own　the　deserted　street；　pausing　before　the　establishment　of　Selby　Brothers。　From　the　door　of　this　emerged　one　Elmer　Huff；　clerk　at　the　City　Drug　Store。　Elmer　had　purchased　a　package　of　cigarettes　and　now　offered　one　to　Merton。
  〃'Lo；　Mert！　Have　a　little　pill？〃
  〃No；　thanks；〃　replied　Merton　firmly。
  He　had　lately　given　up　smokingsave　those　clandestine　indulgences　at　the　expense　of　Gashwilerbecause　he　was　saving　money　against　his　great　day。
  Elmer　lighted　one　of　his　own　little　pills　and　made　a　further　suggestion。
  〃Say；　how　about　settin'　in　a　little　game　with　the　gang　to…night　after　the　store　closesten…cent　limit？〃
  〃No；　thanks；〃　replied　Merton；　again　firmly。
  He　had　no　great　liking　for　poker　at　any　limit；　and　he　would　not　subject　his　savings　to　a　senseless　hazard。　Of　course　he　might　win；　but　you　never　could　tell。
  〃Do　you　good；〃　urged　Elmer。　〃Quit　at　twelve　sharp；　with　one　round　of　roodles。〃
  〃No；　I　guess　not；〃　said　Merton。
  〃We　had　some　game　last　night；　I'll　tell　the　world！　One　hand　we　had　four　jacks　out　against　four　aces；　and　right　after　that　I　held　four　kings　against　an　ace　full。　Say；　one　time　there　I　was　about　two…　eighty　to　the　good；　but　I　didn't　have　enough　sense　to　quit。　Hear　about　Gus　Giddings？　They　got　him　over　in　the　coop　for　breaking　in　on　a　social　out　at　the　Oak　Grove　schoolhouse　last　night。　Say；　he　had　a　peach　on　when　he　left　here；　I'll　tell　the　world！　But　he　didn't　get　far。　Them　Grove　lads　certainly　made　a　believer　out　of　him。　You　ought　to　see　that　left　eye　of　his！〃
  Merton　listened　loftily　to　this　village　talk；　gossip　of　a　rural　sport　who　got　a　peach　on　and　started　somethingAnd　the　poker　game　in　the　back　room　of　the　City　Drug　Store！　What　diversions　were　these　for　one　who　had　a　future？　Let　these　clods　live　out　their　dull　lives　in　their　own　way。　But　not　Merton　Gill；　who　held　aloof　from　their　low　sports；　studied　faithfully　the　lessons　in　his　film…acting　course；　and　patiently　bided　his　time。
  He　presently　sauntered　to　the　post　office；　where　the　mail　was　being　distributed。　Here　he　found　the　sight…seers　who　had　returned　from　the　treat　of　No。　4's　flight；　and　many　of　the　less　enterprising　citizens　who　had　merely　come　down　for　their　mail。　Gashwiler　was　among　these；　smoking　one　of　his　choice　cigars。　He　was　not　allowed　to　smoke　in　the　house。　Merton；　knowing　this　prohibition；　strictly　enforced　by　Mrs。　Gashwiler；　threw　his　employer　a　glance　of　honest　pity。　Briefly　he　permitted　himself　a　vision　of　his　own　future　homea　palatial　bungalow　in　distant　Hollywood；　with　expensive　cigars　in　elaborate　humidors　and　costly　gold…tipped　cigarettes　in　silver　things　on　low　tables。　One　might　smoke　freely　there　in　every　room。
  Under　more　of　the　Elmer　Huff　sort　of　gossip；　and　the　rhythmic　clump　of　the　cancelling　stamp　back　of　the　drawers　and　boxes；　he　allowed　himself　a　further　glimpse　of　this　luxurious　interior。　He　sat　on　a　low　couch；　among　soft　cushions；　a　magnificent　bearskin　rug　beneath　his　feet。　He　smoked　one　of　the　costly　cigarettes　and　chatted　with　a　young　lady　interviewer　from　Photo　Land。
  〃You　ask　of　my　wife；〃　he　was　saying。　〃But　she　is　more　than　a　wife　she　is　my　best　pal；　and；　I　may　add；　she　is　also　my　severest　critic。〃
  He　broke　off　here；　for　an　obsequious　Japanese　butler　entered　with　a　tray　of　cooling　drinks。　The　tray　would　be　gleaming　silver；　but　he　was　uncertain　about　the　drinks；　something　with　long　straws　in　them；　probably。　But　as　to　anything　alcoholic；　nowWhile　he　was　trying　to　determine　this　the　general…delivery　window　was　opened　and　the　interview　had　to　wail。　But；　anyway；　you　could　smoke　where　you　wished　in　that　house；　and　Gashwiler　couldn't　smoke　any　closer　to　his　house　than　the　front　porch。　Even　trying　it　there　he　would　be　nagged；　and　fussily　asked　why　he　didn't　go　out　to　the　barn。　He　was　a　poor　fish；　Gashwiler；　a　country　storekeeper　without　a　future。　A　clod！
  Merton；　after　waiting　in　line；　obtained　his　mail；　consisting　of　three　magazinesPhoto　Land；　Silver　Screenings；　and　Camera。　As　he　stepped　away　he　saw　that　Miss　Tessie　Kearns　stood　three　places　back　in　the　line。　He　waited　at　the　door　for　her。　Miss　Kearns　was　the　one　soul　in　Simsbury　who　understood　him。　He　had　confided　to　her　all　his　vast　ambitions；　she　had　sympathized　with　them；　and　her　never…failing　encouragement　had　done　not　a　little　to　stiffen　his　resolution　at　odd　times　when　the　haven　of　Hollywood　seemed　all　too　distant。　A　certain　community　of　ambitions　had　been　the　foundation　of　this　sympathy　between　the　two；　for　Tessie　Kearns　meant　to　become　a　scenario　writer　of　eminence；　and；　like　Merton；　she　was　now　both　studying　and　practising　a　difficult　art。　She　conducted　the　millinery　and　dressmaking　establishment　next　to　the　Gashwiler　Emporium；　but　found　time；　as　did　Merton；　for　the　worthwhile　things　outside　her　narrow　life。
  She　was　a　slight；　spare　little　figure；　sedate　and　mouselike；　of　middle　age　and；　to　the　village；　of　a　quiet；　sober　way　of　thought。　But；　known　only　to　Merton；　her　real　life　was　one　of　terrific　adventure；　involving　crime　of　the　most　atrocious　sort；　and　contact　not　only　with　the　great　and　good；　but　with　loathsome　denizens　of　the　underworld　who　would　commit　any　deed　for　hire。　Some　of　her　scenarios　would　have　profoundly　shocked　the　good　people　of　Simsbury；　and　she　often　suffered　tremors　of　apprehension　at　the　thought　that　one　of　them　might　be　enacted　at　the　Bijou　Palace　right　there　on　Fourth　Street；　with　her　name　brazenly　announced　as　author。　Suppose　it　were　Passion's　Perils！　She　would　surely　have　to　leave　town　after　that！　She　would　be　too　ashamed　to　stay。　Still　she　would　be　proud；　also；　for　by　that　time　they　would　be　calling　her　to　Hollywood　itself。　Of　course　nothing　so　distressingor　so　grandhad　happened　yet；　for　none　of　her　dramas　had　been　accepted；　but　she　was　coming　on。　It　might　happen　any　time。
  She　joined　Merton；　a　long　envelope　in　her　hand　and　a　brave　little　smile　on　her　pinched　face。
  〃Which　one　is　it？〃　he　asked；　referring　to　the　envelope。
  〃It's　Passion's　Perils。〃　she　answered　with　a　jaunty　affectation　of　amusement。　〃The　Touchstone…Blatz　people　sent　it　back。　The　slip　says　its　being　returned　does　not　imply　any　lack　of　merit。〃
  〃I　should　think　it　wouldn't！〃　said　Merton　warmly。
  He　knew　Passion's　Perils。　A　company　might　have　no　immediate　need　for　it；　but　its　rejection　could　not　possibly　imply　a　lack　of　merit；　because　the　merit　was　there。　No　one　could　dispute　that。
  They　walked　on　to　the　Bijou　Palace。　Its　front　was　dark；　for　only　twice　a　week；　on　Tuesdays　and　Saturdays；　could　Simsbury　muster　a　picture　audience；　but　they　could　read　the　bills　for　the　following　night。　The　entrance　was　flanked　on　either　side　by　billboards；　and　they　stopped　before　the　first。　Merton　Gill's　heart　quickened　its　beats；　for　there　was　billed　none　other　than　Beulah　Baxter　in　the　ninth　installment　of　her　tremendous　serial；　The　Hazards　of　Hortense。
  It　was　going　to　be　good！　It　almost　seemed　that　this　time　the　scoundrels　would　surely　get　Hortense。　She　was　speeding　across　a　vast　open　quarry　in　a　bucket　attached　to　a　cable；　and　one　of　the　scoundrels　with　an　ax　was　viciously　hacking　at　the　cable's　farther　anchorage。　It　would　be　a　miracle　if　he　did　not　succeed　in　his　hellish　design　to　dash　Hortense　to　the　cruel　rocks　below。　Merton；　of　course；　had　not　a　moment's　doubt　that　the　miracle　would　intervene；　he　had　seen　other　serials。　So　he　made　no　comment　upon　the　gravity　of　the　situation；　but　went　at　once　to　the　heart　of　his　ecstasy。
  〃The　most　beautiful　woman　on　the　screen；〃　he　murmured。
  〃Well；　I　don't　know。〃
  Miss　Kearns　appeared　about　to　advance　the　claims　of　rival　beauties；　but　desisted　when　she　saw　that　Merton　was　firm。
  〃None　of　the　rest　can　touch　her；〃　he　maintained。　〃And　look　at　her　nerve！　Would　your　others　have　as　much　nerve　as　that？〃
  〃Maybe　she　has　someone　to　double　in　those　places；〃　suggested　the　screen…wise　Tessie　Kearns。
  〃Not　Beulah　Baxter。　Didn't　I　see　her　personal　appearance　that　time　I　went　to　Peoria　last　spring　on　purpose　to　see　it？　Didn't　she　talk　about　the　risks　she　look　and　how　the　directors　were　always　begging　her　to　use　a　double　and　how　her　artistic　convictions　wouldn't　let　her　do　any　such　thing？　You　can　bet　the　little　girl　is　right　there　in　every　scene！〃
  They　passed　to　the　other　billboard。　This　would　be　the　comedy。　A　painfully　cross…eyed　man　in　misfitting　clothes　was　doing　something　supposed　to　be　funnypushing　a　lawn　mower　over　the　carpet　of　a　palatial　home。
  〃How　disgusting！〃　exclaimed　Miss　Kearns。
  〃Ain't　it？〃　said　Merton。　〃How　they　can　have　one　of　those　terrible　things　on　the　same　bill　with　Miss　BaxterI　can't　understand　it。〃
  〃Those　censors　ought　to　suppress　this　sort　of　buffoonery　instead　of　scenes　of　dignified　passion　like　they　did　in　Scarlet　Sin；〃　declared　Tessie。　〃Did　you　read　about　that？〃
  〃They　sure　ought；〃　agreed　Merton。　〃These　comedies　make　me　tired。　I　never　see　one　if　I　can　help　it。〃
  Walking　on；　they　discussed　the　wretched　public　taste　and　the　wretched　actors　that　pandered　to　it。　The　slap…stick　comedy；　they　held；　degraded　a　fine　and　beautiful　art。　Merton　was　especially　severe。　He　always　felt　uncomfortable　at　one　of　these　regrettable　exhibitions　when　people　about　him　who　knew　no　better　laughed　heartily。　He　had　never　seen　anything　to　laugh　at；　and　said　as　much。
  They　crossed　the　street　and　paused　at