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A Man in the Way
by
‘I work at it.’
‘You ought to get ’em to give you a test.’
‘No–I like writing.’
‘What’s that you’re reading.’
She showed him.
‘Let me give you a tip,’ he said.’That’s not the way to get the guts out of a book.’
‘Oh.’
‘I’ve been here for years–I’m Pat Hobby–and I know. Give the book to four of your friends to read it. Get them to tell you what stuck in their minds. Write it down and you’ve got a picture–see?’
The girl smiled.
‘Well, that’s very–very original advice, Mr Hobby.’
‘Pat Hobby,’ he said.’Can I wait here a minute? Man I came to see is at lunch.’
He sat down across from her and picked up a copy of a photo magazine.
‘Oh, just let me mark that,’ she said quickly.
He looked at the page which she checked. It showed paintings being boxed and carted away to safety from an art gallery in Europe.
‘How’ll you use it?’ he said.
‘Well, I thought it would be dramatic if there was an old man around while they were packing the pictures. A poor old man, trying to get a job helping them. But they can’t use him–he’s in the way–not even good cannon fodder. They want strong young people in the world. And it turns out he’s the man who painted the pictures many years ago.’
Pat considered.
‘It’s good but I don’t get it,’ he said.
‘Oh, it’s nothing, a short short maybe.’
‘Got any good picture ideas? I’m in with all the markets here.’
‘I’m under contract.’
‘Use another name.’
Her phone rang.
‘Yes, this is Pricilla Smith,’ the girl said.
After a minute she turned to Pat.
‘Will you excuse me? This is a private call.’
He got it and walked out, and along the corridor. Finding an office with no name on it he went in and fell asleep on the couch.
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II
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Late that afternoon he returned to Jack Berners’ waiting rooms. He had an idea about a man who meets a girl in an office and he thinks she’s a stenographer but she turns out to be a writer. He engages her as a stenographer, though, and they start for the South Seas. It was a beginning, it was something to tell Jack, he thought–and, picturing Pricilla Smith, he refurbished some old business he hadn’t seen used for years.
He became quite excited about it–felt quite young for a moment and walked up and down the waiting room mentally rehearsing the first sequence.’So here we have a situation like It Happened One Night–only new. I see Hedy Lamarr–‘
Oh, he knew how to talk to these boys if he could get to them, with something to say.
‘Mr Berners still busy?’ he asked for the fifth time.
‘Oh, yes, Mr Hobby. Mr Bill Costello and Mr Bach are in there.’
He thought quickly. It was half-past five. In the old days he had just busted in sometimes and sold an idea, an idea good for a couple of grand because it was just the moment when they were very tired of what they were doing at present.
He walked innocently out and to another door in the hall. He knew it led through a bathroom right in to Jack Berners’ office. Drawing a quick breath he plunged …
‘… So that’s the notion,’ he concluded after five minutes.’It’s just a flash–nothing really worked out, but you could give me an office and a girl and I could have something on paper for you in three days.’
Berners, Costello and Bach did not even have to look at each other. Berners spoke for them all as he said firmly and gently:
‘That’s no idea, Pat. I can’t put you on salary for that.’
‘Why don’t you work it out further by yourself,’ suggested Bill Costello.’And then let’s see it. We’re looking for ideas–especially about the war.’