Motion Picture Magazine (Feb-Jul 1921)

i The Hall was full of young people, having a good time in a young way, which means a great deal of kicking up of heels and racing about and noise Q and shook their fists and spoke strange words of rage. Now let me t,ell you about the Gordons who lived in Birtwick Hall. There was the Squire, a bushy man with a loud voice but soft eyes, and Mrs. Gordon, who ; was always ailing. George, the son, was twenty and a thorobred. Then there was thirteenyear-old Jessie, still in the colt class,' with long legs, .but the prettiest laugh T ever' heard, and a youngster or two besides. . The. Birtwick Hall pasture ran close beside ours and sometimes we colts used to gossip over the. fence, so I 'knew that -Harry Bloomfield, the Vicar's son, was already entered in 'the race for Jessie Gordon's hand. Harry. wasHhe.kind Of boy that: horses: like, which is a pretty, fair test, let me tell you. ..-We dont trust everybody.' who pats our noses and .feeds us sugar plums by any means. Now^as to what happened on that afternoon when'Mr. Jack Beckett, of Londdn 'and other less savory places, came to Birtwick Hall, I shall tell you .what I heard from Contrary Mary, one of the Gordon greys', who heard it from . the \ groom, who got it from the butler himself. ." -' ' Mr. Jack was welcomed pleasantly, for the sake of his aunt and ' uncle who 34 BLACK BEAUTY Fictionized by permission from the Vitagraph production of the scenario by William Courtney ; edited by Lillian and George Randolph Chester, and based on the story' by Anna Sewell. Directed by David Smith. All star cast. The cast: Black Beauty Himself .Jessie Gordon. ...:.. • Jean Paige Harry Bloomfield James Morrison Jack Beckett. ; George Webb Derby Ghost. '. : Bobby Mack Squire Gordon John Stcppling Lady Wynwaring Adele Farrington John Manly Charles Morrison Mrs. Gordon Mollie McConncll George Gordon Colin Kenny Flora Gordon . : Georgia French Lord Wynwaring' Leslie T. Peacocks Vicar Bloomfield r. Robert Boldor Mrs. Bloomfield Margaret ' Mann Farmer Grey.'. George Pierce Fat Bailiff. ...... James Donnelly were guests for the hunt. Lord Wynwaring had almost as much of a pedij gree as I have myself, but his wife was *a very common woman, who put on great airs of fine ladyship to cover it up. Still you cant make a cart horse into a racer, by tying ribbons on its tail. The Hall was full of young people having a good time in a young way, which means a great deal of kicking up of heels, and racing about and noise. Now my fine gentleman from London was ten years too old and twenty years too wise to care for hideand-go-seek, but he looked at Jessie once and he looked twice, and he kept on looking. Contrary Mary said the groom said the butler said that Jessie noticed it, young as she was, and seemed frightened. And when Harry claimed a kiss as a forfeit and she ran away from him, tossing her brown curls in coquetry, straight into Beckett's arms, she turned quite pale. "You're quite right to run away from the young jackanapes, Miss Jessie," says Mr. Jack Beckett, with his dazzling smile, "but debts must be paid, and, as a friend of the family, I'll just take the kiss myself !" "Harry !" Contrary Mary says the groom said the butler said. Miss Jessie screamed, "Oh, Harry !" Into the room ran Master Harry to find her struggling to get away from the handsome gentleman with the varnished boots. He was no more than four hands high then, but he doubled up his fists and came at Beckett, and there would have been trouble for certain if Mr. George hadn't taken Beckett away to the smoking-room. "But, remember! I'll have that payment yet," he whispers to Jessie as he goes, and Miss Jessie seems very sober, and wont play any longer, no matter how Harry begs. "I wish," she told him, with trembling lips, "I wish that man had never , come here! Oh, Harry,/ I'm frightened! . 7 Promise/ 7 dreadful happen, Harry/ "I'll take care of yo/ said Master Harry, st ing very straight, rather cut off my / hand than have an make you cry, Jes.f 1AG£ Gc AG OLi