Pictures and the Picturegoer (October 1915 - March 1916)

E RNDTNG J\n. B, 191b 323 PICTURES AND THE ?:CTURF.GOER 'YOU ll.VVB GOT TO HJLBB1 INn SKI II. K DOWN. John (EABU WILLIAMS) \\i. VlOti \ \ 1 1 \ of heart-failure, and the irreparable loas he sustained had a profound effect upon him. The new of the magnate's death decided Mrs, Rnskin to take a hand in the direction of her daughter's love affairs. John was a favoured caller, and that evening on entering the drawing-room cnannounced he overheard ' Viola's mother saj to the girl, 4i If only for financial reasons, you must marry Philip Hardin.'' •■ Hut 1 do not love him, mother." •■ Love will come after, my child." John, unseen, withdrew. The happi3 of the girl he loved was very dear to him, and he made the great sacrifice. Late the same night lie wrote to Viola : •' 1 think it best to release you from our engagement. Financial reasons prevent me marrying you at the present time." -. week- later John read of Viola's marriage to Philip; a year later Viola died in giving birth to a daughter. • *••"•-*• Twenty years passed, years full of activity for both men. Hardin had Become a director of the N.Y. and'V.O. Railroad, and Ballard was the District Attorney. Their lives had drifted apart, and they had not met since the early days of Hardin's married life. The conditions on the railroad had ii"t improved. In fact, they had grown worse, and Hardin, to whom the passing of years had not blotted out the scene of old Ballard's death, was becoming anxious. There had been numerous wrecks on the road, and one day Hardin called upon Jordan, the Secretary, in regard to the new-paper attacks. Again there was a newspaper sensation, and the fonrth disaster in a month was attributed to rotten ties. 1 irdan. Hardin's attitude was disquieting. He had hitherto brushed aside such attacks, but now he saw that the better policy would be to implicate Hardin in the direct control of the road. '" How would you like to be president as jour father was ? " he asked. Hardin thought that in such a position he could watch more closely the working of the road, and said as much. Jordan smiled, and reminded the director that sometimes the new president would have to take instructions from him. Thus it was that when Hardin and Ballard met for the first time in twenty years, the former was president of the road responsible for the death of Ballard's father. The District Attorney invited his old friend to his house, and a few days later Hardin called with Louise.'his daughter, whose striking resemblance to her dead mother stirred memories within Ballard. It was the first of many meetings, and Ballard. despite the disparity of their ages, began to love Louise, whilst the girl was not insensible to the sterling qualities of the well-known lawyer. The running of the road did not improve. As president. Hardin came under the influence of Jordan, and hardened bis heart against the persistent attacks upon the corporation. Louise could not understand the attacks. " Why," she asked her father, " are the papers so antagonistic P "The newspapers must have a sensation, my dear." he said, to satisfy her; but he saw that things were getting critical. Ballard, too, was becoming uneasy. He intended bringing matters to a crisis, and. wishing to spare the president a public exposure, called upon him to discuss the matter. •' Hardin. I have come to ask you to stop juggling with the finances of your road, and run i$ for the safety of the public." " We deny that there is any juggling. Let me hear what Jordan says about it.'' Over the 'phone came the secretary's reply : "Pay no attention to criticism of any sort. We are running this road." The president had received his orders, and Ballard saw that nothing he could say would avail. "1 have tried as a friend," said he. " Now I will go for yon legally. Remember!" Nothing now remained but to see what the law could do. A subpoena was served upon Hardin, and Brandon, one of the clerks, was ordered to secure a iob r.S track-walker on the road, and follow th" in~tiu.-ii.iii given to him 1>7 the District Attorney. 'I'll. night before the trial Hardin determined to force his opponent's hand. He.uly to grasp at the slightest Btraw, he remembered the desperate escapade of their college days, when " Red Hogan" was killed. Yea, that would do. Threatened with exposure. Ballard would dropt he case. It wasa brilliant idea, and Hardin at once went to the District Attorney's residence, and forced his way into the study. " Are you going to drop the case : " he asked, " It will be better if you do." " You and your crowd can't scare me. I am going through with this case just as 1 promised you," retorted Ballard. ■ No, you won't." replied Hardin, who still had his last trump card to play. '• I wonder how the people would like to hear that their District Attorney i< a murderer! That twenty years ago he killed a man in cold blood ! Staggered by the foul blow. Ballard faltered. •• You would expose that affair, in which I saved your life ? " •'I would." said Hardin, and. chuckling with glee, he promptly left the study. While the distracted Attorney faced the prospect of a ruinous exposure, the confident president went home, where Louise awaited him. " Will yon win to-morrow, father ? " "Yes. my dear. It will be an easy victi ry for me. 1 know something about the District Attorn y's past, and ho won't dare press the charges.'" But when the evenitiLr mail arrived Hardin opened a letter that smashed all his hopes. In great astonishment read : — "Believing that yoi mighl have heard that your friend Ballard killed " Red Hogan,' I am writing to tell you that the chair only knocked him out for a little while. Afterwards he had an argument with Carson, and in the fight with him was knocked down and killed." " He must not know," muttered Hardin under his breath. The letter fell from his fingers, and before he realised the fact Louise had gathered its content-. " (iive me that letter !" lie shouted. "1 will not. Mr. Ballard must know.'1