"In what way?" Amy asked. "Just because we've agreed to help her with a -little money doesn't mean we own any part of her, does it? I think we -ought to leave her alone!" - -"Oh, Amy, you can't think I meant it like that!" Peggy said. "Of course -the loan doesn't give us any right to go poking into her affairs! But -the fact that we're her friends does give us a right. We didn't get -curious about her health, for fear of offending her, and as a result she -collapsed from hunger. Now if she's in some other kind of trouble, and -we don't do something to help, we may regret that just as much." - -"That does make sense," Amy admitted. "It's just that I hate to go -behind her back...." - -"Why go behind her back?" Greta asked. "Why not just come right out and -ask her what's wrong? Even mention the shoes and boots and things, so -that she'll know why we're suspicious of what she told you." - -"She won't admit anything's wrong," Peggy said. "I tried to ask her at -lunch when I went out with her today, but she wouldn't even talk to me -about it. Every time I seemed to be coming close to whatever's bothering -her, she just changed the subject." - -"Well, then, what do you think we-all can do about it?" Amy asked. "If -she doesn't want to tell us her troubles, there's no way that we can -force her to do it. I still think we ought to leave her alone." - -Peggy shook her head in vigorous disagreement. "That's just what we -shouldn't do," she said. "It seems to me she's been left alone too much, -and hasn't been able to do a good job of taking care of herself." - -"But you said that she doesn't respond to pushing--or direct questions," -Greta commented. - -"And we certainly don't want to--to snoop!" Amy put in. - -"I know," Peggy agreed. "But there is one thing we can do. We can make -every effort to show her that we're her friends, and to show her that -she can trust us. If we do it sincerely, without pushing or snooping, -I'm sure she'll confide in us when she wants to." - -"It seems to me that we've all made a pretty big effort already," Greta -said tartly. "What more can we do?" - -"Well," Peggy said thoughtfully, "if I were Paula, I might be inclined -to think that the effort made so far was more charitable than friendly, -if the difference is clear. I mean, we've helped her with money and all -that ... but that's not exactly what I mean. I think we ought to do -something to show her that we're glad to know her, and glad that she's -in the show, and ... I don't know. It's just that I feel that money -alone doesn't say what needs saying to a girl like Paula. She's a -sensitive person, after all, and she might even resent the financial -help, in some subtle way." - -"You may be right, at that," Amy said softly. "I know that if I were -ever in her position ... having to take money from people ... I'd feel -pretty uncomfortable about it. Especially if the people were -just--well--just casual acquaintances. And after all, that's what we are -to her." - -"That's just the point," Peggy said eagerly. "You've put it perfectly! -We _are_ just casual acquaintances--not close friends. It's no wonder -that she keeps a kind of wall between her and us, even though we are -helping her." - -"Rather _because_ we're helping her," Greta amended. "Everybody knows -it's a lot harder to take help than to give it." - -"But what can we do to show her that she's not just a--a charity case to -us?" Amy asked. - -"That's what I've been asking myself," Peggy said, "and I think I've got -one good idea anyhow. It's not much, but it's a beginning. Why don't we -give her a little surprise party tonight after rehearsal, to celebrate -her coming back to the show and being all right again?" - -"I think she'd like that!" Amy exclaimed. "What do you think, Greta?" - -"I think it's fine," Greta agreed. "Tonight's rehearsal is bound to be a -strain for her anyhow, and it would be nice to give her a chance to -relax and cheer up afterward. How do you want to work it, Peggy?" - -Peggy thought for a moment before answering. "We might ask her up to the -Gramercy Arms after rehearsal," she suggested. "I'm sure that Gaby and -Irene and Maggie would be glad to set up a party for us while we're -gone, and everything could be ready by the time we got back...." - -"No," Amy interrupted. "That won't do. The minute we invited her up to -the Gramercy Arms, she'd know there was something special up, and the -surprise would be lost. Besides, she'd have to meet the other girls, and -there would be the usual strain of new people...." - -"Not only that," Greta added, "but there's no guarantee that she would -come back with us after rehearsal. She might be too tired and want to go -straight home. And she's shy about new places and people, anyway." - -"How about at the theater?" Amy suggested. - -But Peggy and Greta vetoed that suggestion on the ground that it would -have to include the whole cast, and that would make too large a party to -enable them to accomplish their primary purpose, which was to develop a -more intimate relationship with Paula. - -"I know!" Peggy exclaimed. "Why don't we have the party right in her own -apartment? That way, we'll be sure that she'll be there, and we can -control the number of people! In fact, I think we ought to keep it to -just the three of us and Paula! Amy and I can miss rehearsal -tonight--you can tell her some thing at the Academy kept us late, and -you can come home from rehearsal with Paula. While you and Paula are at -the theater, Amy and I can shop and set up a real surprise party!" - -"Fine!" Greta agreed. "But how are you going to get into Paula's -apartment without a key?" - -"The superintendent will let us in, I'm sure," Peggy replied. "He saw us -when Mal and I brought Paula home last night, and he saw me again when I -was there to pick her up for lunch this afternoon, so he knows that I'm -a friend of hers. If we explain about the surprise party, I know he'll -let us in, and not mention it if he sees you and Paula coming home. He -seemed like a very nice man, and he was genuinely concerned about Paula. -I know he'll approve of the idea of a party." - -"That sounds like a good plan," Greta agreed. "While you're setting up -the party, and while Paula's busy rehearsing, I'm sure that I can manage -to raise the money from the cast. I'll bring it with me, and we can give -it to her along with the Gramercy Arms money at the same time." - -"We can buy a cake and birthday candles too," Amy suggested, "and as -soon as you come, you can tell me how many of the cast members chipped -in, and we can put a candle on the cake for every friend Paula has. It -will really be something to celebrate!" - -"Good," Greta said, nodding her agreement. "Well, we'd better get going -now. We're on a tight time schedule. I have to report at the theater for -rehearsal in fifteen minutes, and you have to start your shopping for -the party. Mal will probably take it easy on Paula after last night, so -you had better be prepared to have us come in on you early. Be sure that -you have all the party things set up by ten o'clock." - -Picking up their check, the three girls rose to go, looking forward with -high spirits to the challenge of breaking down Paula's wall of reserve -and of showing her that there is such a thing as real friendship in what -must have appeared to her to be a hard, cold world. - - - - - X - Two for the Show.... - - -"If they expect to be at Paula's by ten," Peggy said as she and Amy left -the restaurant, "we'd better hurry. We have a lot of shopping to do, and -food to prepare. And I'd like to decorate Paula's apartment in some way, -too. It's a nice enough place, but I couldn't help noticing how cold and -unlived-in it looks. Maybe we can find some way to make it cheerful, -even if it's just for an evening." - -"If we hurry, we can do that part of the shopping before the stores on -Twenty-third Street close," Amy said. "I remember seeing a sort of party -shop there that sells things like crepe paper and candles and silly -decorations and things. I think they're open till seven or -seven-thirty." - -"I remember the place," Peggy said. "If we go there first, we can put -off the food shopping until later. The bakeries and the delicatessens -always stay open till late." - -The girls hurried uptown the few blocks to Twenty-third Street, where -they found the proprietor of the little party shop getting ready to -close for the night. With a resigned sigh, he agreed to stay open a few -minutes more in order to let the two friends buy the few things they -needed for their surprise party. Trying to make their decisions in a -hurry, so as not to further exasperate the shopkeeper, they quickly -settled on some paper napkins with a festive rosebud design, and some -sugar rosebud-shaped candle-holders for the cake. Peggy also bought some -pink crepe-paper sheets and strips. - -"I think I can make these into some nice paper roses--if I remember how -they taught us to do it in kindergarten," she said. "That ought to -brighten the place up!" - -Amy found some white paper plates with rosebuds to match the napkins, -but as the girls started to search for more things to make the party, -the owner of the shop began to turn off the lights, throw dust-covers -over fixtures, and generally make it clear that his patience was at an -end. - -"I guess that's really all we'll need, Amy," Peggy said nervously. "I -think that we'd better get going." - -Thanking the shopkeeper for staying open for them, they paid for their -purchases and left. The owner left with them, turned the lock in the -door, and with a curt nod briskly strode down the street. - -"Gee, we just made it," Peggy said with a grin. "If we had taken ten -seconds more, I think he would have locked us in the store for the -night!" - -Farther down the street, a delicatessen store shed a bright glow on the -nearly deserted sidewalk. Peggy and Amy made their way to it as if it -were a beacon marking the way to a friendly port. - -Nothing in the world is more delightfully confusing than an -old-fashioned delicatessen in New York. There is a special quality to -the very smell of the place; it is a compound of every good thing to -eat, and so complex a perfume that it is almost impossible to isolate -the elements that make it up. One _can_ detect clearly the briny smell -of pickles, and on second sniff, the rich harmonies of imported cheeses, -but beyond that, it would take the most sensitive nose in the world to -analyze the atmosphere. And as you walk through the store from front to -back, the odor changes, becomes alternately richer, lighter, sharper, -sweeter, spicier or more pungent. - -The store was so narrow, and the man behind the counter so wide, that -Peggy had to suppress a little giggle, wondering how on earth he managed -to squeeze himself in. With a broad grin and a welcoming gesture that -threatened to sweep the counter clean of its load of little jars, boxes, -and tins, he said, "Good evening, ladies! What can I do for you?" - -"I don't know." Peggy smiled. "You've got so much here that I scarcely -know where to begin." - -"Tell me your problem," the man said in a confidential, professional -manner. "We specialize in catering for all kinds of events. Just tell me -what you have in mind, and let me do the selecting." - -"It's not really an event," Amy began. "We're just planning a little -surprise party for a friend, and there are only going to be four of -us...." - -"And you say it's not an event!" the delicatessen owner said -reproachfully. "When you buy here, every meal is an event! Just tell me -how much you want to spend, and I'll make you a menu for a party you'll -never forget!" - -His enthusiasm flagged a little when Peggy hesitantly told him that they -hadn't figured on spending more than five dollars, but he made a fast -recovery. - -"Even for _four_ dollars," he said, "I could make you a party for the -gods!" - -Seemingly from nowhere, he produced a beautifully roasted turkey with a -few slices already removed. Skillfully, he cut several long, thin slices -of white meat. Swiss cheese followed, and after that, moist, lean slices -of pink ham. Moving deftly and surely from counter to bin to shelf to -refrigerator to cabinet, the owner piled up containers of potato salad, -cole slaw, bottles of soft drinks, a sliced loaf of rye bread with -caraway seeds and a small jar of mustard. - -"There!" he said. "That's an event!" - -"How much is it?" Peggy asked, looking fearfully at what seemed to her -to be a mountain of food. - -"I was aiming for five dollars," the owner said, "as specified. However, -let me do the addition and see...." He rapidly penciled figures on a -brown paper bag and added them in a flash. When he looked up, it was -with a crestfallen expression. - -"The first time in years I went over the budget," he said mournfully. -"Usually I can pick things out right to the penny. Ah, well...." He -sighed. "To err is human. Even for a delicatessen owner." - -"How much is it?" Peggy asked again. - -"Five dollars and thirteen cents," came the sorrowful answer. "But for -you, and because we had a bargain, four dollars and ninety-nine cents!" - -"Oh, no!" Peggy said. "We'll be glad to pay it all! It's such a -little----" - -"Not in my delicatessen!" the owner said, drawing himself up proudly. -"To Schwartz, a contract is a contract! Four ninety-nine, and not a -penny more!" - -Not knowing if Mr. Schwartz was serious or joking, Peggy decided not to -take the chance of hurting his feelings. She gave him a five-dollar -bill, and dutifully accepted the penny change. - -By the time the girls had picked up their packages, Mr. Schwartz had -recovered his normal high spirits. He hastened to the door to open it -for them, gave them the full benefit of his smile and said, -"Remember--make every meal an event! That's philosophy! Good night and -come again!" - -The next stop, a small Viennese bakery a few doors west, proved -uneventful except for finding the perfect cake for the occasion. It was -a small layer cake covered with snowy white icing and a decorative trim -of pink sugar rosebuds around the edge. It made the ideal match for the -napkins and the crepe paper they had bought. - -Loaded down with their purchases, they took a bus uptown to Paula's -street, and by eight o'clock they found themselves standing before the -green lacquered street door of her apartment house. - -"I certainly hope that the superintendent's in tonight," Peggy said as -she pushed the buzzer. "It would be awful to have bought all this good -food, and then have him be out!" - -"We could always camp here on the doorstep and wait for Paula and Greta -to come home," Amy said. "But, frankly, the idea of a two-hour wait in -the night air isn't exactly guaranteed to put me in a party mood!" - -Their fears were groundless, however. The superintendent, a polite old -man, answered the door after only a few minutes' delay. He greeted Peggy -with a smile of recognition and apologized for keeping them waiting. - -Peggy explained the purpose of their visit, and the old man's eyes -lighted up with pleasure when he heard of the surprise party. "I sure am -glad to see Miss Andrews making some friends," he said. "She's such a -nice young lady, and my wife and I often worry about her, sitting up -there all day alone. It doesn't seem natural for such a fine girl to -have to be by herself so much. I think a thing like this'll do her a -world of good!" - -Upstairs, the superintendent let them into Paula's apartment with his -master passkey. "If I see them coming in," he said with a conspiratorial -smile, "I won't let on a thing. I don't know of anything worse than a -surprise party where there's no surprise to it!" - -The girls thanked him, and a moment later found themselves alone in -Paula's little apartment. - -It had been straightened up since Peggy's last visit at lunchtime, and -the few clothes and other objects that had been visible had all been put -neatly out of sight. This made the room look even more barren and -impersonal than Peggy had remembered it--as polite and impersonal as -Paula's manner whenever Peggy had tried to break the wall of mystery -that surrounded her new friend. - -Amy looked around her with a sigh. "It's about as homey as a hotel room, -isn't it?" she said. "I hope that we brought enough crepe paper to -brighten it up a little!" - -"It's going to take more than crepe paper," Peggy said sadly. "It's -going to take some real show of friendship. She must be a really lonely -girl for even the superintendent and his wife to have noticed it and to -be concerned about it. I hope that this little party of ours is some -help." - -"It's bound to be," Amy said. "It will certainly take the curse off the -business of just handing her money. That could be downright awkward, you -know, even though she has agreed to accept it." - -"I hope you're right," Peggy said. "I'm sure that if there ever was a -girl who needed friends to tell things to--and who had things to tell -them--it's Paula Andrews!" - -They unloaded their purchases in the little kitchenette, and while Amy -was unwrapping the sliced meat and cheese, Peggy busied herself with -setting up the gate-leg table that stood folded against the wall. Going -back to the kitchenette, she rummaged about in the bag that held the -napkins, candles, and crepe paper. - -"Oh dear!" she exclaimed. "I knew we forgot something! We didn't buy a -paper tablecloth!" - -"Oh, Paula must have a plain white tablecloth here that we can use," Amy -said. - -"I'll take a look," Peggy said. "I hate to see a bare table, unless -there are place mats, and we don't even have enough napkins to use as -mats. Where do you suppose she'd keep her tablecloths?" - -Looking around the room, Amy pointed to a low chest with three shallow -drawers that stood near the kitchenette door. "If I had any cloths I'd -keep them in there," she said. - - [Illustration: In Paula's room] - -Peggy opened the top drawer. "No tablecloths," she said, "but we're on -the right track. There are bed linens and some towels in here." She went -to the second drawer. There were no linens here, but simply a large, -flat, leather box of highly polished calfskin. It took up most of the -drawer. Peggy was about to shut the drawer when something caught her -attention. She gave a low whistle. - -"Amy, come here," she said. - -"Tablecloths?" Amy said. - -"Look." Peggy pointed to a small silver plate fixed to the lower -right-hand corner of the leather box. It was engraved: "_For Paula's -first part--and her future career. With love from Mother and Dad._" - -"I guess you were right, Peggy," Amy said. "About the shoes, and Paula -not being a salesgirl, and not being poor...." - -"And not being an orphan, either," Peggy added. - -"Well ... this certainly shows that she wasn't raised as an orphan," Amy -said, "but this could have been given to her before--before she became -an orphan, couldn't it?" - -"No," Peggy said flatly. "For one thing, this is pretty new. And, -besides, even if Paula's parents did ... die ... after giving her this, -the rest of her story couldn't possibly be true. People who can give -gifts like this don't leave a daughter penniless." - -"I suppose not," Amy admitted. "But, in that case, what do you think the -real story is?" - -"It seems pretty clear that Paula has run away from home for some reason -of her own," Peggy answered. "Her parents certainly don't know where she -is, or what kind of circumstances she's in, or they surely would have -done something to help her. They're obviously not the sort of people to -hold back on giving things to their daughter. And this inscription tells -us that they didn't try to keep her from pursuing a career as an -actress. In fact, unless I miss my guess, this is a professional make-up -kit." - -A quick glance inside confirmed Peggy's guess. It was a theatrical -make-up box, beautifully fitted with tiny jars of creams and colors, -each with a silver lid engraved with Paula's initials. There were -special compartments for brushes, pencils, and cotton pads. - -"Well, you certainly seem to be right," Amy admitted, "but now that we -know about it, what do you think we should do? Should we do anything? -Isn't it Paula's business if she chooses to leave home?" - -"It's certainly her business if she chooses to _live_ away from home," -Peggy said firmly, "but running away and hiding is something else again. -Her parents are probably worried sick about her! I don't think we can -afford to wait for Paula to warm up to us on the chance that she'll tell -us about it. I think she's acting thoughtlessly and unreasonably, and -much as I like her, that doesn't change my opinion of what she's doing. -We have to stop it, or at least look into it to find out who Paula's -parents are and why she left home. Unless she has a darn good reason for -not letting them know where she is, we'll have to tell them. It's the -only decent thing to do!" - -"If we do," Amy said, "they might take her out of the play." - -"They might," Peggy agreed, "but people are more important than plays. -And anyway, I don't think they would. They're obviously people who are -in sympathy with Paula's wanting to be an actress." - -"That seems like a good guess," Amy said with a smile, glancing at the -extravagant make-up kit. "But how do we find out who they are? And once -we find out, do we just call them? Shouldn't we give Paula a chance -first?" - -"We certainly should," Peggy said. "All I want to do is find out who her -parents are, and tell her we know. Then we'll give her the choice of -calling them, or having us do it. This is not just a question of -sticking my nose into someone else's business; it's a question of doing -what's right." - -"You still haven't told me how you expect to find out who her parents -are," Amy said. - -"Maybe if I look around, I'll find something with an address on it. -Maybe a letter or something--" - -"But--" Amy objected. - -"I know," Peggy interrupted, "but it has to be done. Why don't you get -the table set up as best you can, and I'll look around a little." She -glanced at her watch. "We haven't too much time, you know. They ought to -be here in about an hour." - -"What about the crepe-paper roses?" Amy asked. "I don't know how to make -them!" - -"I'm in no mood to make roses," Peggy answered sadly and a little -grimly. "Use the crepe paper for a tablecloth. I'll let you know if I -find anything." - -As she started looking through Paula's bureau, Peggy reflected that it -was strange how a person could do something completely against her -nature and as unpleasant as searching a friend's room, when a matter of -conscience and principle was involved. It was not always easy to do the -right thing. - -Conquering her qualms with the assurance that she was acting in the best -interests of both Paula and her parents, Peggy went carefully about her -search. - -It took her nearly twenty minutes to go through the bureau and closet in -a thorough manner. She carefully took down each dress and coat, looked -at the labels and went through the pockets. She examined the many shoes -and boots, as well as the sports equipment neatly stored on the shelves -and the luggage on the floor in back. She put each thing back exactly as -she had found it. When she closed the door behind her, she knew that she -had found something, but not as yet what she had been looking for. - -"What did you learn?" asked Amy, who was putting the finishing touches -on the table setting. - -"I didn't learn Paula's home address," Peggy said, "which is what I was -hoping to find, but I did learn a few other things. For one thing, Paula -does come from California, as she said. The store labels are all from -Los Angeles shops. And for another thing, I learned that her name is -really Paula Andrews and her parents do have an awful lot of money." - -"How did the clothes tell you that?" Amy asked, puzzled. - -"Well, some of the clothes are custom-made, and they all have labels -that read, 'Designed for Paula Andrews by Helen de Mayne.'" - -"Whew!" Amy whistled. "Isn't Helen de Mayne that famous Hollywood -designer who does costumes for the stars?" - -"Right," Peggy said. "And that's all I've learned from the clothing." - -"I wonder if we need to know any more," Amy said thoughtfully. "If we -want to find out anything now, can't we just check with Helen de Mayne? -She could certainly tell us who Paula's parents are, if she designs -Paula's clothes." - -"I thought of that," Peggy said, "but I'd rather not unless we have no -other way. I don't want to stir up anything, and if we start asking -questions about Paula, we're going to have to give some answers about -why we're asking. I would want to know what the situation is before I -started to do anything like that." - -"I guess that makes sense," Amy said, "but where are you going to look -next for more answers?" - -Peggy glanced despairingly about the barren, impersonal room. It didn't -seem possible that it had any more information to yield, and she was -already exhausted with the psychological strain of searching. She sat -down on the daybed with a sigh of resignation. - -"There is no place else to look," she said. "There isn't even a rug to -hide anything under. Besides, I don't think that Paula's actually hiding -anything. If she were, she wouldn't have left that make-up kit around, -and all those dresses with the special Helen de Mayne labels." - -"Why don't we look in a Los Angeles phone book?" Amy suggested. - -"Doesn't make sense," Peggy replied. "Paula probably didn't have a phone -listed under her own name anyway. And even if she did, we don't know -where she lived. It doesn't have to be Los Angeles, just because she had -her clothes made there. You'd have to get a hundred California phone -books and then start to trace every Andrews listed. And even then you -might never learn anything, because wealthy people often have phone -numbers that aren't listed in the directory." - -After a few more ideas were considered and rejected, Peggy said, "I'm -afraid the only thing we can do now is confront Paula with what we know, -and see if we can't persuade her to tell us the rest, and to call her -parents and let them know where she is." - -It was now nine-thirty, and they had done all they could do. It would be -at least another half-hour before Greta brought Paula home for her -surprise party. Time dragged slowly, with neither Amy nor Peggy able to -find even the shadow of an idea of what to say or do. - -Amy went back to the table to fuss with the arrangement of turkey, ham -and cheese and to nervously try artistic little experiments with the -potato salad. - -Idly, Peggy looked over the small shelf of books to see if there was -something that would help her pass the time until the party--a party -that she now no longer looked forward to in the least. She selected a -well-worn, leather-bound volume of the _Complete Plays of Shakespeare_, -hoping that the old, familiar comic world of _Twelfth Night_ would take -her mind away from Paula's problems. - -She leaned back and opened the book, then sat bolt upright. - -"This is it!" she almost shouted. "Amy! Here's exactly what we've been -looking for!" - -"Shakespeare?" puzzled Amy. - -"Paula's address!" Peggy said. "Now we have something to go on--we have -a way to find out who Paula's parents are!" She thrust the book at Amy. -"Here--look inside the front cover." - -In the round, neat, somewhat childish handwriting of a girl of perhaps -eleven was written: - - _Paula Andrews - "Eagletop" - Canyon Road - Beverly Hills - Los Angeles - California - The United States - The Western Hemisphere - Earth - The Solar System - The Universe_ - -"And that's that," said Peggy triumphantly. - - - - - XI - Three to Make Ready.... - - -There was still the party to be gotten through, and Peggy was so -bothered by a sense of guilt at having ransacked Paula's room that she -was in no mood at all for the coming festivities. - -It was nearly ten o'clock, and Peggy and Amy had barely enough time to -put away the copy of Shakespeare, give a few last-minute finishing -touches to the table setting, and tune in some music on the little -bedside radio, when Paula and Greta arrived. On seeing her friends and -the festive spread, Paula almost burst into tears, but instead, she -caught hold of herself and started to laugh. - -Peggy felt pleased, knowing that their gesture of friendship had touched -a responsive chord in Paula's reserve. At the same time, the pang of -guilt quickened; she felt that she had betrayed the very friendship and -trust she had been trying to cultivate. - -Greta whispered to Peggy that seven members of the cast had contributed -to the Paula Fund, exactly matching the amount given by the girls at the -Gramercy Arms, and Peggy went swiftly to the kitchenette to place -fourteen candles on top of the rosebud cake. While Greta and Amy kept -Paula occupied, Peggy lit the candles and brought the cake to the table. - -"We're celebrating the fact that people are nice to people," she -explained, "if you only give them the chance. And that's all the sermon -that I intend to deliver this evening. We're also celebrating the fact -that you're going to be able to eat this cake, and a lot more things -besides beans and spaghetti from now on, Paula." - -But after this speech, which she felt was stuffy and sadly inadequate, -Peggy couldn't think of another thing to say. She was far too concerned -with the night's revelations about Paula, and about what they could -possibly mean. Amy did much better in keeping up her end of the -conversation, and Greta, of course, knowing nothing of what had -happened, acted with perfect ease. In any case, Peggy thought, Paula was -too excited and pleased with her party to notice how anyone was acting. - -Not being the least bit hungry, Peggy forced herself to eat some of the -cold cuts and cake, and to take a glass of milk. She could not help -feeling like an awful hypocrite, sitting there and pretending to be a -wholehearted friend to Paula, after she had just finished spying on her. -Even if it had been--as it had--for her own good and the good of her -obviously generous parents. - -Fortunately for Peggy, the party did not last too long. Paula was tired -from the night's rehearsal which, even though short, had tried her -strength. By eleven o'clock she began to yawn unobtrusively, and seemed -relieved when her three friends said their farewells. - -"Thank you," she said warmly and with moist eyes, "for the lovely -surprise party and--and everything else. And for being such good -friends! I haven't done anything to deserve such--" - -"Nonsense!" Peggy interrupted firmly, cutting off any further thanks, -and waving good-by as the elevator door slid shut. The girls rode down -in silence, Peggy and Amy depressed, Greta looking at them curiously. - -"All right," Greta said when they reached the cool and empty street. "I -could tell from the minute we came in that something was wrong. What is -it?" - -As they strolled slowly downtown, Peggy told Greta about the night's -events, starting with the discovery of the make-up kit and what it told -her about the background and history of their secretive friend. She then -told, shamefaced, of her deliberate decision to search Paula's room to -learn more. - -"I couldn't just turn my mind off!" she cried. "When I learned that -Paula wasn't a poor orphan after all, all I could think of was her -parents and what they must be going through. I just had to find out how -to reach them!" - -"Nobody's blaming you, Peggy," Greta said. "I would have done the same -thing myself. There's no reason to feel that you did anything bad, and -I'm sure that when Paula finds out, even she will feel that you only -acted out of concern for others." - -Peggy respected Greta's judgment, and her approval made things seem a -lot better. With more confidence than before, and with no further -apologies, she told Greta what she had learned from the labels in -Paula's clothes, and finally, about finding Paula's home address in the -copy of Shakespeare. - -"Well," Greta said, "you certainly learned a lot tonight. But the thing -that puzzles me is what you're going to do next in order to find out who -her parents are without arousing all kinds of suspicions and trouble. -That is, unless you just want to write or phone to 'Eagletop' and tell -them about Paula and her whereabouts." - -"I'd rather not," Peggy said. "I think it would be a lot better for -Paula and her parents if she did that herself. But I also think that the -only way to do it is to tell her that we know exactly who she is, and -let her know that we intend to get in touch with her parents if she -doesn't do it herself." - -"I suppose we could do that with the information we already have," Amy -said thoughtfully. - -"We could," Peggy agreed, "but I would hate to blunder into something -when we don't have all the facts. When we find out just who Paula's -parents are, we may at the same time find some perfectly good reason why -she shouldn't call them. I'd like to give her the full benefit of the -doubt until we have all the information we need." - -Greta nodded. "I think that makes sense," she said. - -"The only problem we have left now," Peggy said with a frown, "is to -find a way to get the information we need without stirring things up. If -only we knew someone in Los Angeles we could trust, it would be easy. Do -either of you have any ideas?" - -Amy and Greta furrowed their brows and shook their heads. - -Suddenly Greta slapped herself on the forehead and grinned. "Of course! -Of course I know somebody--and so do you!" - -"Who?" Peggy and Amy asked in chorus. - -"Dot!" Greta said triumphantly. "Our housemate, Dot! You know she's on -tour with a show--and I know that her company is either in Los Angeles -now, or is due to open there in a few days! We can get in touch with her -at her hotel, and ask her to do some sleuthing for us. Besides, she -comes from California in the first place, and she knows her way around -Los Angeles. It should be easy for her to find out what we want to -know!" - -"That's a wonderful idea," Peggy said enthusiastically. "Now all we have -to do is go back to the Gramercy Arms and find her touring schedule and -get in touch with her in Los Angeles. I can't wait! Let's hurry up, and -if she's in town now, we can phone right away!" - -Greta looked at her watch. "If she is there, it's too late to phone now. -It's eleven-thirty here, which makes it eight-thirty in California, and -that means that the curtain is just getting ready to go up on the first -act of her show. We'll just have to be patient until tomorrow, and call -her at her hotel." - -"_If_ she's in Los Angeles now," Amy said. - -"There's only one way to find out," Peggy commented, "and that's to get -back to the Gramercy Arms before May Berriman goes to bed, and ask to -see Dot's traveling schedule. Otherwise we'll have to wait until -tomorrow even to know where Dot is, and I'm afraid I won't be able to -get any sleep tonight unless I know." - -The girls increased their pace and covered the remaining blocks to -Gramercy Park in record time. They hurried up the steep front steps of -the Gramercy Arms, happy to see that the sitting-room light was on in -May Berriman's apartment. - -As soon as the door was opened, Peggy, breathless with running and -excitement, asked if they could see Dot's itinerary. "And I'm sorry -we're bothering you so late," she added, "but we saw your light on, -and...." - -May Berriman dismissed the apology with a small gesture of her -expressive hands. "No trouble at all, Peggy," she said. "When you get to -be my age, you'll find that sleep isn't quite as attractive or necessary -as it used to be. I personally resent having to give up perfectly good -hours to what I consider an utter waste of time. Sit down, girls. I'll -have what you need in a minute." - -In less time than that, she was back with a sheet of notepaper, which -she handed to Peggy. A moment's looking, and a quick calculation of -dates, brought a sigh of disappointment. Peggy looked at the expectant -faces of Greta and Amy, and nodded unhappily. - -"She's still in Salt Lake City, according to this. The show closes there -tonight, and they won't arrive in Los Angeles for two more days." - -"What's this all about?" May Berriman asked. "That is, if I'm not -butting in on something that's not my business." - -"It's about Paula," Peggy explained. "You know, the girl we're all -chipping in to help. We ... we've got an idea about something that may -help her, only we need some information that's in California, and we -hope Dot can get it for us." - -"Well, Peggy," May Berriman said with a smile, "when they give out -prizes for artful dodging, I'm going to recommend you for a first! If -you didn't want to answer my question, you only had to say so." - -Blushing, Peggy stammered, "I ... I didn't mean ... I mean, it's not as -if there's anything to hide ... I just...." - -"There's no reason why we shouldn't tell May," Greta said. "Besides, she -might have some ideas that could help us." - -"All right," Peggy said, after a moment's reflection. "I don't mind at -all telling you about Paula, May. That's not the point. It's just that I -did something tonight that I'm a little uncomfortable about, and I -didn't like the idea of telling you about that. Still, I did it, and -there's no changing it, so you might as well know the kind of girl I -am." - -"The kind of girls we are," Amy commented. "After all, I did it, too, -and I'm no more casual about it than you are." - -May Berriman sat down in her tall, straight-backed chair, folded her -hands in her lap and assumed an attentive look. "You can start talking -now," she said a little sternly. - -Peggy's story did not take long, and when she was done, she looked -anxiously at the owner of the Gramercy Arms. "Do you think we did the -right thing?" she asked. - -"Your motives in searching Paula's room were certainly good ones," May -Berriman said judicially, "and you didn't actually break in, even if you -did enter on slightly false pretenses. All in all, I'd say that you -haven't anything to be ashamed of. I also like your decision to get the -rest of the facts and talk to Paula about them before you contact her -parents. That's both wise and considerate." - -Peggy felt a sense of relief, knowing that May, a stern and impartial -judge of her girls' conduct, approved of her night's undertaking. "It's -been a pretty difficult time, May, as you can well imagine," she said. -"But I suspect the next few days until Dot gets to Los Angeles will be -even more difficult. The three of us are simply bursting with -impatience." - -"Impatience," May Berriman said in her most theatrical voice, "is for -amateurs waiting in the wings ten minutes before their cue. My best -advice to you is to relax--until it's time to go on. There's no way to -hurry the action." - - -Of course, May was right. There was no way to hurry the action. On the -other hand, Peggy, Amy, and Greta found that there was also no easy way -to relax. The next two days dragged by only as days can drag when you -want nothing more than for them to come to an end. - -Rehearsals, school, studying, all took up many hours, but for the first -time since Come Closer had started casting, Peggy seemed to have extra -hours in the day. And each of those extra hours seemed like a day in -itself. - -As she went through the now-familiar routine of crowded days and nights, -she could not rid her mind of the thought of Paula Andrews and -of--somewhere--Paula's parents, wondering where she was. And as Paula -began to bloom from her new, nourishing diet, Peggy seemed to fade with -her preoccupations. - -But nothing lasts forever, and soon the two long days were at an end. - -The girls put in their phone call at noon, knowing that it was only nine -in Los Angeles and that Dot would surely be asleep at that hour after a -late arrival the night before. It seemed a pity to wake her, but it was -better than waiting and taking a chance of missing her entirely. - -"What? Who? Where?" Dot's voice, fogged with sleep and confusion, came -over the three thousand miles of telephone wire as clearly as if she had -been next door. - -"It's me, Dot! Peggy Lane. In New York!" - -"Why?" Dot demanded, this time a little less foggy. "It's wonderful to -hear your nice, friendly, wide-awake, noontime New York voice," she said -in her normal peppery manner, "but not when I was in the middle of a -dream about landing a movie lead that was going to get me an Oscar!" - -"I'm sorry to wake you, Dot," Peggy said, "but this is important, and I -didn't want to find that you'd gone out. We want you to do a favor for -us." - -"What is it?" Dot asked. "It must be darned important to spend all this -money to call." - -"Dot, it's too complicated to explain why I want you to do what I'm -going to ask, so don't ask why. I want you to go to a house called -Eagletop, on Canyon Road in Beverly Hills, only don't go in. I want you -to find out, in whatever way you can, who lives there. Also, I'd like -you to find out if they have a daughter and where she is." - -"And how am I going to do this without going in?" Dot asked. "And why -can't I go in, anyway? I could just ring the bell and ask--" - -"No!" Peggy exclaimed. "That's just what you can't do. And I can't go -into the whys, as I said. I'll write you a letter. Meanwhile, the -important thing is to learn what you can, and not to let anyone in the -house know that you're asking questions." - -"Well, if you say it's important to do it this way," Dot answered, "I'll -do my best. But how...?" - -"You'll think of a way," Peggy said cheerfully. "You're a bright girl!" - -"Thanks," Dot said sourly. "Your compliment puts the whole thing on my -shoulders ... which is what you had in mind, I guess." - -"Well, you know the city, and we don't, and--" Peggy began. - -"I know, I know," Dot cut her off. "Don't worry about it. I only have to -know one thing more. What do you want me to do when I find the answers?" - -"Call here," Peggy said. "If I'm not here, tell Amy or Greta or May, but -not one other person. Understand?" - -"Okay," Dot agreed, "and I feel a lot better, knowing May's in on it." - -"Good. When do you think you can go up there?" - -"Right after breakfast," Dot said. "I'll phone you by three this -afternoon--that's six in New York. Will you be there?" - -"You bet!" Peggy said. "And thanks a million, Dot!" - -Peggy replaced the phone and turned to her friends. "We'll have whatever -answers Dot can dig up today. She'll phone us by six. That is, if she -doesn't go back to sleep again." - -"And if I know our Dot," Greta commented, "that's a darned big 'if.'" - - - - - XII - Which Way to Go? - - -But Dot was as good as her word, and as resourceful as Peggy and her -friends had hoped she would be. The call came through on time, the -information was complete and accurate. Peggy put down the phone, turned -to the expectant faces of Amy, Greta, and May, and slowly sat down as if -in a daze. - -"Wow!" she said quietly. - -"What is it?" the girls asked in chorus. - -"We've got our story," Peggy said, "but I still don't know exactly what -to make of it." - -"Well, for goodness' sake, _tell_ us!" Greta said impatiently. - -Peggy gathered her thoughts for a few seconds, drew a deep breath, and -began. "Paula Andrews is the daughter of Stacy Blair and--" - -"Stacy Blair? The actress?" Amy gasped. - -"Yes," Peggy said. "The one and only Stacy Blair. And her father is Dean -Andrews, the producer and director." - -"Wow is the word all right," Greta said. - -"I knew she looked familiar," Amy commented. "We all felt that we had -seen her somewhere before. She looks like her mother. And no wonder -she's such a good actress." - -"This answers a lot of questions," Peggy said. "But it leaves a lot of -questions, too. The big one is, with parents like that, why would Paula -pretend to be an orphan? And why would she go so far with the pretense -as to actually starve herself?" - -"I would say that's a question only Paula can answer," put in May -Berriman, who had been silent until now. "And I think the best thing to -do is to go directly to her, tell her what you know, and ask her to give -you her full confidence. After all," she added, "you have a right to -know. She's taking money and help from you girls on--well, on false -pretenses. If you're going to help her, at least you ought to know why." - -"The money isn't important, May," Peggy replied. "But there are -important reasons for knowing. For one thing, her parents must be -terribly worried about her. And for another thing, she's the leading -lady in our play. I don't know what kind of publicity--good or -bad--would come of having her discovered once we open. I think Mal and -Randy should know about this, so as to make their decisions." - -The others agreed, knowing that it would be impossible for Paula to act -in the play for long without being recognized. - -"I suppose it's not important," Amy said, "but I can't help wondering -how Dot found out all this in such a short time." - -"She's a smart gal," Peggy answered. "She simply took her camera and -bought a cheap autograph book and started walking around the streets in -the Canyon Road area, pretending to be a movie-fan tourist. She struck -up a conversation with a postman, and asked a lot of questions about who -lived in the houses around her. Whenever she asked about a famous -person's house, she took a snapshot. When the postman saw she wasn't -going to actually disturb any of the people on his route, he let her -walk with him, and he told her a lot about the people who lived in the -area. That's how she found out about Mr. and Mrs. Andrews, and about -Paula. And she found out something else, too. Paula is supposed to be in -Europe." - -"In Europe?" Greta asked. "How does she know that?" - -"From the letters the postman delivers." - -"You're not making sense. How can he?" Amy complained. - -"That's the peculiar part," Peggy said, "and it's what I meant when I -said that there would be even more questions to answer. You see, Dot -said that the postman told her he delivered letters from Paula, from -different parts of Europe." - -"But Paula has been right here all the time!" Amy cried. - -Peggy nodded slowly. "She's been here for about three months that we -know of for sure. And the postman said that she wrote to her parents -regularly, at least once a week, until recently. He said that it's been -perhaps a month since they've had a letter, and that her parents seem -pretty worried. Every so often they wait for the mail to come, and they -ask him to look again, to be sure that they don't have a letter from -Paula." - -After a moment's silence, while they all puzzled about the meaning of -this latest development, May Berriman spoke decisively. "It seems to me -that every minute we waste discussing the possibilities is a minute of -uncertainty and unhappiness for this girl's parents--and for her, too. -Peggy, I think you should go right to her this minute and get to the -bottom of the affair immediately." - -"Oh dear," Peggy said unhappily. "I know you're right, but I've been -sort of trying to put it off. I just hate to be the one to tell her that -we've been spying on her." - -"I know how you feel, Peggy," May Berriman said, managing to sound -gentle and stern at the same time, "but after all, you--" - -"I know, May," Peggy interrupted. "You don't have to tell me. I started -the whole thing, and it's up to me to finish it. Besides, I've formed a -closer friendship with Paula than any of the rest of you. You're right. -I'd better do it, and I'd better do it right away." - -As she started from the room, Amy stood up to follow. "Peggy," she -called, "I'm coming, too." - -"No, Amy," Peggy said. "It's good of you, but I think I'd better do it -alone. It may be harder for me that way, but it will be easier for -Paula. I'll meet you all down at the theater as soon as I can get -there." - -With a distracted wave of her hand, she left. - -On the way to Paula's apartment, she rehearsed several possible opening -phrases, several tactful approaches to the problem of telling her friend -that she knew her identity. Somehow, nothing seemed quite right, and -when she finally stepped out of the little elevator and knocked on -Paula's door, her mind was blank. Paula greeted her with a smile. - -"Peggy! What a nice surprise! I was just thinking of calling you up. I -thought we might be able to have dinner together before going down to -the theater tonight." - -"I'm glad I caught you before you went out," Peggy said. "Paula. Sit -down, will you? I--I want to talk to you. You see, this isn't exactly -a--well--a social visit, although it is a friendly one. I'm coming to -you as a friend, to ask you to be honest with me." - -"Honest? Why, Peggy, I...." Paula's voice trailed off, and she became -pale and still. - -"Yes, you know what I mean," Peggy said. "It's time to be honest about -yourself--and honest with yourself. You can't go on pretending to be -what you're not. I'm sorry, Paula, but I know all about you. I know who -you are, and who your parents are, and I know that they think you're in -Europe. I've ... I've been snooping." - -"Have you talked to them?" Paula asked in a quavery voice. "Do they know -where I am?" - -"Nobody has talked to them," Peggy assured her. "I think you ought to do -that yourself." - -"Thank goodness!" Paula breathed. "But why...?" - -"Why did I poke into your affairs?" Peggy supplied. "Because I was sure -that you weren't telling me the truth about yourself, and I was sure -that your parents didn't know where you were and that they were probably -worried sick, whoever they were. I wanted to find out, so that I could -help you. You must believe that. I didn't do it out of personal -curiosity, Paula, but just to help you." - -"I believe that, Peggy," Paula said. "But really, it wasn't necessary. -My parents think I'm all right. They believe I'm in Europe, and they get -letters from me, and--" - -"No, they don't," Peggy interrupted. "They haven't received a letter in -almost a month." - -"Oh, no!" Paula gasped. "I was afraid of that! But how do you know, if -you haven't spoken to them?" - -"Don't bother about that now," Peggy said. "I think the best thing is -for you to start at the beginning and tell me the whole story. Then we -can put the pieces together." - -Paula nodded in silent agreement, then drew a deep breath and started. - -"My parents are wonderful people," she began. "They've given me -everything a girl could want, and I love them dearly. They're both -understanding and talented and charming and generous ... oh, all the -things you want people to be! When I decided that I wanted to be an -actress, they did everything they could to help me. I was sent to the -best dramatic coaches and schools, introduced to all the people who -would be good to know. They helped me get placed with the best repertory -theater group in California, and when I started to get good parts, they -saw to it that the leading critics came out to see me. I got wonderful -notices, and I got a few movie offers, but--" - -"But what?" Peggy asked. "It sounds as if you had everything in the -world!" - -"I did," Paula answered. "Everything except self-confidence. I was never -sure whether I was getting the good parts and the good reviews because I -was me, or because I was my parents' daughter. My mother is, well, very -popular with all the show people in Hollywood, as well as being a famous -actress. Nobody would ever do anything to hurt her. I was afraid I was -being carried along because everybody wanted to be nice to her. And my -father, too. He's well-liked, and he's also very--influential." - -"I see," Peggy said thoughtfully. "And you wanted to try your talent on -your own. But why didn't you explain that to your parents?" - -"They thought I was being foolish," Paula said. "They told me that I -should take whatever help I could get on my way to the stage, because -once I got there, I would have to stand on my own feet anyway. Maybe -they were right." - -"They were," Peggy said decisively. "And it seems to me that we had this -conversation once before, and I told you the same thing. You have to be -willing to be helped. I think that you believe it a little more now than -you did before." - -"I guess so," Paula agreed. "But I certainly wasn't convinced before. -When I got the movie offers, I was afraid that I would be a failure. I -wanted to be sure first that I could get a part and please an audience -on my own merits. So I turned down the offers. I said that I wanted to -complete my education first. I asked my parents to let me spend a year -in Europe, so that I could learn a little more about people and the -world. They agreed, on condition that I went with a friend. My friend -Nancy Frome was planning to go abroad for a year anyway. She's several -years older than I, and my parents were satisfied to have me go with -her." - -"And you arranged with her that she would mail previously written -letters to your parents to convince them that you were in Europe, -right?" Peggy put in. - -"That's right," Paula said. "Nancy agreed to do that, and to mail me the -letters my parents sent. That way, I could answer any specific questions -and make my letters sound natural. I mailed my letters to my parents -over to Nancy, and she posted them from Europe." - -"But what went wrong?" Peggy asked. "How come you ran out of money, if -your parents gave you enough for a year in Europe? And how come your -friend stopped sending letters home?" - -"I don't know, Peggy," Paula said earnestly. "I've been worried to death -about it. I haven't heard from Nancy for almost a month. You see, that's -why I ran out of money. My parents naturally didn't want me to carry too -much cash with me, so they arranged to send regular monthly checks to me -at the cities I was supposed to visit. As soon as the checks came to the -hotel, Nancy would send them to me in New York, I would sign them and -mail them back, and Nancy would cash them in Europe. That way, the bank -markings on the backs of the checks wouldn't be from New York, but from -Paris, or Milan or Rome or wherever Nancy was. Then Nancy would send me -a money order. The whole process only took about a week by air mail, and -it worked fine for a while." - -"It sounds complicated, but it makes sense," Peggy said. "That is, as -much sense as it could make, once you had decided to do a foolish thing. -But what went wrong?" - -"I don't know," Paula repeated miserably. "All of a sudden the money -stopped coming, and I didn't get any letters from Nancy. At that point, -I didn't know what to do. I'm convinced that Nancy either must have had -an accident, or else she's ill, because I know that I can trust her. She -must be unable to send mail. I'm scared! I would have quit the show and -gone to Europe to find out, but by then I didn't have any money left. My -father's London office probably could locate her right away, but I -didn't want to call my parents and tell them, because then no good at -all would have come of the whole affair. I just kept hoping each day -that I'd hear from Nancy. And meanwhile, opening night was coming -closer, and I thought that if I could just hold out until then--and -until I saw the notices in the papers--I could tell my parents, and -maybe they'd understand." - -"Well, maybe so," Peggy said, "but, to tell you the truth, Paula, I -doubt it. They'll surely understand your desire to prove yourself, but I -can't imagine that they'll appreciate the way you chose to do it." - -Paula nodded, looking unhappier every minute. - -"What do you think I ought to do, Peggy?" - -"I think you ought to call them right now and tell them you're all -right. Then you can explain what you've done, and see what they say." - -"No! No, Peggy! I know you're right, but I also know what they'd do! -They would come right to New York, and they're unable to travel anywhere -without being recognized and followed by reporters and photographers. -And once the newspapers get hold of a story like this, it'll be all over -the place, and when opening night is over, I'll still not know whether I -was good or not--or if I made a splash because of my name and my -publicity." - -"But you can't keep them worrying any longer!" Peggy exclaimed. - -"It's not much longer, Peggy," Paula pleaded. "We open in three -days--just three more days! Then I'll tell them!" - -"I think you're doing the wrong thing," Peggy said, "but I suppose -there's no way I can force you to do otherwise. Of course ... I can -always call them myself, but I'd rather you did it." - -"Please, Peggy! Promise me you won't do that!" Paula begged. - -"I ... I'll think it over," Peggy said. "I don't want to make any -promises before I think." - -Both girls sat in unhappy silence for what seemed like a long time. - -"Paula," Peggy began after a while, "I hope you'll forgive me for--" - -"Of course," Paula interrupted. "There's nothing to forgive. I know you -were doing it for my own good. And if it hadn't been for you--" - -Peggy cut her off with an impatient nod. "Please don't thank me for -that," she said. "As long as you know I was just trying to help. And all -I want to know now is that we can keep on being friends." - -"You're the best friend I've ever had," Paula said solemnly, "and I -don't know why you even want to have anything to do with someone who's -acted as selfishly and inconsiderately as I have." - -"It's because I want to meet your famous parents!" Peggy said, laughing. - -For a moment Paula was taken aback, then she too burst out laughing. The -surface strain of the meeting was broken, and in a much lighter mood, -the two girls left the apartment for dinner and the night's rehearsal. - -But Peggy knew that it was only the surface that was smooth. Underneath, -she still felt the strain of the last hour--of the last weeks. She had -been asked to give her promise to Paula, and she had not done so. The -decision was still to be made, and until it was, Peggy knew that she -would not have a moment's peace. - - - - - XIII - A Decision - - -During rehearsal that night, and afterward, Peggy managed to have as -little contact with Paula as possible. She felt that they were both -talked out on the subject by now, and any further conversation would -only serve to confuse the issue, rather than clarify it. - -Shortly after midnight, when Mal dismissed the cast, Peggy, Amy, and -Greta made a quick and unobtrusive exit and hurried back to the Gramercy -Arms to discuss the matter with May Berriman. - -May had been expecting a meeting this evening, and was waiting for the -girls in the huge and friendly kitchen downstairs. Hot chocolate -perfumed the air, and a tray of warm, freshly made cookies was set out -on the long sawbuck table. - -When the girls were seated, and the chocolate had been poured, Peggy -repeated what Paula had told her. She finished by telling of Paula's -request that nobody contact her parents until after opening night. - -"And did you agree?" May Berriman asked. - -"No," Peggy said uneasily. "I couldn't. But I didn't say that I would -call them either. I told her that I would have to think it over." - -"What have you decided?" May asked, in a voice like a conscience. - -"... I haven't really come to a decision yet, May," Peggy said. "I've -been thinking about it all evening." - -"Amy? Greta? What do you think?" May Berriman pursued. - -The girls shook their heads and looked at each other. - -"It seems to me," the old actress said with slow dignity, "that Peggy -made her decision some days ago, even before the whole story was known." - -"What do you mean?" Peggy asked. - -"I mean that I remember you saying that people were more important than -plays. And that, I presume, goes for careers, too. People, and people's -feelings, are the most important thing in the world. I think that you've -already decided to call Paula's parents." - -"I haven't decided yet," Peggy answered. "Even though I agree that -people and their feelings are the most important thing. You see, I have -to consider Paula's feelings, too, don't I?" - -"No," May Berriman said firmly. "She's been considering her own feelings -long enough, and all of you have done nothing but help her to continue -her foolishness. Maybe it's because of my age, but I can't consider her -feelings anywhere near as important as the feelings of her parents. They -haven't heard from her for a month. The checks they sent haven't been -cashed. They probably are frightened to death, and I wouldn't be -surprised if they had the police forces in half the countries of Europe -searching for Paula. I think it's time somebody put a stop to it." - -The girls considered what May had said, and silently sipped their -chocolate. Nobody cared to say anything, Amy and Greta each having -decided individually that the final decision must come from Peggy. - -It was a long time until the silence was broken. - -"All right, May," Peggy said. "I can't argue with you, because I know -you're right. There's nothing to do but call them, and now's as good a -time as any." - -She glanced at the tall grandfather clock in the corner. "It's not quite -ten o'clock in California now," she said. "I'll go upstairs and call." - -"But what if it's an unlisted phone number?" Amy asked. - -"Oh-oh," said Peggy. "You're right, of course, Amy. A famous star like -Stacy Blair would never have a listed number. She'd be bothered to -death." She sighed impatiently. "Well, I'll just have to send her a -wire." - -"Wait a minute, Peggy," May Berriman said suddenly. "I know someone -who's a close friend of the Andrews, and she's right here in New York. -Let me call her. She's bound to know their number." - -May went up the stairs with surprising agility while the three girls -waited in excited silence. She soon returned waving a slip of paper and -announced dramatically, "I've got it!" - -Peggy stood up and crossed the room. May handed her the slip on which -the number was written. At the foot of the stairs, Peggy paused and -said, "I'll be back in a few minutes. Please wait up for me, will you?" - -"You couldn't get us to bed now at gunpoint!" Greta said. - -Peggy went upstairs and put through the call. The Andrews telephone was -answered by a woman. - -"Andrews residence," she said crisply. - -"I'd like to speak to Mrs. Andrews," Peggy said. - -"Who is calling, please?" - -"My name is Peggy Lane. She doesn't know me, but I'm a friend of her -daughter's, and I have some information about her that I know Mrs. -Andrews would want to hear." - -"About Miss Paula? Tell me! Is she all right? Where--?" - -"Yes, yes, she's all right," Peggy said, somewhat impatiently. "Now, -please, won't you call Mrs. Andrews to the phone?" - -"I'm sorry, Miss Lane," the voice at the other end said, "but Mr. and -Mrs. Andrews aren't here." - -"When do you expect them back?" Peggy asked. - -"I don't know. They're in New York now, on their way to Europe, if they -haven't left already. I believe they plan to catch a plane tonight." - -"Tonight! But ... what airline? How can I reach them if they haven't -left yet?" - -"You might try the hotel in New York," the maid said. "They had to stop -over for plane connections, but I don't know for how long. They always -stay at the Plaza, and you might get them there." - -"Thank you," Peggy said hurriedly. "I'll call them right--" - -"But wait!" the maid interrupted. "Tell me about Miss Paula! Where is -she? Has she had an accident? What--?" - -"She's right here in New York!" Peggy cried. "And I can't talk more now! -I have to stop her parents before they fly off to Europe! Thank -you--good-by!" - -Peggy hurriedly hung up before the anxious woman could continue her -questioning. Swiftly thumbing through the phone book, she picked out the -number of the Plaza and dialed. - -"I'm sorry," a smooth clerkish voice answered, "but Mr. and Mrs. Andrews -have already checked out." - -"When?" Peggy asked. "What time?" - -"About a half hour ago," the voice said calmly. "I believe they left for -the airport." - -"I know," Peggy said excitedly. "But which airline? Do you know, or is -there any way you could find out?" - -"One moment, please," the voice replied. "Perhaps the bell captain -knows." - -There was a clatter as the phone was placed on a marble surface, and -Peggy waited nervously. In the background, she heard the dim noises of -the hotel lobby, the thin sound of a dance tune, occasional small -voices. For what seemed an endless stretch of time, she waited. At last, -when it seemed that her nerves could stand not one moment more, she -heard the phone being picked up. - -"The bell captain says they were going to International Airways -Terminal, miss," the helpful voice said. "I'm sorry it took so much -time, but I checked the doorman as well, to see if he overheard the taxi -directions. Fortunately he did." - -"Thank you," Peggy said fervently. "Thank you very much!" She rang off -and then promptly dialed Randy. - -A sleepy voice answered at the seventh ring. "Wha'?" Randy said. - -"Randy, it's Peggy. I'm sorry to wake you, but don't stop to ask why. -Just pull yourself together fast!" - -"All right. Okay. I'm awake now," Randy said. "What's the trouble, -Peggy?" - -"I'll explain later, when there's time," she said. "Right now, we -haven't a minute to lose. I want you to get dressed as fast as you can, -and come right up here with the car. Make sure you have plenty of gas. -I'll be waiting." - -"But ... all right." Randy said. "You don't sound as if you're kidding. -I'll see you in about ten minutes!" He hung up. - -Peggy ran down to the kitchen. - -"I'm afraid we've talked about things for too long," she said dismally, -"and acted a little too late. If only I had made up my mind an hour -sooner!" - -"What's wrong?" Amy asked. - -Peggy explained what had happened. "Now they're on their way to -Idlewild," she concluded, "and I don't know if we stand a chance of -reaching them before they take off. Randy's on his way here now, and -we're going to try to get there in time, even if it means getting a -police escort or the worst speeding tickets they hand out! Mr. and Mrs. -Andrews have over half an hour's head start." - -"I think you have a good chance of making it," May said calmly, "without -exceeding the speed limits. If you are stopped by a policeman, you'll -lose more time than if Randy drives properly. Besides, their head start -isn't as great as you think it is. The airlines always make passengers -arrive at least a half-hour before flight time, and most people allow -even more time than that, in case of traffic delays. Still ... I admit, -you haven't got too much time to stand around talking." - -"Randy said he'd be here in ten minutes," Peggy said, "and it's just -about that now. I'd better go. Keep your fingers crossed." She darted up -the stairs. - -The two girls and May Berriman looked at each other. - -"I suggest," May Berriman said with an air of finality, "that we switch -from cocoa to coffee. I think it's going to be a long night, and I, for -one, have no intention of trying to sleep until it's all over." - - - - - XIV - Race Against Time - - -Peggy struggled into her coat and stepped out onto the front stoop of -the Gramercy Arms just in time to see Randy's sleek old English -automobile turn the corner and pull up with a squeal of brakes in front -of the steps. - -She ran down the steps, wrenched open the door and slid in next to -Randy. - -"Idlewild Airport," she gasped. "As fast as you can without getting -stopped!" - -"But--" - -"No but's," she interrupted. "Let's go!" - -Randy put the big car smoothly into motion, turned east and headed for -the Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive. - -"We're going to the International Airways Building," Peggy said. "Do you -know where it is?" - -"Yes," Randy answered. "And now that you're settled down and have your -breath back, do you mind telling me what's happening?" - -"It's Paula," Peggy said. "Paula's mother is Stacy Blair, the movie -star, and she's going to Europe to hunt for Paula because she doesn't -know she's right here in New York and we have to stop them before the -plane leaves, and--" - -"Wait a minute," Randy interrupted. "Who thinks who's in Europe and whom -do we have to stop? You mean that Paula's going to Europe to find her -mother, or Paula's mother is going to Europe to find Paula?" - -"That's right," Peggy said. "I mean, the last thing you said is right. -Paula's mother and father are on their way to Idlewild now to catch a -plane for Europe. They think Paula's there. It's simple." - -"It's the most complicated piece of simplicity I've ever heard," Randy -commented. "Now why don't you start from the beginning and tell it -slowly and clearly? It's not going to affect the time it takes to get to -Idlewild, so you might as well relax." - -Of course it wasn't simple, as Peggy realized once she tried to explain -the whole affair. It was necessary to tell Randy how she found out about -Paula, and what Paula had been trying to accomplish, and how she had -found out that Paula's parents were on their way. By the time she had -finished telling it, they had left Manhattan behind them, and were -speeding along the express highways of Long Island. - -Every so often, coming to the top of one of the low rolling hills that -make up the gigantic sandbar that is Long Island, Peggy could see the -lights and towers of Manhattan, seeming never to drop much farther -behind. She had, for a moment, the nightmare sensation of running, -running, running with every possible effort, and getting nowhere at all. - -Fortunately, the highways were nearly deserted at this late hour, and -Randy was able to make good time. The powerful engine under the long -hood of the big English car purred with a low, well-tuned sound as they -raced through the night, past the darkened windows of houses and garden -apartments. The speedometer needle quivered at the sixty mark, and Peggy -kept glancing nervously behind her, expecting at any moment to see the -flashing red light and hear the warning siren of a pursuing police -patrol car, but none came. - -Once they passed a lurking police car, waiting with darkened lights to -catch a speeder, but Randy's driving, though fast, was steady and -unobtrusive. The patrol car stayed parked in the field alongside the -road. - -Finally, Peggy made out the searchlights of the airport, far ahead of -them, and then the general glow in the sky that marked the landing -strips, public buildings, lounges, and airline ticket offices. - -As they approached the airport, Randy broke the silence. "I'll drive -straight to the International Airways Building," he said, "and I'll put -the car in the employees' parking lot. The regular parking lot takes a -little more time, especially if we have to wait for a ticket. We can go -right in from the employees' lot, and worry about getting a ticket -later." - -"How do we go about finding Mr. and Mrs. Andrews when we get there?" -Peggy asked. "We don't even know what plane they're taking." - -"We shouldn't have any trouble finding out about that," Randy said. "I'm -sure that even International Airways doesn't have more than one plane -bound for Europe at this time of night. We'll look at the flight -schedule board, and then head for the gate. At least there's no problem -about recognizing Paula's mother when we do find her. She has one of the -most famous faces in the world, I guess." - -By now they were on the approach road to Idlewild Airport, which looked -like something out of a science-fiction movie. The highways curved in -symmetrical patterns, crossing over and under each other, and arched -over with slim, modern lamps. The airline terminal buildings, brightly -lighted, were each different from the other, and different, too, from -any buildings that Peggy had ever seen. One looked like a giant -glass-and-steel mushroom; others, in the most modern shapes, defied -simple description. The International Airways Building, one of the -largest, was a long, square, crystal box, with soaring bridges and -terraces connecting it to other buildings. - -Randy drove under one of these bridges past the front entrance of the -building, swung sharply to the right, and pulled the car into the -parking lot reserved for pilots. Before anyone could come to question -them, he and Peggy were out of the car, running for the entrance. - -Inside, in sharp contrast to the deserted highways and sleeping -landscape that they had just roared through, the terminal was alive with -hurrying people. Loud-speakers were crackling with announcements, -porters carried baggage in all directions, people stood in knots waiting -for planes to leave or for planes to arrive. Peggy's head swam with the -excitement. - -"This way!" Randy said, and grabbed her by the hand. He led her through -a maze of people to a counter at the far side of the room. Behind the -counter was a smartly uniformed young woman posting information on a -large blackboard. - -"Miss," Randy called, "could you please tell me if there's a plane -leaving for Europe--or scheduled to leave for Europe--in the next few -minutes?" - -The girl smiled, stepped away from the blackboard which she had been -obscuring, and pointed. "Take a look," she said. "One left for Ireland -about five minutes ago. Another takes off for Lisbon in ten minutes. -Rome, fifteen minutes. Paris ... let's see ... not for another -half-hour. That enough for you?" - -"Oh dear!" Peggy said. "We'll never find them this way! Miss, we're -looking for some people who are probably scheduled to leave on one of -those planes, but we don't know which. Perhaps you can help us?" - -"The General Agent has all the passenger lists," the girl said. "You'll -find his office on the third floor, and I'm sure that you can get the -information you want there." - -"But...." Peggy began. - -"It's quite simple," the girl said efficiently. "Take the elevator to -your left, and the General Agent will have your friends paged on the -public address system...." - -"Paged!" Peggy gasped. - -"Oh, boy, are we stupid!" Randy said. "We should have done that in the -first place, instead of taking this mad dash out here! Or we should have -done that, too, or had the girls do it...." - -"But there's no time for that now!" Peggy said. "They might be boarding -a plane this very minute!" She turned again to the now puzzled girl. -"Maybe you've seen them," she began. "We're looking for--" - -"I'm sorry," the girl said primly, "but I'm not allowed to give any -information about passengers, even if I do know their names. Which I -never do." - -"We're looking for Mr. and Mrs. Dean Andrews," Peggy went on, ignoring -the girl's disclaimer. "She's Stacy Blair, the famous movie--" - -"Stacy Blair!" the girl exclaimed. "Well, why didn't you say so in the -first place? Of course I've seen her! How could anyone miss? Why, I -never--" - -"Has she left yet?" Randy interrupted. - -"Not yet," the girl said, annoyed at being cut off. "She's scheduled to -take the Lisbon plane that leaves in eight minutes. But if you're -looking for an autograph, you don't have a chance. I tried myself, and -she didn't even look at me. She's in some sort of a bad mood, and won't -talk to people. A lot of the girls and passengers tried, but--" - -"Lisbon! Gate fifteen!" Peggy read from the notice board. "Thanks!" she -called back to the uniformed girl as she and Randy hurried for the exit -that led to the passenger loading gates. - -They dashed past the gate attendant with a hurried explanation that they -just had to see somebody off. Before he could stop them, they were -racing down the long corridor past the numbered passenger gates. Through -the broad windows, they could see a large jet plane, its door opened and -a boarding ramp being wheeled up to its side. Through the trap below the -plane, they saw luggage being loaded. - -"That must be it!" Randy panted. - -"Attention, please!" rasped the loud-speaker. "Your attention, please! -Flight number two-oh-seven for Lisbon now taking on passengers at gate -fifteen! Gate fifteen! Will all passengers for Lisbon please go to gate -fifteen...." - -"Good!" Peggy gasped. "We're ahead of them! All we have to do is wait at -the gate and we're sure to see them!" - -They slackened their pace somewhat, as they saw that nobody was at the -loading gate but a uniformed airline official who was waiting to inspect -the passengers' tickets before letting them board. As they pulled up -breathlessly at the railing, the man smiled. - -"You didn't have to rush," he said. "We're just boarding now, and we -won't be taking off for another ten minutes or so." - -"Oh, we're not flying," Peggy explained. "We just wanted to be here -first so that we wouldn't miss some people we want to see." - -"Oh, seeing off some friends," the uniformed man said. "You must really -be fond of them to come out at a late hour like this just for the fun of -waving good-by!" - -"Well, you might say that," Randy said, reluctant to give away the real -purpose of their visit. - -"If you wait right here, you can't miss them," the man smiled. "In fact, -here come the first ones now." - -Looking down the long corridor, Peggy and Randy saw a knot of passengers -approaching at a leisurely pace. None of them seemed, even at this -distance, to be Stacy Blair. Peggy cast a puzzled look at Randy. - -"They'll probably be along in a minute or two," he said reassuringly. "I -guess it's only the new travelers who hurry to be the first on board." - -They stood quietly by as the passengers checked in, one by one, offering -their tickets for inspection to the uniformed official. As each -passenger passed through the gate, the inspector checked off his or her -name against a master list on his little standing desk. - -Peggy watched with mounting alarm as name after name was checked off, -and still Paula's parents did not appear. Catching her expression, the -airline official paused in his paperwork. - -"Say," he said, "you're not waiting for Mr. and Mrs. Blackstone, are -you? Because if you are, I got word that they had canceled, and your -trip out here would be for nothing." - -"No," Peggy said, "not Blackstone. Why?" - -"Because everybody else is on board already!" he replied. "Sure you have -the right flight number?" - -"I certainly hope so!" Peggy said. "Please, may I see your passenger -list?" - -"Sure. Help yourself." He moved aside from the desk to let her look. - -At the top of the list stood the names of Mr. and Mrs. Dean Andrews. - -"This is the right flight, all right," Peggy said. "We're waiting to see -Mr. and Mrs. Andrews--and they surely didn't come on board!" - -"Not when you were looking," the man said with a grin. "Sorry, kids, but -you'll have to collect your autographs some other time. Mr. and Mrs. -Andrews were allowed to board before the other passengers, just so they -could avoid being noticed. It seems that everybody wants Stacy Blair's -autograph, and she had a headache or something. Tough luck!" - -"We're not autograph hunters," Peggy said, "but we have to see Mr. and -Mrs. Andrews! Can we please go on board? It's very important!" - -The man shook his head. "Sorry. It's strictly against the rules." - -"But--" - -"You sure are a persistent girl," he interrupted, "but it's not going to -do you any good. Now why don't you just run along and chase some other -movie star? Mrs. Andrews asked to be left alone, and we're going to do -everything we can to see that her wishes are--Hey!" - -Realizing that further discussion would be useless, Peggy decided that -the time had come for direct action. She simply ran through the gate and -out on to the field. Before the uniformed man could get around the -railing and start in pursuit, she had already covered half the distance -to the waiting jet. - -"Stop!" She heard a shout behind her. Still running, she turned her head -in time to see Randy grab the man by the sleeve to hold him back. Hoping -that Randy wouldn't get into a fight or in any serious trouble, she ran -straight on and up the steps of the boarding ramp where a stewardess -with a startled expression stood waiting for her. - -Knowing what the answer would be to any explanations she might make, -Peggy simply dashed past her, muttering, "Excuse me!" before the -surprised girl could stop her. - -In the softly lighted cabin, all that Peggy could see were the backs of -heads. She knew that she must find Mr. and Mrs. Andrews in a hurry, or -she would be put off the plane before she ever got a chance to speak to -them. There was no time to go quietly from seat to seat looking for the -familiar features of Paula's mother. Peggy drew a deep breath, looked -once around her, and shouted: - -"Mr. Andrews! Mr. Andrews! Telegram!" - -There was a sudden silence in the plane, then a murmur as heads swiveled -around and saw a young girl standing in the aisle, nervously biting her -lip. Among the heads was the beautiful but worn and strained face of -Stacy Blair. Peggy ran down the aisle, the stewardess close behind her. - -"What's the meaning of this?" Mr. Andrews began angrily. "Who are you, -and what do you--" - -"Please!" Peggy interrupted, almost whispering. "It's about Paula!" - -The airline stewardess reached them, grabbed Peggy's arm, and said, "I -couldn't stop her, Mr. Andrews! I'm sorry, but--" - -"Wait, please!" Paula's mother said, as the stewardess started to force -Peggy away. The girl relaxed her grip. The famous actress looked at -Peggy and said, "What about Paula?" - -"She's right here in New York," Peggy whispered, conscious of the -surrounding passengers, whose attention was riveted on the strange, -dramatic scene. "I'm her friend, and I came to stop you from going to -Europe. I'm sorry I caused such a fuss ... but they didn't want to let -me on the plane, and--" - -"Wait, please," Mr. Andrews interrupted in a quiet voice. "This is no -place to talk." He turned to his wife. "Stacy, we're not taking this -plane. Don't say a word now. We'll talk where it's more private." - -Paula's father instructed the baffled stewardess to see to it that their -luggage was removed, then shepherded his wife and Peggy out of the -plane, leaving behind a cabin full of puzzled, buzzing passengers. - -"Are ... are you sure about this?" Paula's mother said to her husband. - -"No," he said calmly, "but we can't leave here until we are sure, one -way or the other." - -At the passenger gate, they found Randy--uncomfortably under the guard -of two airport policemen. The official who had tried to stop Peggy was -sitting on a stool with an angry expression and what looked like the -beginning of a classic black eye. - -"This is my friend, Randy Brewster," Peggy said. "He drove me out here, -and it looks as if he had to do some fighting to see to it that I got on -the plane." - -Randy grinned sheepishly. "Nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Andrews." - -Mr. Andrews smiled at Randy. To the policemen he said, "Let him come -along with us, please." - -"I dunno, Mr. Andrews," one of the policemen said. "I think Mr. Watkins -here wants to hold him on an assault charge." - -"I was just trying to protect you, Mrs. Andrews," the official said, -"but if he is a friend of yours, as he says he is, I suppose I ought to -apologize instead of pressing charges." - -"Yes, he's a friend," Mrs. Andrews said, adding under her breath, "at -least I think he is!" - -"Well ... no charge, then," the uncomfortable Mr. Watkins said. - -Randy was released and fell into step alongside Peggy and Paula's -parents as they walked down the corridor. - -"This had better be on the up-and-up," Mr. Andrews said darkly, "or I'll -see to it that both of you face a good deal more than a simple assault -charge as a result of it!" - -He cut off Peggy's protestations, saying that he didn't want to say one -more word until they were seated in privacy in the airport restaurant. -The next minutes until they reached their destination were spent in -uncomfortable silence. - -Once seated, after introductions and assurances that Paula was safe and -well, Peggy recited the story that had by now become as familiar to her -as her lines in the play. Carefully, omitting nothing, she explained -what Paula had tried to do, and how things had gone wrong. She explained -her own part in Paula's life, and how she had decided, on May Berriman's -advice, to disregard her friend's wishes and call her parents. Then she -told of her fast detective work in tracing them to the hotel and the -airport, and of the final dash for the plane. - -"So there was nothing I could do but stand there and yell," she -concluded. "I'm sorry it caused such a fuss, but I didn't know how else -to find you before they put me off the plane. Anyway, that brings us to -here." - -"It's quite a story," Mr. Andrews said. "Both of us are very grateful to -you, Peggy, for the care you've taken of Paula and for your concern -about us. And we're grateful to you too, Randy," he added. - -"We are," Paula's mother echoed, a smile lighting her face. "Now, my -dear, will you please take us to Paula?" - -"I ... I was afraid you'd ask that," Peggy said. "I will, of course, if -you really insist on it, but I wish you'd think about it awhile first. -Paula has gone through so much--and put both of you through so much, -too--just to prove something to herself. If you go to her now, her whole -effort will have been wasted. I think you ought to let her stay in -obscurity for just a few days longer until we open the show, and give -her the chance she wanted." - -"I understand your point of view, Peggy," Paula's mother said, "but -can't you understand mine? All I want is to see my daughter and be sure -that she's safe and well!" - -"Can't you take my word for that, please?" Peggy begged. "You've waited -so long, what does it matter if you wait another three days until -opening night? If you do that, then Paula will get the chance she wants, -and I won't feel so miserable about having called you when she asked me -not to. I just want everybody--you two and Paula--to be happy. Won't you -please wait and give her a chance to prove to herself that she's as good -as we all know she is?" - -"Is she good?" her mother asked fervently. - -"She's wonderful!" Peggy and Randy said in chorus. - -"I knew it! I knew it!" The famous actress beamed. "I _knew_ all those -good reviews weren't just because of us...." - -"Then you had your doubts too, didn't you, Mrs. Andrews?" Randy put in -quickly. - -"Why ... why, not really," Paula's mother answered, taken aback. "But, -still...." - -"But still, even though you were sure Paula is a good actress, you never -knew for a fact that the critics sincerely thought so too!" Randy said. - -"In a way, I suppose you're right," Mrs. Andrews said. - -"Then you can understand Paula's view?" Peggy asked. - -"Yes. I can understand." - -"Peggy," Mr. Andrews said, "I'm willing to wait a few days to see her, -if you really think it's best--and if my wife agrees. But what harm -would it do for us to call her on the phone?" - -"It would be the same thing," Peggy said. "She'd know that you're in -town, and she'd start to suspect that you were doing things for her -again. Besides, it might throw her into such a state of excitement that -she wouldn't do her best on opening night." - -"Perhaps you're right," Paula's mother said thoughtfully. "Nerves do get -on edge close to opening, and from what you tell me, I can't imagine -that Paula's are in the best of shape now." - -"Then you'll wait?" Peggy asked. - -"Yes, Peggy, I'll wait. If only as a favor to you. Heaven knows, we owe -you a favor for all you've done. Do you agree, dear?" - -Mr. Andrews looked thoughtful. "All right," he said at length. "But -we're going to be at the opening! We'll sit in the back of the house so -she won't see us. My wife will have to wear a veil or a false mustache -or something, but you can bet we're going to be there!" - -"We'll put you in the projection booth!" Randy said. "You'll have a -perfect view, and nobody will see you at all!" - -"Fine," Mr. Andrews agreed. "And what do you want us to do until opening -night? Shall we just hang around New York, or shall we lie low -somewhere?" - -"It does sound like a conspiracy, doesn't it?" Peggy laughed. - -"It is," Paula's mother said. "And Mr. Andrews has a point. We two are -considered to be--well--newsworthy, you know. And while it's not much of -a story just to leave for Europe, it would be considered a story if the -papers found out about our sudden cancellation of the trip. If that gets -into the papers, and Paula sees it, she'll know we're in town, and -she'll probably be more nervous than ever. Shouldn't we go somewhere?" - -"We should," Mr. Andrews said, getting up from the table. "And before we -waste any more time, I'd better get hold of those policemen and that Mr. -Watkins and see that they don't start talking to any reporters about -tonight." - -He returned somewhat later, looking pleased with himself. - -"Come on," he said. "I've taken care of them, and I've rented a car. -We're going to do something we've both wanted to do for years, and -haven't had time for. We're taking a nice, leisurely sight-seeing trip -by car. We won't come back till opening night, and then we'll go -straight to the theater!" - -Final plans were hurriedly made for the trip, and for the timing of -their arrival on opening night, as Peggy and Randy walked Mr. and Mrs. -Andrews to their waiting car. Good nights and thanks were exchanged once -more. - -By the time that Randy delivered Peggy to the doorstep of the Gramercy -Arms, the first light of dawn was showing in the east. It was nearly -five in the morning. Through the kitchen windows at street level, Peggy -could see May Berriman, Amy, and Greta, surrounded by coffee cups, -doggedly waiting up for her. It would still be awhile, she knew, before -she would get to bed. - - - - - XV - Act One - - -First Night! - -A magic phrase and a magic moment to everyone in show business! The -glitter, the jitters, the excitement of a first night are the same -everywhere--for the big new Broadway show, with its stars, its lavish -sets and costumes, its important audience in formal dress, as well as -for the smallest theater in the smallest town in America. In high school -and college auditoriums, in summer tents and barns, in tiny converted -carriage-house theaters in the back streets of Greenwich Village, the -glamour comes as always, and with it, the feverish excitement. - -Last-minute problems suddenly arise, as suddenly are solved. Something -is wrong with the second row of baby spots; they're out of focus. Did -someone move the lighting bar? Fix it! An important door, vital to -certain entrances and exits, gets stuck. When you try to pull it, the -canvas wall in which it is set trembles. Brace the canvas! Plane down -the door jamb! Oil the hinges and the door latch! Better? Fine! - -"Where's the ladder? How can I fix those spots...." - -"Who has some blue thread? This darned blouse...." - -"I'll never make that costume change in time! We'll have to open the -back and put in snaps, but there has to be a dresser to help me or...." - -"Who took the tennis racket from this prop table? Come on! This is no -time to fool around!" - -"Where's the ladder?" - -"Mal, did you change the position of that sofa in Act Three, or am I -just imagining it? If you did...." - -"Yes, I restaged it in last night's rehearsal. I thought it would...." - -"Well, why didn't you tell me? Now I have to relight the whole scene! -You directors think that all you have to do is tell the actors! There -are other people who are important too...." - -"Sorry. Really, I am. Must have slipped my mind." - -"Slipped your mind? Well!" - -"Please! This is no time for a quarrel. Here, let me show you...." - -"Where's that ladder? I have to have that ladder!" - -"Who wanted blue thread? I found the sewing kit on top of the -switchboard!" - -"What time is it?" - -"One ladder, coming up!" - -"I wanted blue thread--but this is the wrong color blue. Do you think it -will show from out front?" - -"It's seven o'clock!" - -"Hold still, Peggy! I'm cutting the back open now, and I don't want to -hurt you. Do you turn your back to the audience at any time, or can I -fake this hem, do you think?" - -"Do I turn? Let me think ... No. You can fake it. But it has to look all -right in a profile, because I cross a lot. Will I have a dresser right -here?" - -"I'll be here, and we have a screen right by the switchboard ... or we -should have one. Joe! What about that dressing screen off right?" - -"As soon as you finish with that ladder, may I please...." - -"All right, Peggy. Take it off now, and I'll sew it up. Plenty of time!" - -Peggy stepped behind the switchboard and slipped off the blouse, which -now came off like a smock. The snaps in back would keep her from having -to unbutton the whole front and then having to button it up again--a -saving of at least a minute. And a minute is a long time. She put on a -lightweight bathrobe, handed the blouse to the wardrobe mistress, and -stepped out into the confusion of the stage, to see what was going on -now. - -On top of the tall extension ladder, Sam Marcus, the electrician, was -fixing the position of the three end baby spots in order to light the -sofa properly in its new position. Below him, Joe Banks, chief -stagehand, was waiting impatiently to carry off the ladder as soon as it -was free. Amy, on her hands and knees in front of the troublesome door, -was tacking down a hump that had suddenly appeared in the canvas -groundcloth, and which threatened to stop the door from opening. As -Peggy approached her, she looked up and managed a grin, despite the fact -that her mouth was full of long carpet tacks. - -"Why, Grandma, what big teeth you have!" Peggy said, looking down at her -friend. - -"Mmph!" Amy said. She pounded in two more tacks, took the remaining few -from between her lips, and surveyed her handiwork. "Think that'll do?" -she asked. - -"It looks good to me," Peggy replied. "Now let's see what's going to go -wrong next!" - -"There isn't much left to go wrong that hasn't already done so and been -fixed at least twice." Amy laughed. "Now, if everything will just be -kind enough to hold together through tonight, I'll be most grateful to -Fate." - -Randy suddenly appeared through the door, which worked smoothly this -time. - -"I'm not worried about the costumes and sets holding together," he said, -"as much as I am about the play holding together. I suppose it's just -first-night jitters, but I have the terrible feeling that the whole play -ought to be rewritten from beginning to end. But Mal won't let me change -so much as one single word now." - -"Randy! The play is beautiful," Peggy said, "and I don't think there's a -word in it that should be changed. Besides, you shouldn't say things -like that out loud, even if you feel them. Some of the cast might hear -you, and they're already nervous enough, without having to worry about -the quality of the play." - -"I suppose you're right," Randy said moodily. "And anyway, it's too -late. How are the actors holding up? Are they really nervous? You look -as cool as an orchid on ice." - -"I'm not," Peggy said, "but if I'm going to fool the audience into -thinking so, I have to start by fooling myself. The rest of the gang -seem all right, too, except that their good-humored kidding around -sounds suspiciously on the edge of hysteria!" - -"How's our leading lady?" Randy asked cautiously. "She looked a little -strange when I saw her last, about an hour ago." - -"I don't know," Peggy said slowly. "She seemed ... strange ... to me, -too. She wasn't nervous, and she wasn't kidding around with the rest of -the cast, and at the same time, she didn't seem cool and calm. She just -looked sort of distant and detached. I think she's collecting her -strength, in a way--preparing herself to _be_ Alison, rather than just -to play her." - -"That's the way it seemed to me," Randy said. "It's as if she has -written a sort of pre-play ... you know, the action that takes place -before the play begins. She's figured out what Alison's frame of mind -must have been before she arrived at the resort, and that's the part -she's playing now." - -"That's just what it is," Amy said. "I know, because I talked to her -about it last night, and she told me that the hardest part of acting for -her was what she had to imagine for herself before ever coming on stage. -I'll bet by now she's completely forgotten that she's Paula Andrews and -an actress, and that nothing is real for her but the character of -Alison. That's what makes her so good." - -"She is good," Randy agreed, "and she certainly is Alison. I only hope -she doesn't completely convince herself that she's living this rather -than playing it, or she might start making up her own lines! And, at -that," he added gloomily, "they'd probably be a lot better than the ones -I wrote." - -With a theatrical gesture of mock despair, he backed through the doorway -and gently shut the door. - -"Here, Peggy! Try this on now!" It was the wardrobe mistress, back with -the blouse. - -"Amy! You'd better get changed and start to get the ushers ready!" - -"Where's that ladder now! Why can't I ever find...." - -"What time is it?" - -"Try number four dimmer down and number three up at the same time, and -with your other hand...." - -"Who has the ladder?" - -"It's seven-forty!" - -"I only have two hands, you know!" - -"Did somebody call for the ladder? Who wanted that ladder?" - -"No, no! Number four down and number three up, not number three down and -number four up!" - -"What time did you say?" - -"Did anybody see the first-aid kit? I cut my finger on this gel frame." - -"Give me a hand with the ladder, will you? Just set it right here, -under...." - -"Look out! Don't bleed all over the sofa!" - -"It's seven-forty-five." - -"Ouch!" - - -With all the past weeks of preparation, Peggy thought, you'd suppose -that nothing at all would have to be left till the last moment, but -somehow, no matter how well you planned, there was always something left -undone. Or something that had to be redone. Less than an hour before -curtain time, it seemed as if _Come Closer_ had not the least chance of -opening that night. But she knew that it would open, and she was sure -that it would go smoothly and well. At least she hoped that she was -sure. - -Peggy went down the circular iron stairway to the dressing room she -shared with Greta. It was time to start putting her make-up on. Greta -was already applying the base, and the tiny room, no bigger than a -closet, was perfumed with the peculiar odor of grease paint. Every inch -of wall space except for the mirrors was covered with clothing--their -own and their costumes--hanging from nails and hooks. A few garments -were even suspended from some of the pipes that crisscrossed the low -ceiling. The room was so narrow that when Peggy sat at the dressing -table, the back of her chair was touching the wall behind her. The -dressing table itself, a rough board counter covered with plastic -shelving paper, was littered with bottles, jars, tubes, powder boxes, -puffs, make-up brushes, eyebrow pencils, eye-liners, grease crayons, -hairbrushes, combs, sprays, hairpins and other odds and ends. - -Looking at the cramped, messy little room, Peggy suddenly thought of a -movie she had seen, where several scenes took place in a star's dressing -room. It was an enormous room, she remembered, with a carved Victorian -sofa and chairs grouped around a little marble tea table. At one side of -the room had been an elaborate make-up table surmounted by a gold-framed -mirror. On it were a very few bottles and jars. A pleated silk screen -stood nearby, concealing an immense closet which held row upon row of -costumes. Overhead was a crystal chandelier. - -Peggy laughed out loud when she thought of the chandelier. - -"What's funny?" Greta asked. - -"Oh, nothing," Peggy said. "I was just thinking that the best thing -about being an actress is the glamorous backstage life!" - - -"Five minutes!" called Dick Murphy, the stage manager. "Everybody ready -in there?" - -"All ready!" Peggy and Greta sang out. - -"Five minutes!" they heard him call at the next door. - -"Let's go up," Peggy said. "I'm dying to see what kind of house we -have!" - -"Murphy doesn't want us up until he calls for places," Greta said -doubtfully. - -"Oh, it doesn't matter," Peggy said. "We're both on within five minutes -of curtain, and our places in the wings aren't in anybody's way." - -"All right," Greta agreed, knowing that she was as eager as Peggy. - -At the stage level, a few stagehands were making last-minute -adjustments. Mal stood to one side, seemingly watching nothing at all. -There was hardly a sound, except for the chatter of the audience, muted -by the curtain that separated them from the stage. The hundreds of -voices of the audience merged into a single sound, as the splashes of -thousands of wavelets in a single wave combine to become the murmur of -the sea. Peggy put her eye to the tiny peephole in the curtain. Almost -every seat was already filled, and the ushers were leading a few -last-minute arrivals down the aisles. - -As she watched, the house lights began to dim, and the floods came up -brightly. An expectant hush came over the audience. She felt a hand on -her arm, and turned to see Dick Murphy, looking comically stern. He -silently gestured with a nod of his head, to indicate that it was time -for her to leave the stage. She took her place in the wings with the -other waiting actors. They were silent and outwardly calm, but she could -feel the tension in all of them. - -A little behind them, seated on a suitcase that she would carry in with -her, was Paula, wearing an expression that gave away nothing. - -"Okay," she heard Dick Murphy say. "Places!" - -Alan Douglas and Betsy Crane stepped out onto the empty stage and sat in -two widely separated lounge chairs. Alan spread his newspaper to read, -and Betsy began to knit. - -"Curtain!" Murphy said. - -And the play was on. - - - - - XVI - Act Two - - -"I was awful! I just know I was awful!" Peggy moaned. "I never felt so -stiff and scared in my life! I think I must have walked like a -mechanical doll! Oh, Greta!" - -"You were fine," Greta said. "I mean it. You know I'm too good a friend -to lie to you. You were as natural as...." - -"And I muffed two lines!" Peggy went on, as if she hadn't even heard -Greta. - -"What lines?" - -"Didn't you notice? Two of my lines came out all wrong, and if Alan and -Paula hadn't picked them up and gone on as if nothing had happened, I -don't know what I would have done!" - -"I never noticed," Greta said. "And I guess that means the audience -didn't either. And they seemed to like it. That was one of the best -first-act curtain receptions I ever heard. If they like the rest of the -play as well, we've got a hit on our--" - -"Don't say it!" Peggy said. "It's bad luck! Oh dear ... I don't know how -I'll ever get through it!" - -"You'll get through it beautifully," Greta said, "the same way you got -through the first act." - -Reassured by Greta's calm, businesslike manner, Peggy pulled herself -together with an almost visible effort. "How much longer before we go -on?" she asked. "Amy said she'd come back between acts with a report -from out front. She should be here by now." - -"She is here," Amy said from the doorway. "And the report from out front -is great. You were both wonderful, and the play is perfect, and -everybody in the whole cast is grand!" - -"Amy, I'm afraid that as a reporter, you're a good friend," Greta said. -"I'm glad you think it's so good, but what I want to know is how is the -audience reacting? What's the intermission talk like?" - -"I've just come back from the lounge," Amy said, "and I couldn't ask for -better talk! Everybody is intrigued with the play, and they all seem to -think the production is a sure hit. And they're wild about Paula! I've -never heard such talk in my life! Even the man from the _Times_ and the -man from the _Post_ were smiling and talking about Paula!" - -"I knew that Paula would make a hit," Peggy said warmly. "Isn't she -good?" - -"She couldn't be better," Amy agreed. "I just hope that she comes out of -this between-the-acts trance of hers when the play is over." - -"She's still doing that?" Peggy asked, concerned. - -"Good!" Greta said. "As long as she keeps it up, I have a feeling that -the play will go. Don't worry about it. It's just an especially strong -case of character identification. She'll be herself again when she reads -the reviews in the morning." - -The lights flickered on and off. - -"Oh-oh!" Amy said. "I'd better get back out front. See you between the -acts again!" With a wave of her hand she was gone. - -"Let's go, Greta," Peggy said. "We're on." - -Peggy felt calmer, somehow, in Act Two than she had before. The first -feelings of stage fright had left her, and she fell into her lines with -a practiced ease. No longer worrying about the words or about the stage -directions, both of which had been so drilled into her as to become -second nature, she became aware of the audience in a new and pleasant -way. - -The faceless crowd out front was suddenly transformed for her into a -large group of friendly people. They were not hostile. They were warm -and eager to be pleased, interested in the play and the players. For the -first time, she felt a communication between herself and them, and as -she felt it, she realized that she was acting better, playing the part -as she had never done in rehearsals. Her confidence grew, and with it, -her pleasure in her craft. Peggy was learning how it really feels to be -an actress. - -The second act went smoothly and well. The cast was sharp and alert; no -cues were missed; no lines were muffed. The timing was sharp and -professional, and remained so as the pace increased to build to the -shattering second-act curtain. - -Watching it from the wings, Peggy was entranced with Paula and all the -supporting cast. If she had thought that this scene was already worked -to perfection in rehearsals, she had been mistaken. Now, in the presence -of the audience, a new life and vigor suffused Paula, and a new note of -urgency was felt. At the climax of the scene, when Paula collapsed in -tears and the actors standing round her seemed almost to flicker from -one personality to the other, the silence in the theater was electric. - -The curtain descended and, a moment later, the audience burst into -thunderous applause. Peggy, limp with excitement, watched in almost -shocked surprise as Paula rose from the stage. She had half expected her -to remain sobbing on the floor as she had done in rehearsals, but now, -when Paula stood up, Peggy saw that her face was suffused with a smile -of pure girlish delight. She was good! The audience knew she was good -... the cast knew she was good ... and--most important--she now knew it -herself. Radiantly, she came to Peggy and said, in a quiet and -controlled voice, "I think we're doing well, don't you?" - -Then both of them laughed aloud, knowing beyond all shadow of a doubt -that this was the understatement of the evening. - - -A few minutes before the third act, Randy knocked at the dressing-room -door. - -"Come in," Peggy said. "We're decent." - -"You're more than decent," Randy said with a grin, "you're marvelous! -Both of you," he added, with a nod to Greta. - -"Thank you," Greta said. "And now, if I know anythink about anything, I -think I'd better leave you two alone!" - -"Greta!" Peggy said in confusion. "I don't know what you mean by...." - -"You tell her, Randy," Greta said, edging past him. "But don't take too -long. We're on in a few minutes." - -"She's ... she's just being silly," Peggy said, blushing. - -"Is she?" Randy asked innocently. "I thought she was making perfect -sense!" - -Peggy began carefully to inspect her make-up and touch up her eyebrows. - -"Don't get so shy all of a sudden," Randy said. "Besides, I didn't come -here to ... well, I mean, I had no intention...." He paused awkwardly. -"Anyway," he finished, "at least not now, I didn't. I really came to -tell you that I've been to see Paula's parents in the projection booth, -and I've never seen two happier people in my life. If they glowed any -more than they're doing now, they'd throw the whole lighting plan out of -kilter!" - -"Then they don't mind having waited to see Paula?" Peggy asked. - -"Not at all. They feel sure now that you were right. Mrs. Andrews said -that she wouldn't have done anything that could have hurt Paula's -performance. And what a performance!" - -The lights flicked off and on, warning them that curtain time was near. - -"I'd better go," Randy said. "I just wanted to tell you I'd seen them, -and also to tell you that we're all invited to a party they're giving -after the show. They want to wait up for the first editions of the -papers to see what kind of reviews we get." - -"Will we get reviews in the first editions?" Peggy asked. "I thought -only the first-string critics did that, for important show openings." - -"That's right," Randy said, helping Peggy up the circular stair. "And -we've got the first-string critics! That's the one piece of -'interference' that Mr. Andrews indulged in. He called the newspaper -reviewers and told them that he had heard of the show, and that it would -be worth their while to cover it themselves, instead of sending -assistants the way they do with so many off-Broadway openings. -Apparently a word from him is all it takes, because they're all out -there ... and a lot of other important people, too!" - -"Oh dear!" said Peggy. "I wish you hadn't told me! It's going to make -the whole thing difficult all over again!" - -"Places!" Murphy called. - -"So long!" Randy said, and left, but not before he had quickly placed a -kiss on the back of Peggy's neck, where it wouldn't spoil her make-up. - - - - - XVII - S.R.O. - - -Peggy was writing a letter to Jean Wilson, her friend back home in -Rockport, Wisconsin. She was already on the third page. - - -... so Paula's parents agreed to stay out of sight until after opening -night. As you can see from the clippings I've enclosed, the play went -off wonderfully. Every paper loved us--and the whole audience, too. At -the final curtain, they wouldn't let us off! We got curtain after -curtain, and I thought the applause would never stop for Paula. She got -seven solo curtain calls! (I shouldn't brag, but I got two myself.) - -When Paula was handed an enormous bouquet of roses somewhere along about -the third or fourth curtain call, and when she saw that the card on them -was from her mother and father, I thought she was going to fly around -the stage like Peter Pan! She managed to keep her head, though, and they -kept out of sight in the projection booth until all the critics and -everybody else had left the theater. They didn't want Paula to think -that their presence had any effect on whatever it was the critics were -going to write. - -I don't think it would have mattered, anyway. When I saw Paula right -after the final curtain, she said that she had lost all her silly fears, -and that she didn't even care about the reviews, because she knew for -herself what she was worth. I'm glad she finally figured it out! - -After it was all over, Mr. and Mrs. Andrews gave a party for the -cast--and you'll never guess where! It was at Sir Brian Alwyne's house! -It seems that they're old friends of Sir Brian--as I told you, he's -really interested in the theater--and that explains why Paula wouldn't -go there for the audition. Sir Brian has known her since she was a -child, and he knew that she was supposed to be in Europe. When she heard -that the audition was to be at his home, Paula just panicked. She didn't -know what to do, so she ran. - -Sir Brian was very charming to me at the party. He said that although he -was pleased that Paula had played the lead, and although she had done a -magnificent job, he had been looking forward to seeing me in the part. I -thought it was very sweet of him. - -It was a wonderful party. We stayed up almost all night, until the early -editions of the papers came out, and then we sat around reading the best -phrases out of each of the reviews, and repeating them to each other -endlessly. - -We owe a lot to Paula's parents for getting the top critics down to see -us. And we also owe them a lot for getting other people to come too. The -play has been running for a week now and we've actually had to put up -the S.R.O. sign ("standing room only," you know). Let me tell you about -a few of the good things that have happened. - -First, Paula. After the opening, she got two major movie studio contract -offers again, and right now she's in the process of deciding which one -to take. She has all the confidence in the world--as well as all the -talent--and she has definitely decided to go into the movies. But she -has told both the studios that she won't be available until the play is -over, because she wants to play out the entire run at the Penthouse -Theater. It's darned nice of her, because we have no run-of-play -contract with anybody in the cast. Still, looking at it honestly, and in -as practical a light as I can, I guess she does owe us something. But -not as much as we owe her for being as good as she was! (And is.) - -Next, Randy. One of the biggest Broadway producers (I'm not allowed to -say who) has bought an option on Randy's next play. That means that, if -he likes it, he'll produce it in a Broadway theater! Not only that, but -he wants Mal to direct it, because he says that Mal is a wonderful -director, and has an obvious sympathy and understanding for Randy's -work. Just think, Jean, my friends may be the new celebrities of the -theater world! - -Then there's Greta. She's been offered a leading role in the national -company of _Moonbeam_, which is the biggest hit on Broadway today. They -start on tour in two months, so we're going to have to find a -replacement for her. I'll miss her, but it's a wonderful break, and -she'd be wrong to turn it down. - -Some of the other cast members have done well, too, but I don't want to -bore you with a lot of details about people you don't know, and don't -really care about. It's enough to say that we all feel that we've hit a -jackpot. - -Finally, there's me. I don't have any real offers yet, or anything like -that, but I did get some really good notices--you'll see when you read -them--and two producers have sent me nice notes asking me to come to see -them when I have time. But I did get one very important thing out of it -already. I have an agent! - -That may not sound like much, but the good agents won't even talk to a -beginning actress. I have been signed by N.A.R. (National Artists' -Representatives) and they're nearly the biggest in the business! Randy -says that being signed by them is almost a guarantee of steady work, so -I guess I can really start to call myself an actress now! It's a good -thing, too, because school is coming to an end, and unless I want to go -back to Rockport and college, I'm going to have to keep acting and -making a living at it. - -Don't misunderstand me, Jean. I have nothing against college. In fact, I -really miss it sometimes, the same way I miss you and a few of my other -good friends. But it just isn't acting, and for me, nothing will ever be -as good as being on stage! - -I wish you could come to New York next week with Mother and Dad when -they come to see the play, but I know how busy you are with school. If -we're still running by summer, will you make the trip? - -But of course we'll still be running by summer! - -We've got a hit! And we know it! and there's nothing better than that! - - More next time, from - Peggy - - [Illustration: Endpapers] - - - [Illustration: Back cover] - - - - - PEGGY PLAYS OFF-BROADWAY - - -In the second book of a thrilling new series for girls, Peggy Lane, -aspiring young actress, takes her first important step up the ladder of -success. She lands a small part in Randy Brewster's experimental play -_Come Closer_--a part she secretly suspects Randy wrote especially for -her. - -Unknowns all, the cast is headed by lovely Paula Andrews, an inspiration -on stage but something of a problem otherwise. Hits don't just happen -for an experimental group. They are created out of hardships and -disappointments. The show's production is threatened with financial -difficulties, and everyone's hopes now depend on the special -presentation they are to give for a prospective backer. When Paula, at -the last minute, backs out, Mal Seton, the director, blows up. Peggy, he -says, can have the part. - -Peggy, knowing she is not yet ready for a leading role, proposes a -radical solution. Then, trying to help Paula, who appears tense and -troubled, Peggy inadvertently discovers a mystery that cannot be -unraveled until Peggy herself resolves a dilemma! - - - _Peggy Lane Theater Stories_ - - Peggy Finds the Theater - Peggy Plays Off-Broadway - Peggy Goes Straw Hat - Peggy on the Road - - - - - Transcriber's Notes - - ---Copyright notice provided as in the original--this e-text is public - domain in the country of publication. - ---In the text versions, delimited italics text in _underscores_ (the - HTML version reproduces the font form of the printed book.) - ---Silently corrected palpable typos; left non-standard spellings and - dialect unchanged. - - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Peggy Plays Off-Broadway, by Virginia Hughes - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PEGGY PLAYS OFF-BROADWAY *** - -***** This file should be named 55815.txt or 55815.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/5/8/1/55815/ - -Produced by Stephen Hutcheson and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive -specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this -eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook -for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, -performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given -away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks -not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the -trademark license, especially commercial redistribution. - -START: FULL LICENSE - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when -you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country outside the United States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and - most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no - restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it - under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this - eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the - United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you - are located before using this ebook. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format -other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain -Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -provided that - -* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - -* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm - works. - -* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - -* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The -Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org - - - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the -mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its -volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous -locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt -Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to -date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and -official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -For additional contact information: - - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - |