edore, longshoreman, truck driver or some one engaged in a equally
honest profession, one who has never appeared before a camera or upon
any stage and who has no knowledge of theatricals, and within six
months from date to make him a full fledged, acknowledged star of the
moving pictures.

"In the event of said undertaking being successful, the undersigned
agrees to pay Alex Hanley one thousand dollars. In the event of
failure, Alex Hanley agrees to forfeit the same sum."

I handed it back to him.

"Listen!" I says. "Don't be a nut _all_ your life. You got as much
chance of--"

"Did you ever see me fall down on anything?" he butts in, dippin' a pen
in the ink and handin' it to me.

"Not even a banana peel," I admits. "But they is a limit to
everything--even the war's over. In the first place, even if you could
do this, it would cost you more than a thousand dollars and--"

"Leave that to me," he says, pushin' over the pen. "And sign here!"

"But--" I says.

"Hurry up, the ink will be dry," he cuts me off.

I give in.

"Alex," I says. "This is a crime! If I ever win one bet in my life,
I'll win this one. You'll make a movie star outa a stevedore, hey?
Why--"

"Want a thousand more?" he grins pleasantly.

"No!" I hollers. "Let's go over and meet the girls."

The search for the future king of the movies begins merrily the next
day. I went with Alex to see that he didn't put nothin' over on me and
at the end of the week he had dug up three promisin' leads. They was a
plumber's helper which had a wonderful figure, but a scar on his cheek
showed up in a snapshot Alex took of him and he was laid aside with a
sigh. Then they was a waiter which was better lookin' than Mary
Pickford, but a trifle stoop-shouldered. The third guy was hustlin'
baggage at Grand Central Station and was a perfect Venus except for
some missin' teeth which queered him when he smiled and what's a movie
hero without a smile?

Well, I'm havin' the time of my life kiddin' Alex, when one day as we
are walkin' along Third Avenue in search of his prey, he grabs me by
the arm, yells, "I got him!" and starts across the street on the run.
They is a big truck standin' there and a husky on the back of it is
engaged in coaxin' pig iron off of it on to the street. He stood about
six foot three without bein' shaved and weighed accordingly, all bone
and muscle not countin' his head. He turns around and--Oh, boy!!!!

Say! I seen som