Chapter Eighteen

IN RADIO CITY

The page ushered them into the studio and the first person they saw was Curt Newsom, the tall cowboy star who had also had a part in "Kings of the Air."

Curt hastened to greet them.

"When did you get in?" he asked.

"This morning," replied Janet. "My, but it's good to see you again. I didn't know you were going to be in this promotional unit."

The cowboy flushed and grinned somewhat sheepishly.

"Well, to tell the truth, I've always wanted to try broadcasting a little and I finally pestered the general manager out on the coast until he sent me along and ordered them to give me a part. Come on and meet the director of this unit."

Curt led them over to a small group where a rather slender, dark-haired man was speaking. He turned to face them as they approached and Janet noted that he wore unusually thick glasses, indicating that his eyes were in need of heavy correction.

"This is Mr. Ben Adolphi," said Curt, by way of introduction. "Mr. Adolphi has been assigned by the World Broadcasting Company to handle this promotion work."

He introduced each of the girls to the radio director and Mr. Adolphi smiled pleasantly.

"I shall get at your parts presently," he said. "Please be seated."

They found comfortable chairs at one side of the studio and Janet enjoyed the opportunity to look around the room for it was here that they would put on their radio show. The ceiling was high and evidently covered with a cloth which absorbed sound readily. The walls were also covered with a cloth of heavy texture and the carpet on the floor felt an inch thick.

At the rear of the room was a low platform which might be used for an orchestra and to the left, through a heavy plate glass window, was the control room where the engineers regulated the volume of the program and fed it out on the air. Near the door was a desk with a microphone on it for the announcer, and beyond that was a tall steel stand with several microphones, attached to adjustable arms, on it. These could be placed in any portion of the room to pick up the program to the best advantage.

Mr. Adolphi joined them within a few minutes. He carried a handful of script with him and handed one section to Janet and another to Helen.

"You understand that this company is comparatively small when you think of the one used in the production of the picture?" he reminded them. "It will be necessary for you to take several parts, but all of them will be minor roles since I understand neither of you have had any experience in broadcasting."

The girls nodded their understanding, and the director plunged on.

"We are going to give only the high spots of the film story over the air, but in addition we are going to weave in some of the actual drama and the thrills attached to the shooting of the picture--some of the behind-the-scenes incidents. Understand?"

Again they nodded.

"We have not been able to get all of this material that we desired and Mr. Newsom has informed me that you have a fair ability at writing."

This was aimed at Janet and she replied promptly.

"I enjoy writing," she said, "but the question of ability hasn't been very well determined yet."

"But you sold a script for film purposes only recently," pressed the director.

"Yes, that's true, but I think it was more luck than anything else."

"Be that as it may, I'd like you to write some of the intimate and unusual things that go on in the production of such a picture. Get in all of the thrilling material possible. Get me?"

"I think so," replied Janet, recalling the vivid hours that had marked the production work on "Kings of the Air" when the company was out in the desert and she had been kidnaped.

"Then take the rest of the day off and try to get some of the material into my hands tomorrow morning. We'll have it whipped into shape by the studio continuity writers, for this program goes on the air day after tomorrow."

"I'll do my best, Mr. Adolphi," promised Janet, and the director hurried away to give further instructions to others in the company.

Helen looked at Janet admiringly.

"Well, you certainly get yourself into all kinds of work," she smiled. "Now you'll have to go back to the hotel room and pound away on a rented typewriter while I go down and see a show in the Music Hall."

"Oh, don't do that," begged Janet, who was anxious to see the interior of the world's largest theater. "Wait another day until I can go with you. There'll be plenty for you to see in New York beside the Music Hall."

"All right," agreed Helen. "We'll plan on that for tomorrow afternoon."

As they left the studio they bumped into a slender, dark-haired girl who was hurrying in.

"Clumsy fools," Janet heard the other girl murmur as she went on and Janet's face flushed for it had been as much the other's fault as their own.

They dropped down to the street level in the elevator and Janet started back for the hotel while Helen walked toward Fifth avenue to enjoy a window shopping tour along the exclusive shops that had made the avenue famous throughout the world.