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 little thing you want along with you. You can take a whole staff if you want to, your unit. It would be more convenient to have you work here, but if you must go to New Mexico it should be arranged.

But you don't understand, Ambrose protested. I don't know a thing about the Riviera or the Wild West or any other of those places where film stories are laid. I write stories of small town life.

The hippopotamus positively beamed. Just what we're looking for, stories of small town life! he exclaimed. That's the specialty of our star, Dick Ruby. I'll ask 'em to run a couple of Dick's features off for you in the projection room so you can have an idea of what he can do. Hell! he ejaculated, Dick's pretty near through a picture. He can go to New Mexico with you and let you study his personality.

But I'm visiting a friend at Santa Fe. I can't take along a troupe. . . . Ambrose was becoming mildly indignant.

Two hotels there, more'n enough to accommodate Dick and your unit both, was Griesheimer's laconic comment.

Ambrose knew that he had exhausted his capacity for argument. He had learned from his recent experiences that all his objections would somehow be overruled. In his present dilemma an expedient