But he
took the telephone receiver from its hook and said briefly to the
girl: "You win. Hello! Give me the Victor office. Hello! Mr. Baird
speaking--"
The two were presently in the dark projection room watching the
scenes the girl had told of.
"They haven't started cutting yet," she said delightedly. "All his
close-ups will be in. Goody! There's the lad-get him? Ain't he the
actin'est thing you ever saw? Now wait-you'll see others."
Baird watched the film absorbedly. Three times it was run for the
sole purpose of exposing to this small audience Merton Gill's notion
of being consumed with ennui among pleasures that had palled. In the
gambling-hall bit it could be observed that he thought not too well
of cigarettes. "He screens well, too," remarked the girl. "Of course
I couldn't be sure of that."
"He screens all right," agreed Baird.
"Well, what do you think?"
"I think he looks like the first plume on a hearse."
"He looks all of that, but try again. Who does he remind you of?
Catch this next one in the gambling hell--get the profile and the
eyebrows and the chin--there!"
"Why--" Baird chuckled.
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