_Chapter XVII_ ON THE WESTBOUND PLANE
The week following graduation was a hectic one for Janet and Helen. Therewere the riding lessons each day, their wardrobes to be gone over, newshoes and hose to be purchased and they finally decided that each of themneeded at least two new dresses to last until they could get into theshops in Hollywood and select things they desired there. It was fortunatethat Janet's father was a successful lawyer and Helen's a famous directoror their personal pocketbooks would have been much thinner at the end ofthe shopping expeditions.
Neither Janet nor Helen told their friends of their plans, but somehowthe story got around that they were going to Hollywood and had alreadysigned for roles in a new picture. Some said they were to have parts inHenry Thorne's next production while others claimed the girls were goingto be bathing beauties in a series of comedies.
"Now wouldn't that make you boil," said Helen, as she related aconversation between Cora Dean and Margie Blake which she had overheard."I was half way minded to step in and tell them the truth, but then Irealized that was just what they wanted."
They were sitting on the Hardy's front porch and the telephone summonedJanet inside. She called Helen to her a few seconds later.
"It's Pete Benda of the _Times_. He says he's heard the story and if wewon't confirm it he will print all of the rumors going the rounds,including the one that we're going to be bathing beauties. What shall Itell him?"
"Tell him we're going to Hollywood with Dad for a vacation and if we getin any pictures we'll send him an autographed picture," suggested Helen,which Janet promptly did.
"Pete isn't satisfied, but I guess he won't print all of the rumors,"reported Janet as she hung up the telephone.
"You can just bet that Cora and Margie ran up to the _Times_ office andfilled Pete full of hot air," said Helen. "I thought maybe after we wereout of high school things would be different. I'd like to be friendlywith them for they can be delightful when they want to be, but both ofthem are still carrying a chip on their shoulders."
There was only one more afternoon of fishing and loafing along the banksof the creek and John Hardy went with Janet, Helen and Henry Thorne onthe outing. Their luck was with them again and they hooked a fine mess ofcatfish and fried them over an open fire. Through the late afternoonJanet and Helen talked incessantly of their hopes and plans while at adistance their fathers dozed along the creek bank.
It was dusk before they started home, walking slowly through thetwilight.
"This is the last night at home," Janet's father reminded her. "Tomorrownight we go to Rubio and you take the west-bound plane for Hollywood."
"It hardly seems possible, but it must be so," said Janet. "Everything islike a dream."
"It will be until you actually arrive and start work in the studio."Janet's father was silent for several minutes. When he spoke again hisvoice was so low that it could not be overheard by Helen and her father,who were walking a short distance ahead.
"I'm not expecting you to turn into a motion picture actress, but I wantyou to do your best out there. The change will be a fine vacation andwhen you're actually on the lot working before the cameras, give iteverything you've got. That will add to the pleasure you'll have in lateryears when you look back on this summer."
"I'll do it, Dad. I'll do the best possible job."
"Sure, I know you will. It's going to be lonesome here," he added, "butthe break had to come sooner or later."
"But I'm not going away for good, Dad. Only for the summer."
"Of course. You'll be home in the fall and we'll make plans for schoolthen. Have you thought anything more about the university?"
"Too bad I wasn't a boy, Dad, then I could have tried for footballthere." There was just a note of seriousness in Janet's voice for herfather was an All-American halfback at Corn Belt U. and she knew he hadalways secretly been a little disappointed when she proved to be a girl,for there was no chance of a girl becoming an All-American halfback.
"Football isn't everything," replied her father. "I'm satisfied," and hesaid it with a conviction that brought joy to Janet's heart.
Through the evening hours Janet and her mother checked over the lastminute packing. Trunks had been sent ahead by express and only theessentials were going to be carried in the bags they would take on theplane.
Janet's luggage was attractive, but not expensive, for her father hadnever believed in undue waste of money.
That night Janet found it difficult to get to sleep. Tomorrow night theywould be winging westward at three miles or more a minute and by the noonof the second day would be landing at the Grand Central airport atGlendale, from where they could motor over to Hollywood.
Finally sleep came and Janet dropped into the dreamless slumber of youth.It was mid-morning when she finally awakened as her mother shook hershoulders.
"Time to get up," said Mrs. Hardy, "for there's much to be done todaybefore you start for Hollywood."
Janet leaped out of bed for in spite of all of the preparations they hadbeen making through the last week there were a hundred and one smallthings that remained to be done.
The hours fairly melted away. She made three or four trips down town onhurried errands and as many over to Helen's, where the same hurry andbustle prevailed.
At dinner time her mother made her slow down.
"Everything's done," she announced. "Of course you may have forgotten oneor two things, but they aren't important, and they can be sent on later.Now you take it easy and enjoy dinner for this is the last one you'llhave with your father and me for some weeks. My Janet, but we're proud ofyou," she added, with a happy smile.
"I'm just afraid I won't make good; that's the only thing that scaresme," confessed the usually self-reliant Janet. "Everything out there isgoing to be so strange and as actresses, I'm fearful that Helen and Iwill be about the worst that ever struck Hollywood."
"Impossible," smiled her mother encouragingly, and after Janet mentallyreviewed some of the pictures she had seen, she decided that quite likelyher mother was right.
Her father arrived home promptly and they passed more than an hour at aleisurely dinner, visiting about a score of different incidents, none ofthem important in themselves, but all of them important in that they keptthem around the dinner table, prolonging their last dinner hour.
Janet's father finally looked at his watch.
"You'd better dress, dear. The westbound plane leaves Rubio at eleveno'clock and there's no reason to rush the trip over there."
He reached into his coat pocket and drew out a small case which he handedto Janet.
"Here's a little present mother and I want you to have."
Janet opened the case with hands that shook visibly. Inside was a tinywrist watch with a thin, silver chain to go around her wrist. It was abeautiful creation of watchmaker's skill and Janet looked up with just atrace of a tear in her eyes.
"It's wonderful, but you shouldn't have done this after giving me thetrip to Hollywood."
"You'll have to have something to keep time by so you can get to thestudio on time. Maybe I should have gotten you an alarm clock," grinnedher father.
"I packed one in her trunk," smiled Mrs. Hardy. "Now hike and get intoyour things."
Janet, tremendously happy and so thrilled she felt she was walking onair, hurried up to her room. After a quick bath, tapered off with a coolshower, she started dressing. Her outfit was new from the silkenunderthings to the sensible but attractive summer linen suit. The skirt,snug and well tailored, fitted beautifully and a small but bright bluetie added a note of color to her heavy, white silk shirtwaist.
The night air was warm and Janet decided to carry her coat. There was nouse in putting it on and getting it mussed until necessary.
Standing in front of her dressing table, Janet looked around her room anda queer little lump caught in her throat. It was such a pleasant room;she would miss it, she knew, in the months to come.
; Then her father called and she caught up the small traveling bag she wasto carry on the plane, snapped out the light, and hurried down stairs.
"Step right along," her father warned, and they hastened into the car androlled around in front of the Thorne home down the block.
Henry Thorne, pacing up and down the porch, called to his wife and Helen,who appeared almost immediately. Both carried small overnight cases. Asthey came down the walk to the street, Henry Thorne turned off the lightsin the house, locked the door, and followed them.
Now that the time of departure was near there seemed little to say. Theyhad talked of it for so many hours it hardly seemed possible that theywere on their way.
John Hardy sent his big car over the road at a smooth, effortless pace.The lights of Clarion dropped behind and they sped through the opencountry where there were only the occasional lights from farmhouses tomark the blackness of the night. Later there would be a moon.
Tonight they were in the heart of the mid-west and to Janet it was almostincredible that by noon tomorrow they would be in the city made famous bythe movies.
When they reached the airport at Rubio several hundred cars were parkednear the entrance for the coming and going of the night planes alwaysbrought out a crowd if they arrived before midnight.
Henry Thorne, who had their tickets, took them into the office to havethem validated. When he returned he announced that the plane would arrivein 25 minutes.
"There's a good tail wind up high tonight and they're stepping rightalong," he explained.
A field attendant took their bags and stowed them on a small luggagecart.
They talked almost aimlessly and Janet suddenly felt very empty and morethan a little afraid of what her reaction would be when she got into theplane and the ground started dropping away from her.
Then a ripple of excitement ran through the crowd and she heard someonecall.
"Here comes the plane!"
Out of the east twin stars suddenly appeared, coming rapidly and verylow, and then she heard the steady beat of two powerful motors. Like somegreat bird of prey, a-wing in the night, the silvery monoplane swung overthe field, circled sharply, and dropped down far out on the runway androlled smoothly toward them, its propellers flashing in the bright raysof a floodlight which bathed the entire field in a mantle of brilliantblue.
Janet watched the scene with fascination. The ground crew rolled a smallplatform up to the door of the passenger cabin and a girl, not much olderthan herself and dressed in a smoke grey suit with a jaunty overseas capperched on a mass of brown curls, stepped out. After her came severalpassengers, alighting for a bit of air and to stretch their legs beforesettling down for the long flight over the plains and into the higheraltitudes that would take them over the Rockies.
Janet's mother hugged her hard.
"We'll miss you, dear. Write often and remember to do your best if youget a chance in any pictures."
"I will, mother," she promised.
"Goodbye, Dad."
"Goodbye, Janet. Hit the line hard."
"I'll tackle it with all I've got."
"I know you will," he said with a confidence that Janet wished she couldhave felt.
Then Helen's father touched her arm.
"Time to go," he said, and Janet and Helen walked toward the plane whilethe Thornes said a final word of goodbye to their old neighbors.
"You have seats four and five on this side," said the stewardess as thegirls reached the plane.
Helen went in first with Janet close at her heels. The interior was muchlike a bus, thought Janet, and she found her seat unusually comfortable.
Helen's father and mother took seats across the aisle from the girls andthe stewardess came along and snapped on the safety belts.
"You can take them off as soon as we're away from the field," sheexplained.
The landing stage was pulled away, the starters hummed deeply as thoughstruggling with stubborn motors, and finally the mighty engines burstinto a deafening roar, but were soon throttled down.
Lights in the cabin were turned low and Janet, pressing her face close tothe small, round window, could see her father and mother standing on theramp. She waved, and they waved back. Then the plane started forward,rolling smoothly along the concrete. When it came to the crushed rockrunway it bumped slightly, but before Janet knew it they were in the airand when she looked down again, the field was several hundred feet below.She was actually on her way to Hollywood.