“But why?”
“I don’t know why, except that it flatters my vanity. Besides I can’t give up the house. I’ve got to keep it whether I can afford it or not. Where would Billie and any number of other people live when they’re out of work if they didn’t have this big house to come to? I got a note from Ben Stark yesterday. His company broke up in Saint Louis last week and he’s coming on here. I wrote that I could put him up until he gets another engagement.”
“But Gloria, don’t you see that you can’t afford to do that sort of thing? You’re too generous. No one likes to talk about money, but one must talk about money—it’s always coming in at the most inopportune moments and unless we recognize it politely at first it’s sure to show up at the worst time possible later. You can’t afford to be always giving and never taking anything from any one. If you’d only let me live here on a sensible basis—it would make me feel much more comfortable, and—”
“It would not,” said Gloria. “If I’d known you were going to be sensible and practical and all that sort of thing, I wouldn’t have asked you to look at the silly, old bills. And I’m not generous at all. I’m selfish. Generous people are the sort of people who accept favors gracefully—people like Billie Irwin and Ben Stark. Besides we aren’t sure yet. I may have money enough to pay all this—only it’s such a bore writing checks.”
She smiled cheerfully at the thought.
“I’ll tell you what—I’ll take your book to the bank and have it balanced and then we can find out just what is wrong, and I’ll take care of it all for you. I did all that sort of thing for Mother, you know.”
“You’re a dear, and just to show you that I can help myself too I’m going to do something that I suppose I should have done long ago.”
One of Gloria’s pet extravagances was having telephone extensions in all the rooms that she herself used. She reached out now to the telephone by her bed and called a number.
“Is Mr. Davis there?” she asked. “Tell him Miss Mayfield wants to talk to him.” Then after a pause: “Good morning—you remember you offered me a contract last week. Is it still open? Send it over and I’ll sign it— Tomorrow? Yes, I can begin tomorrow. Nine o’clock—that’s awfully early, but I can do it I suppose if other people do. Yes, thanks. Woman’s prerogative and I have changed mine. Tomorrow, then— Thank you— Good-bye.”
“There now, I’ve promised to go to work in the movies and earn some money. Meantime if you can straighten out my financial puzzle I shall be most grateful.”