Motion Picture Magazine (Aug 1924-Jan 1925)

OTION PIC1UR' MAGAZINE cavalier. The girl thrilled. She, Hope Brown — this handsome man for her — together in the night — the movies — romance — adventure ! For a moment she was nearly overwhelmed by it all. She took the proffered arm and they walked together straight down to Main Street, when Hope took her first deep draught of iniquity with ludicrous solemnity. Ten minutes later they hovered together on the threshold of "The Dark Lady's Secret !" The lights were lowered and Orkney seized the opportunity in the shape of Hope's trembling hand, which because of the awe inspired by the movie, she quite forgot was hers at all. Now the dark secret of the lady in the picture was nothing more nor less than that she had at one time been a circus rider ! Now that she was seeking the heart and hand of the millionaire's only son, the secret must not be disclosed or ■ However there was the very point on which the rascally villain sought to hang his dirty work. He proceeds to blab on the Dark Lady and — the motion picture company obviously having a whole circus somewhere on the lot eating its head off — an entire circus is unreeled on the screen. And after the clowns and fierce animals and daring performers had done their bit — a frail bit of acrobatic humanity came hurtling down from the very peak of the big top ! And who do you think it was — but the Dark Lady ! But wait ! A man with wits as sharp as a razor and quick as lightning has rushed from one of the boxes occupied by the audience. He has seized the canvas flap of the door of the tent — which Providence and the director has placed in the needed spot, stretched it out and then held it — for her to fall into ! There was every reason to believe that the Dark Lady would have been killed by a fall of half the thrills. But she was only unconscious. She never knew who her preserver was, altho she had searched half the world for a clew — giving up her circus life for no other reason. Now, who do you think it was that saved the Dark Lady ? You would never guess but it was the millionaire's only son ! He had become wan and frail from attending all the circuses in the world looking for his Dark Lady — and had found her at Newport — or some place like that — after he had given up all hope. And he was saving the dear secret to tell her on their wedding-day when the villain "spilled the beans" — his own words in sublime happiness. The manager of the movie theater was a clever chap. While the circus was in swing, he had the ushers sell peanuts and lemonade. It made a regular circus out of it ! A circus ! Hope had heard of such things — and here she was at one — eating peanuts and drinking pink lemonade and all the rest of it — and enjoying it all like a regular heathen! Orkney blew to everything. "By the way, Miss Hope," he said, "after what you've heard about me, perhaps you'll let me show you a few things?" I and brought them together But there were moments when Hope Brown disclosed her intrinsic innocence and revulsion against any approach to real evil. That was on seeing the circus performing ladies in tights and very low-necked bodices. She told Orkney frankly that she had never before seen anything quite so shocking. Orkney was about to make a facetious remark on the subject, when something in the girl's eye told him that he would probably spoil it all if he tried too early to consummate his ulterior purpose. Hope retired that night with a guilty sense of having been viciously bad. Furthermore, she was very much infatuated with Orkney, who promised to come again sometime on the morrow. But Aunt Charity woke next morning with a brutal headache and a vivid knowledge and growing horror of Hope's enormities. First thing, she wrote to Ezekiel and told him all, adding that she thought she could cope with the situation and not to let the news in any way interfere with his fine work for the benighted heathen. The morning and half of the afternoon wore on without the impending clash between Aunt Charity and her niece. There was something in Hope's manner that forbade an attack. Then none other than Mr. Miles Orkney appeared at the Brown front door ! Hope opened the door for him. Strangely, Aunt Charity had disappeared. It seems that Steve Brodie had indirectly attended to that. Steve knew that Orkney was coming to call and he also knew Aunt Charity and Hank had told him about the Parana bottle. So he gave Hank a bottle of new apple whiskey and told him to empty part of it into his aunt's Parana bottle. Aunt Charity thought the taste of her Parana strange. But she liked it. And she didn't remember the rest. So the coast was clear for Miles Orkney and whatever he had in mind. The only guardian that seemed left for (Continued on page 88) 49 PAG I