“Nonsense. It doesn’t take much acting ability to get by in the ‘horse operas’ as we call them. You just act natural, look pretty, and you’ll have all of the cowboys in the cast asking you for dates.”
Janet looked at her mother, wondering just how she had been won over to letting them go to Hollywood, even though Helen’s father would be there to oversee things in general.
Just then Mrs. Thorne spoke, pulling an envelope from a pocketbook.
“You’re not the only lucky ones,” she reminded Janet and Helen. “I’m going along and see that you are properly chaperoned when these dashing cowboys ask you to go places with them.”
That explained to Janet why her mother had consented for with Mrs. Thorne along she would have little to worry about.
“Does that mean we’re going to leave Clarion for good?” asked Helen.
“Well, hardly,” boomed her father. “I’d be lost if I didn’t have Clarion to come back to for a rest when I get fagged out and I don’t know what the bullheads out in Indian creek would do without me. We’re going to keep the place here for you never know when even a famous Hollywood director will start turning out poor pictures and once you hit the toboggan out there, it’s hard to come back. I’ve been at it so long now, that another year will just about see me through. Then I’ll want to retire to some quiet city and Clarion suits me.”
“I’m glad of that, Dad, for I’ve grown up here and it would be so hard to think of cutting all of the ties of friendship at just one sweep.”
“You won’t have to do that, Helen, and maybe, if you two youngsters can’t make the grade with our western company, you’ll be back here before you know it.”
“But we’re leaving in just a week. It doesn’t seem possible,” said Janet, half to herself and half to the rest.