Motion Picture Story Magazine (Aug 1911-Jan 1912)

18 THE MOTION PICTURE STORY MAGAZINE come by her emotions — apparently! "I will take her upstairs. She will recover herself by the time dinner is served. ' ' Rebecca did recover very quickly after her friend had shown her into a dainty chamber, and left her to dress for dinner. As the door closed behind Amelia, the green eyes lifted and glanced about the luxurious room with an odd glitter in their depths. She walked over to a tall mirror and scrutinized herself, calmly. "You're here for two weeks," she said, addressing the slender, unsmiling reflection, which looked out at her. "You ought to be able to do something for yourself in that length of time. Amelia says her brother is fat and tiresome. That may all be true; but dont forget that he is also rich and unmarried. You must look out for yourself, my dear. You have no mother to scheme for you. ' ' Clad in the simplest of muslin gowns, Rebecca was all shyness when she joined Amelia on the stairway. "I dread to meet your papa and brother," she whispered. "I feel quite overwhelmed in this beautiful place. Is your brother's wife a very grand lady?" "Why, Joseph has no wife," cried Amelia, laughing merrily. "He is too shy even to think of being married." "Oh," said Rebecca, innocently, "I thought he was married." Amelia did not overstate her fat brother's shyness. When Rebecca was led forward to be presented to him, she lifted her downcast eyes to behold a short, puffy man, with a crimson face, rolling his eyes wildly about the room, as if seeking some way of escape. "V-v-very s-sorry, Amelia," he stammered, "but I must go — engagement at the club, dont you know. ' ' "Nonsense, Joe," cried his father, hugely enjoying his son's confusion; "you have no engagement — come, take Miss Rebecca in to dinner. ' ' So poor Joseph, sputtering with embarrassment, managed somehow to escort Rebecca to the table, where, as a means of avoiding conversation, he fell hastily to eating his soup. But after a few moments he began to breathe more easily. Rebecca was discreetly coy. Evidently this modest maiden, with downcast eyes, was less to be feared than the vivacious, chattering girls whom he was accustomed to meet. He stole a sidewise glance at her, then another; and, when the soup was removed, he actually addressed her, voluntarily. "Are you glad to be done with school?" he asked. "Yes," answered Rebecca, lifting the green eyes so slowly that he was not startled when they finally met his, "I am glad. It is lovely to be here with your sister, and I try to forget that in two weeks I must go away among strangers." "Why must you go?" asked Joseph, bluntly. "Because I have no home," explained Rebecca, with a sad, little smile. "I have no one in all the world to care for me." Joseph's heart gave a startled bound as the big eyes met his so wistfully. "Too bad!" he declared. ' ' You must look on this as your home — come to us in vacations and all that sort of thing." Down at the other end of the table, Mr. Sedley looked across at his wife with a sly smile. ' ' That little minx is setting her cap for Joe, ' ' he remarked, astutely, ' ' and she's mighty clever. She has actually got him to talking." Mrs. Sedley looked perturbed at this suggestion, but Amelia's eyes sparkled. She had never thought of this delightful possibility. And straightway this tender, innocent heart fell to devising all manner of little schemes to bring her bashful, blundering brother into Rebecca's company. Amelia's little plans worked perfectly. On one pretext or another, she managed to draw her brother and her guest together, and she noted with joy that Joseph began openly to seek Rebecca's society. Her obvious shyness and timidity put him more at his ease than he had ever been in a