that ten per cent."

"You can marry me and take it easy. Honest, Carol, if you treated me
better, if you showed me I meant something to you, I'd give up
drinking."

She made a face. "Don't talk nonsense. Take your outfit, and let's get
ready to go. Unless you want to change here, and walk around dressed as
a lion hunter."

"Why not? I've walked around dressed as worse. A drunk."

"Drunks don't attract attention. They're too ordinary."

"But a drunken lion hunter--that's something special." He went into the
next room and began to change. "Carol," he called. "Do you like me?"

"At times."

"Would you say that you liked me very much?"

"When you're sober. Rarely."

"Love me?"

"Once in a blue moon."

"What would I have to do for you to want to marry me?"

"Amount to something."

"I like that. Don't you think I amount to something now? Women swoon at
the sight of my face on the screen, and come to life again at the sound
of my voice."

"The women who swoon at you will swoon at anybody. Besides, I don't
consider that making nitwits swoon is a useful occupation for a real
man."

"How can I be useful, Carol? No one ever taught me how."

"Some people manage without being taught."

"I suppose I could think how if I had a drink inside me."

"Then you'll have to do without thinking."

He came into the room again, powerful, manly, determined-looking. There
was an expression in his eye which indicated courage without end, a
courage that would enable him to brave the wrath of man, beast, or
devil.

"How do I look?"

"Your noble self, of course. A poor woman's edition of Rudolph
Valentino."

"I feel terrified. I don't know how I'm going to face those kids. If
they were boys it wouldn't be so bad, but a bunch of little girls!"

"They'll grow up to be your fans, if you're still alive five years from
now. Meanwhile, into each life some rain must fall."

"You would talk of water, when you know how I feel."

"Sorry. Come on, let's go."

* * * * *

The lecture hall resounded with giggles. And beneath the giggles was a
steady undercurrent of whispers, of girlish confidences exchanged, of
girlish hopes that would now be fulfilled. Miss Burton's class was not
the only one which had come to hear the famous actor-hunter describe his
brave exploits. There were at least five others like it, and by some
mistake, a class of boys, who also whispered to each other, in man