308
PARTISAN REVIEW
with her I said to her, 'Well, Miss. I don't blame you. You're a very
beautiful thing and must have a dozen admirers after you all the
time, boy friends who like to call and pull your leg and give a tease.
But as I happen to be a very busy fellow and don't have the time to
horse around or argue, I tell you what to do. Here's my number, and
here's the number of the Kaskaskia Distributors Inc. Ask them who
am I, Maurice Venice. The scout.' She did it. A little while later
she phoned me back, all apologies and excuses, but I didn't want to
embarrass her and get off on the wrong foot with an artist. I know
better than to do that. So I told her it was a natural precaution,
never mind. I wanted to run a screen test right away. Because I
seldom am wrong about talent.
If
I see it, it's there. Get that, please.
And do you know who that little girl is today?"
"No," Wilhelm said eagerly. "Who is she?"
Venice said impressively, "Nita Christenberry."
Wilhelm sat utterly blank. This was failure. He didn't know the
name, and Venice was waiting for his response and would be angry.
And in fact Venice had been offended. He said, "What's the
matter with you! Don't you read a magazine? She's a starlet."
"I'm sorry," Wilhelm answered. "I'm at school and don't have
time to keep up.
If
I don't know her, it doesn't mean a thing. She
made a big hit, I'll bet."
"You can say that again. Here's a photo of her." He handed
Wilhelm some pictures. She was a bathing beauty-short, the usual
breasts, hips and smooth thighs. Yes, quite good, as Wilhelm recalled.
She stood on high heels and wore a Spanish comb and mantilla. In
her hand was a fan.
He had said, "She looks awfully peppy."
"Isn't she a divine girl? And what personality! Not just another
broad in the show business, believe me." He had a surprise for
Wilhelm. "I have found happiness with her," he said.
"You have?" said Wilhelm, slow to understand.
"Yes, boy, we're engaged."
Wilhelm saw another photograph, taken on the beach. Venice
was dressed in a terry-cloth beach outfit and he and the girl, cheek
to cheek, were looking into the camera. Below, in white ink, was
written
Love at Malibu Colony.
"I'm sure you'll be very happy. I wish you.. ."
