D The Good Deed
When Ruth Hilliard was eight years old, she was scalded by boiling water. One side of her face was terribly disfigured. When she grew up, she would have been beautiful enough, except for that hideous scar.
She worked as a cigarette girl in the old Hollywood Restaurant, and envied the chorines who had all the nice things in life.
Stars thronged the Hollywood, and so did the millionaires. But none noticed Ruth Hilliard. Or, if they did, it was to look at the scar and momentarily think, “what a shame!”
A constant visitor at the Hollywood was Jimmy Ritz, the comedian. Ruth often wished he’d say hello to her. Sometimes, when she had the money, she’d go to Loew’s State to see him act, or to Earl Carroll’s Vanities, in which he later starred.
One night, William Leeds, Jr., fabulously rich son of the Tin Plate King, bought a cigar from Ruth. He saw the scar, asked about it, took down her name and address. The next day Ruth’s mother got a phone call from Leeds. He said he had made arrangements with a plastic surgeon to operate on her; had paid all the bills in advance. It seemed unbelievable, but Ruth and her mother visited the medico, the operation was decided on and Ruth went into a hospital.
Meanwhile, Leeds sailed away on a year’s yachting cruise.
On his return, he and his fiancée, Olive Hamilton, later Mrs. Leeds, went to the Vanities.
A girl in the front line seemed familiar. After the show, the girl ran over to Leeds, threw her arms around him, showered him with blessings. She was Ruth Hilliard. The operation had been a complete success. But Leeds had forgotten all about his impulsive gracious gesture.
Ruth Hilliard had sighed and prayed to be like other girls, so that maybe Jimmy Ritz would notice her and take her out. He and his brothers were stars of the show in which she hoofed—and, sure enough, he did notice her. He took her out. A romance developed.
They were engaged a long time, then married.
Everyone figured Ruth now would be happy forever after. From an ugly duckling she had become a beautiful show girl. She got the man she always wanted. She went to Hollywood when the Ritzes were at the height of their fame and lived lavishly. She got a movie contract, too.
Though she later divorced Ritz, she remarried and is now living in Hollywood, happy and prosperous.
It’s another of those things that could only happen on Broadway.
And it all started because Bill Leeds, Jr., was in a generous mood that night, and played Aladdin’s genie to a sad, frustrated girl.