“Are Hollywood parties always this large?” she asked in awe.
“Charlie’s are,” he said with a smile. And he nodded towards a sleek-looking man with slicked-back hair and a small mustache who was giving all his attention to a rather bored looking lady.
“That’s Lowell Sherman,” the comedian told her. “He was at Fatty Arbuckle’s the night that girl was killed. But it hasn’t seemed to hurt his career.”
As they were talking a sexy blonde girl came over with a drink in her hand and smiled at Billy. She exclaimed, “Darling! How nice to see you here!” And she stood on tiptoes to bestow a kiss on his cheek. “I’m Thelma Stone,” she told Nita.
Billy, looking slightly embarrassed, introduced Nita, adding, “She’s going to begin working in one of my comedies tomorrow.”
The shapely Thelma gave her a wink. “I warn you he’s a slave-driver. I started in pictures with Billy.”
“I’m not all that bad,” he protested.
Thelma laughed. “He’s all right.” Staring at Nita she said, “You’re new here, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” she agreed.
“Where are you living?” the blonde girl asked.
Embarrassed, Nita said, “I’m at Billy’s place now.”
“Wonderful,” Thelma replied blithely. “I’m living in a fairly reasonable cottage court, called Gardenia Court. If you ever need a place, there’s always a vacancy or two.”
“I’ll remember,” she promised.
“Introduce her to Chaplin,” Thelma suggested. “He’s over in the corner holding court!”
Billy Bowers asked Nita, “Do you want to meet him?”
She shrugged. “Why not?”
He led her across the room to where a small man was standing talking quietly to an interested group, none of whom Nita recognized. As the small man saw them approach he turned away from the group and came to them with a smile on his pleasant face.
“Good evening, Billy,” he said in a soft British voice. “May I enquire who the lovely lady is?”
“I brought her over to meet you,” Billy said. “This is Nita Nolan. She’s the widow of an old friend of mine from vaudeville days and she’s going to start work with me in the morning.”
Chaplin took Nita’s hand and kissed it with great gallantry. His eyes met hers and he said, “I salute the arrival of a new beauty in Hollywood.”
She smiled. “So you’re the little tramp! I would never have recognized you!”
“For you I’ll put on my mustache and walk funny,” Chaplin promised.
She shook her head. “That won’t be necessary!”
Chaplin smiled at her. “So you’ve been in vaudeville? Where?”
She told him, ending with, “I’m on my own now. My husband was killed in an auto accident.”
“You’ll do well,” Chaplin replied. “Billy Bowers can get you started. But you must aim for higher things.”
“So I’ve been told,” she said.
“I began in vaudeville in England,” Chaplin told her. “Came over here with Fred Karno. Stan Laurel was in the company also. He’s making two-reelers like Billy.”
“I think they are important to the movie house programs,” she replied. “I always enjoyed them.”
“I began with two reelers,” Chaplin agreed. “I think you are right.” He glanced around and then told her, “Let’s get away from here. I see Ford Sterling coming our way and I want to avoid him. We’re having an argument about a contract.”
As he said this the immaculately dressed little man led her out the french doors by which they were standing. She found herself standing on a small balcony outside. It was dark now and the only light was what glimmered through the curtained windows from inside.
“Where are you living?” Chaplin asked.
She wondered if everyone in Hollywood were going to ask her this question. She said, “Billy has kindly allowed me to stay with him for a while.”
Chaplin laughed softly. “I gave Billy credit for good taste. And for taking care of you. I can hardly call you there.”
“Why not?” she asked.
“I wouldn’t want to annoy Billy,” he said.
She felt her cheeks burn as she understood the comedian’s words. She said quickly, “I’m not living with Billy. I’m merely staying in his house!”
Chaplin was at once abject. “I didn’t mean to suggest anything unseemly. But if you tire of staying there I wish you’d phone me.”
“I’m not likely to do that,” she said sharply, ready to go back inside.
Before she could manage this the famous comedian had taken her in his arms and kissed her. At the same time one of his hands was carressing her in a most intimate fashion. She tried to free herself from his embrace just as the french doors opened and Thelma Stone came out.
She said, “You’ve always had my admiration for being a fast worker, Charlie.”
Chaplin was at once all self-righteous. He straightened his tie and looked indignant. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. If this young lady and I wish to enjoy a kiss I doubt if there’s any state law to prohibit us.” And with that he marched back into the room, highly annoyed.
Nita exclaimed indignantly, “I didn’t encourage him!”
“I’m sure of that,” Thelma replied. “But you’d have a hard time proving it, even in court.”
“I can’t believe what happened!” she said.
Thelma rolled her eyes. “Better get used to it. It’s going on all the time here. One of the first rules is don’t let yourself be alone with any man you don’t know well. Coming out here was dumb!”
“I realize that now,” Nita said unhappily. “I think what started him was my saying I was living with Billy Bowers. He at once assumed I was Billy’s mistress.”
Thelma smiled good-naturedly. “So did I, to be truthful. But then I saw that I was mistaken. So I mentioned Gardenia Court to you. It’s not too bad a place.”
“I’ll remember it,” she promised.
“Billy hasn’t tried to play any funny games with you, has he?” the blonde girl asked.
“No,” she said. “Has he a bad reputation?”
“Not with women. You know his wife left him and later killed herself.”
She nodded. “He told me.”
“At least he’s being honest with you. A lot of people feel sorry for him. His wife’s suicide seemed to do something to him. His work on the screen hasn’t been as good since.”
“He’s a sensitive man. It was bound to affect him.”
Thelma closed the door so they could talk on the balcony and not be heard from inside. Earnestly, she said, “You’re a nice kid, so I want to try and level with you. Billy and I spent a little time together. It didn’t work.”
“Oh?”
“You’ve met Murphy?”
“Yes.”
“You know what he is?”
Nita’s eyebrows raised. “Billy said he employs him as a chauffeur and man of all work.”
Thelma shook her head. “Billy doesn’t employ Murphy. The studio employs him.”
“Really? But then Billy owns part of the studio.”
“The big share is owned by Hammons no matter what Billy’s told you,” the other girl told her. “And Hammons hires Murphy to police Billy.”
“To police him?”
“Yes,” Thelma said grimly. “Hammons has a lot of money tied up in Billy’s career and he’s not about to lose it.”
“But I thought Murphy was employed to help Billy,” Nita said, bewildered.
“Don’t be a child,” the other girl remonstrated with her. “You don’t know much about Hollywood yet, I can tell that. Murphy is hired by Hammons to keep an eye on Billy and make sure he doesn’t drink too much.”
Nita said, “I haven’t seen him drink much of anything.”
“I know,” Thelma said. “I lived with him. He’s a solitary drinker. What do you think happens when he locks himself up in his house away from everyone?”
“He does that because of his headaches!”
“No,” Thelma shook her head again. “I’m sorry, kid, but that’s when Billy dips into the booze. He drinks himself unconscious and it’s Murphy’s job to look after him and have him ready to work in the morning.”
Nita listened, realizing that it was all very likely true. She had noticed an oddness about the house and the way Murphy and Billy related to each other. So Billy was an alcoholic, as Marty had been.
She sighed, “I guess I’m naive. I should have guessed it.”
“Well, you know now. Murphy runs the place. And he answers to Hammons, not Billy Bowers.”
“It’s a shame. I mean that he drinks as he does.”
Thelma said, “He’s always been a heavy drinker. That’s why he’ll not get beyond the two-reelers. He’ll die from his drinking one of these days.”
“I wish I could do something to help him, he’s so nice,” she worried.
“I tried to help him,” the other girl said. “So have a lot of others. It didn’t work. He wants to drown himself in drink. It’s hard to stop someone from trying to kill himself if he’s made up his mind to do it. And I’d say he did that the morning he learned that his wife had taken her life.”
“That probably has a lot to do with it,” she agreed.
“So let me be your friend,” the blonde said. “You need some new clothes, I can see that.”
“Not until after I get my first paycheck.”
“You should do it right away.”
“I can’t,” she protested. “I haven’t the money.”
“I can let you have some,” Thelma said. “You can pay me back.”
“Sorry. I make it a rule not to borrow.”
“Whatever you like,” the other girl said. “Billy will likely want to fit you out with a wardrobe. He’ll need to so you’ll look good in his comedies.”
“We’ll see,” Nita said. “I suppose we’d better go back in.”
They returned to the party which was going on at an even livelier rate than before. A girl was on top of a table dancing, her short skirt was flying in the breeze showing that she wore little or nothing under it. The males were crowded around the table laughing and applauding.
“Clara Bow!” Thelma said with annoyance. “Crazy-headed! I don’t know what they see in her!”
“She’s very popular with movie audiences,” Nita pointed out.
“Not with me, she isn’t,” Thelma snapped.
It was then that Billy came towards them. He looked pale and weary and he halted before them with a look of curiosity. “What are you two conspiring about?”
“Not a thing,” Thelma told him with an arch smile. “I’ve been handing the little girl some good advice.”
“Coming from you, I’m sure it was the best,” Billy said with a wry look.
Thelma laughed. “You know me, kid!” And with that she moved on and left them.
Billy gave Nita a tired glance. “I don’t know about you, but I’ve had enough. We’re starting work early tomorrow. And it will be a long day.”
“And all new to me,” she agreed. “I’d like to go home!”
He looked pleased. “Good! I’ll find Murphy!” And he left her in search of their driver.
Nita moved away from the excitement in the living room and went out to the reception hall to stand by the front door. She had only been there a moment when the front door opened and a distraught-looking Charles Ray entered dragging and half-supporting a slim, good-looking dark man with his hair parted in the middle. Nita thought he looked vaguely familiar.
Charles Ray halted for a moment with his drunken friend leaning on him, and said, “Are you leaving so soon?”
“I have to,” she said. “I’m working early in the morning.”
“So am I,” the big moon-faced man said with a frown. “And it looks as if it’ll be morning before this breaks up!”
“I wish you luck,” she smiled. “I enjoyed it!”
“So did I,” the drunken man leaning on the host said, coming alert suddenly and smiling at her in drunken fashion. “Who are you? I’m Jack Pickford!”
“I knew I’d seen you on the screen,” she said. “I’m Nita Nolan.”
Pickford eyed her with drunken amusement, then turned to Charles Ray laughing and said, “This is little Nita Nobody! Nita Nobody!”
“Excuse him, please,” their host pleaded and then angrily to Jack Pickford, he said, “Come along!” And he dragged him off down the hall.
Nita watched in dismay and was glad when Billy appeared with Murphy waiting in the car outside. When she was in the car she told of her meeting with Jack Pickford.
Billy sighed. “Mary has spoiled him. No matter what he does it’s funny. And the sad part of it is he has plenty of talent. But he’s throwing it away!”
They were driving through the cool night air and darkness with Murphy sitting silently behind the wheel as he headed the open car homeward. She glanced at Billy and said, “May I make a comment?”
“Why not?” The comedian asked.
“I’ve never seen so many tense and unhappy people in one place,” she told him. “I thought vaudeville was filled with strange people, but Hollywood is worse!”
“You think so?”
“Yes. Everyone was drunk and there was so much hostility! And no one really respected Charles Ray and his wife as their hosts.”
“That’s Hollywood!”
“I don’t think I’m going to like it,” she said. “All these people who’ve seemed like gods and goddesses to me are less than pleasant!”
“The party did you some good then,” Billy said with a grim look her way. “Took the Stardust out of your eyes.”
“I’m not sure I’ll want to stay here,” Nita declared.
“There are a good many decent, happy people in the town,” Billy assured her. “You won’t find them on every corner. But they are here. And some great talents as well. Thomas Meighan, Billie Dove, Lila Lee and Milton Sills. They’re all good people whom you’d enjoy knowing.”
“I think your friend Thelma is nice,” she said.
“Go easy with her.”
“Why? I thought you and she were close.”
“We were once. Not anymore.”
“She seems independent and getting ahead.”
Billy nodded. “She’s had several good parts in Wallace Reid features lately.”
“Well, what’s wrong with her?”
The comedian was silent for a moment. Then he said, “I may be wrong. But I’ve heard some strange stories lately. Someone who knows Thelma well told me that both she and Wally have been taking drugs.”
She gasped. “I can’t believe it! Wallace Reid is a fine looking man! He’d never take drugs!”
“The way I heard it he’s been addicted a long while,” Billy said in a tired voice. “And he’s been trying to start Thelma on them. But it may all be gossip. It can be venomous in this town!”
“I’m sure that it has to be,” she said defiantly. “I like Thelma and I can’t see Wallace Reid as a drug addict.”