"What!" screams Genaro, doin' a few cabaret steps. "You got nothing? _Sapristi_! What you do--make fun of me? Why you no get those props?"
"Calm yourself!" pipes Harold. "I'll tell all. I forgot the list of articles you gave me and--"
"Aha--he'sa maka me crazee!" yelps Genaro, pullin' a swell clog step. "Take heem away before I keel heem!"
Just then Potts comes by, and we all yell, "Welcome to Film City, Mr. Potts!" Harold hears this and turns pale. He seen we was all watchin' closely for the grand reunion between him and his old college chum Potts. He coughs a couple of times and takes a step forward. That boy was game!
"How do you do, Mr. Potts?" he says. "Did you--er--have a pleasant trip?"
"Yes," answers Potts, lookin' at him kinda puzzled. "What is your name again? I don't seem to recall it!"
And the boss was supposed to be Harold's dear old college chum!
"Why--er--why--ha! ha!" pipes Harold, dyin' game. "That's odd! Surely you recall--eh--Cuthbert, my name is, you must remember--eh--why in New York we--eh--"
He's about eighty feet up in the air and still soaring with the whole bunch watchin' him and enjoyin' the thing out loud. Potts is lookin' him over like he's a strange fish or somethin'.
"I think you're mistaken!" pipes the boss, cuttin' in on Harold, "I never saw you before in my life!"
With that he passes on, leavin' Harold flat and with no more friends than China had at the Peace Conference.
After that little incident, it was about as pleasant for Harold in Film City as it was for a German in Liverpool durin' the war. Genaro, Duke and everybody else went out of their way to make him sick of the movies, but Harold stuck around and took whatever odd jobs that come his way with the remark that he could do it better than anybody else and that was why they give it to him.
I made a mistake when I said everybody rode him--he had three little pals. They was Miss Vincent, the Kid and yours in the faith. Miss Vincent claimed that after all he was only a boy which would grow out of lyin', if give enough time, and it was a outrage the way everybody picked on him. The Kid said we couldn't all be perfect, and Miss Vincent would give him back his presents if he laid off Harold. _My_ excuse for not shootin' Harold was that I liked one thing about him, and that was the way he hung on, no matter how they was breakin' for him. He was no good all over, but he wouldn't _quit_ and any guy that could stand up under punishment like he did is worth a cheer any time--and sometimes a bet!