"I also heard one of your astronomy lectures," she added with a wry
grimace. "I was wonderin' how a guy like that could live with himself."
She looked me up and down. "Now I see you ain't so bad," she said. She
was grinning.
"Much obliged," I said. "Maybe I can teach you astronomy some time!"
"From you I would be glad to learn anything," she retorted, mockingly.
We were standing by the stage door where it was cooler, and a moment
later she was called back on the stage.
That was Vivian La Marr. The other person who was destined to be
involved with us was J. Walter Blaine, the International Financier. I
interviewed him at his Fifth Avenue Club. He tells me now that I may
say what I like concerning my impression of him that first time I met
him. So I will be absolutely frank.
A man of multi-millions and international importance makes many
friends, and inevitably many enemies. Seldom can he know what people
really think of him. His enemies exaggerate the worst, and his friends
mostly fawn. Blaine's personal reputation, by hearsay, had reached me,
of course. I had no expectation of liking him, and, very frankly, I
didn't. I found him a big man, as tall as myself, heavy, portly from
easy living. But I must say his appearance was impressive--a big mane
of shaggy hair, a rather handsome, large-featured face, keen dark eyes
under heavy brows, a jutting chin.
He was playing chess with a fellow club member and I sat down to
watch. I know something about chess and I think his playing very well
displayed his character. He won, with skill of aggressive attack. But
there was about it something you didn't like. His incisive moving of
his men, as though there could be no doubt that it was the correct
move; and his whole attitude made you hope it wasn't. It was a quite
informal game. Once Blaine made an obvious, rather silly mistake,
exposing a piece. His opponent offered to have him take it back. He
didn't; he pretended it was what he wanted to do, taking the loss
rather than admit his error.
Then he was finished and turned to me. I was there to interview him
for the Editor of a booklet being issued by the Royal Astronomical
Society of London. It seems that the Society was issuing a booklet with
little character sketches of the people from whom they had obtained
donations--sort of a tribute of thanks. I was commissioned to write the
one on Blaine.
"Did they tell you how much I gave them?" he demanded of me now.