He paid the check and walked out into the lobby. He looked at his watch. It was half past one. Maybe Rock wasn't busy and could take him a little early.

He walked into the barber shop. Rock was there. The porter took his coat and he walked toward Rocco's chair.

Rock smiled at him. "You're early."

Johnny nodded. "I took a chance you wouldn't be busy." He sat down in the chair. "I've only time for a shave."

Rock tilted the chair back and began to lather his face. "How've you been, Johnny?" he asked.

"All right," Johnny answered.

"Janey said you had a whopper of a cold."

"I got over it," Johnny answered shortly.

They were silent while Rocco worked. When he had finished, Johnny got out of his chair and began to knot his tie in front of the mirror.

Rocco watched him silently. "You look tired," he said.

"I've been pretty busy, Rock," he answered, turning to face him. "You look good, though."

Rock smiled. "Why shouldn't I? I got everything I want."

Johnny looked at him for a moment. "Yeanh," he said with a slight touch of envy in his voice. "I guess you have." He turned back to the mirror to finish knotting the tie. "I wish I could say the same."

A look of sympathy flashed across Rocco's face for a moment and then was gone. "Guess who came in here today?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

Johnny patted the tie. At last he had it right. "Who?" he asked casually.

Rock smiled at him. "Bill Borden. Boy, was he surprised to see me!"

Johnny grinned at him. "I'll bet he was. What did he have to say?"

"Not much," Rocco answered, "but he looked good, though. He said they were planning to enlarge their theater chain."

For a second Johnny's mouth hung open and he stared at Rock. Then suddenly he began to smile. What a fool he was to have forgotten! Last year Borden had wanted to buy their theaters, but Peter had refused to sell them. That was the way out. He threw his arms about Rocco's shoulders and hugged him. "Rock," he said happily, "you're the best d.a.m.n barber in the world and I love you!"

He ran to the door and took his hat and coat and hurried out without paying his check.

The manager came over to Rock. "What's the matter with that guy?" he asked, nodding his head after Johnny. "Is he crazy?"

Rock grinned at him. "Crazy like a fox," he said affectionately.

"He certainly is," called out the cashier, who had heard Rock's reply. "He just stuck you for the check!"

Rocco shook his head as he walked toward her to pay it. Johnny hadn't changed a bit. You never knew what he would do next.

He came into the office, his face flushed and excited. "Get me Bill Borden," he told Janey, and went into his office without taking off his hat and coat.

A few seconds later the phone rang and he picked it up. "h.e.l.lo, Bill?" he asked.

"Yes, Johnny," came Borden's familiar voice. "How are you?"

"Okay," said Johnny. "I just called to ask if you're still interested in our theaters?"

"Sure," replied Borden promptly. "Why? Did Peter change his mind?"

"No," Johnny answered, "Peter didn't, but I was thinking he might."

"What do you mean?" Borden asked.

"Well, I'm going out there and I was thinking I could get him to change his mind," Johnny answered.

"Do you think you could?" Borden asked curiously. He wanted those theaters, but he knew how stubborn Peter could be.

"I think I could," Johnny said. He hesitated a moment. "Especially if I could wave your check under his nose."

Borden cleared his throat. "It's most irregular," he said. "Giving you a check for six million dollars and not knowing whether it will be accepted or not. If the stockholders heard about it, they wouldn't like it. I got them to consider too. I just can't do anything I want to."

"n.o.body will have to know about it," Johnny said persuasively. "If Peter says no, I'll return it and n.o.body'll be any the wiser. If he says yes, which I think he might, then you'll be a hero to them." He stopped for a moment. "Don't forget those theaters are worth almost eight million bucks the way things are today," he added.

Borden's mind was made up. Johnny was right. If Peter accepted his offer, the Borden Theaters Company would be the biggest theater chain in the world. "What time are you leaving?" he asked.

"Not later than five o'clock," Johnny answered quickly.

"I'll have the check in my office," Borden told him. "Will you arrange to pick it up?"

"I'll pick it up myself," Johnny replied.

He hung up the phone and walked out into Jane's office. He still had his hat and coat on. "Get me through tickets to the coast on any train from five o'clock on," he told her, "I want to get out today." He walked back into his office and closed the door.

She was still looking at the closed door in surprise when her phone rang. She picked it up. "Mr. Edge's office."

It was Rock. "What's the matter with your boss, baby?" he asked. "He beat it outta here without payin' my check?"

"I don't know," she answered bewilderedly. "He just came out and told me to get tickets to the coast for him right away."

Just then Johnny's light flashed on. "Hold on a minute," she said to Rock, "he's buzzing for me." She pressed down the switch that disconnected Rock and brought Johnny on. "Yes, Johnny?" she asked.

"Call Chris at my apartment and tell him to pack a bag for me right away and bring it down here."

"All right," she answered. "Is there anything else?"

"No," he said, and the hung up the phone. He leaned back in his chair and lighted a cigarette. It was Friday afternoon. If he could get the five o'clock train out of here today, he would be in Chicago about four in the morning. That would put him in Los Angeles about eleven o'clock Sunday night.

He reached for the phone again, about to call Peter and tell him he was coming, but he stopped before he picked it up. It would be better if he surprised him. The psychological effect would be more impressive.

"Maybe I ought to call Dulcie," he thought. Then he smiled fondly. "No, I won't. I'll surprise her too." He looked affectionately at her picture on his desk. His smile grew broader.

He could just imagine her saying reproachfully, but with a tone of tender affection in her voice: "Oh, Johnny, you frightened me. You should have told me you were coming."

He puffed at the cigarette and began to cough. With a grimace he threw it away. He hadn't entirely shaken the cold, he thought, but a few days in the warm California sunshine would straighten him out.

7.

He looked out the window as the train pulled into the Los Angeles station. The rain was spattering against the train with a wind-swept violence. He shivered as a chill ran through him. He put his hand to his cheek. It felt warm to his touch and he wondered whether he had a fever.

His cold had come back with increased intensity on the train. He throat was dry and sore and he had pains in his chest; his body throbbed with a dull ache. He opened a small box of aspirin and put two tablets in his mouth and chewed on them dully. Their clayish lemon bitterness eased the soreness in his throat a little. He looked up.

The porter stood next to his seat. "Ready to go, now, Mistuh Edge?"

Johnny nodded. He got up and b.u.t.toned his coat and followed the porter, who had taken his bag down the swaying aisle. The train lurched to a stop as they reached the platform.

A redcap came up as they walked down the steps. The porter gave him Johnny's bag and turned to Johnny. "Hope you have a pleasant trip, Mistuh Edge." He smiled.

"Fine, George," Johnny answered, giving him a bill.

"Thank you, Mistuh Edge," the porter said as Johnny started off.

"Cab, mistuh?" the redcap asked.

"Yeanh," Johnny answered. He looked at his watch. It was a few minutes past ten o'clock. He would go directly to Peter's house and then go home.

The rain beat down on him as he stood in front of Peter's house and pressed the doorbell. He coughed and pressed the bell again. It was near midnight and the house was dark. He could see a light flash on in the windows near the door. He stood there waiting for the door to open.

The door opened a trifle and the butler's head peered through the small opening.

"Let me in, Max," Johnny said, "I'm drowning out here."

The door opened wide and the butler came forward and took his bag from him. "Mr. Edge!" he exclaimed in a surprised voice. "We weren't expecting you, were we?"

Johnny grinned as he stepped into the lighted room and took off his coat. "No," he answered, "I wasn't expected. Is Mr. Kessler home?"

"He's already retired, sir," the butler replied.

"Wake him up," Johnny ordered. "I have to talk to him. I'll be in the library." He left the butler in the hall and walked into the library and turned on the light.

There was a dull glow of embers in the fireplace. He stirred them and put some small blocks of wood on them. The wood caught fire and began to burn. He turned around. There was a decanter on the c.o.c.ktail table. He poured himself a drink.

Peter's face was frightened as he came into the library and saw Johnny standing in front of the fire with a drink in his hand. Esther was right behind him.

He ran up to Johnny. "What are you doing here?" he asked in a surprised tone. "I didn't believe Max when he told me you were down here."

Johnny swallowed the rest of his drink. He could feel its warmth travel along his throat. He coughed. "I came out to see if I could knock some sense into your thick Dutch head," he said pleasantly.

Peter sank into a chair. "Is that all?" he said with a tone of relief. "I thought something terrible happened."

"Something terrible will happen if you don't listen to reason," Johnny replied.

Peter looked up at him. "Business?" he asked.

"Yes."

Peter got out of his chair. "It can wait till morning," he said. "First we'll get you something hot to eat while you change your clothes. They're soaking wet."

"It won't keep," Johnny said tersely. He began to cough. The cough racked through him and he put his hand on his forehead. To make matters worse, now he had a throbbing headache.

Peter looked at Esther. "Mamma," he said, "go get him something hot to drink."

She turned silently and left the room.

Johnny finished his coughing and held up a protesting hand. "You didn't have to do that," he said. "I'm going home as soon as we're through here."

Peter looked at him strangely. "Dulcie is expecting you?" he asked.

Johnny shook his head. "No, but I thought it would be fun to surprise her."

Peter looked out of the window. "On a night like this you shouldn't go out any more. Stay here tonight, you can surprise her in the morning."

"No," Johnny answered, "the worst of the storm is over."

Esther came back into the room with a pot of coffee. She put it on the c.o.c.ktail table and poured a cupful and handed it to Johnny. "Here, drink it," she said, "you'll feel better."

He took the hot drink from her gratefully and held it to his lips. "Thanks," he said to her.

She smiled at him. "You don't look so good," she said worriedly.

"I got a bit of a cold," Johnny answered, "but it's nothing."

They sat down opposite him. Esther pulled her wrapper around her. It was damp and chilly in here, even with the fire going. She was glad she had made Peter put his bathrobe on. When he had heard Johnny was downstairs he had wanted to run down in his pajamas.

Peter looked at him. "Nu," he asked, "so what was the big emergency that made you come out from New York and get here in the middle of the night?"

Johnny was quiet for a moment; then he put his coffee cup down and faced him. "We've got to make talking pictures," he said flatly.

Peter jumped to his feet. "I thought we got that all settled," he said angrily. "I said once before it won't last and that's all there is to it."

Johnny looked up at him. "We lost a thousand contracts last month through cancellations. They're coming into the office at the rate of more than a hundred a day right now. All for the same reason. No talking pictures. Ragin says he might as well quit and look for another job if he doesn't get any to sell, because in three months there won't be any job left for him. We'll be out of business."