Pictures and the Picturegoer (April - September 1915)

PICTURES AND THE PICTUREGOER 288 Week ending JUI.Y 17, 1 9I5 FROM his earliest years John Douglas had had an ideal, a dream-girl, a mythical affinity, for whom he was constantly seeking, and without ■whom he felt life would be wasted. He was positive that somewhere she existed in the flesh. A millionaire, and reckoned the most eligible bachelor of the season, John was sought after by many hostesses with daughters unattached. They tried every artifice known to woman to ensnare him. but the vision of his dream-girl always saved him. Mrs. Chalmers was a born matchmaker, and took under her wing many a pretty debutante with good looks for an only asset. One of them. Helen Carrntliers, the prettiest and wealthiest girl of them all, although a butterfly, was genuinely ill love with John, but could never get him to see it. She flirted with other men to make him jealous, but he only preached her a moral lesson and passed en. She even began to chum up with an adventurer, De Villiers. in the hone of bringing John to his knees, but all to no purpose. It wras at a magnificent. AVc being held by Mrs. Chalmers that John was tempted to load Helen away from the noise and gaiety and have a quiet ir/t-atete with her. That Helen was beautiful there was no denying. But on this occasion she had exerted herself to the utmost in order to win or lose him. and was one of the fairest visions of Tmm QITSST A Fire at Sea. AN AMERICAN PRESENTING Adapted from the Film DISTINCTIVE MARGARITA by GEORGE W CREATION FISCHER. SMITH. bennty it could fall to man's lot to behold. For the first time in his life John was fascinated. He gently eluded her upon her flirtations, spoke of his future, asked after hers, and had brought himself to the point of proposing. Helen knew it. and nestled closer to him. She saw his arms stretched out. and waited, tense and breathless, for her crowning triumph. But it never came. Into his arms John gathered a vision of his dream-girl. Helen was forgotten. He came back to earth as the vision faded away, and beheld Helen, white as death, leaning toward him. He "arose. and, as voices drew near. Helen jumped up, and. running forward, smilingly greeted De Villiers, took his arm. and walked off. John was glad. Had his dream-girl been a minute later. Helen would have been his affianced wife. Sick of the brilliant gathering. John hurried oil' home, and found m;iny letters awaiting him. The only one that interested him was from a very old friend (a sea captain). It invited him to connaway from society and have a cruise on a freight steamer through the Orient. Never did John pen a more willing acceptance, and with a light heart he completed his arrangements for the trip. They had not been to sea many days before an accident in the engineroom led to an outbreak of tire. The crew worked hard to get the tire under control, but made little headway. Then an explosion amidships spread the conflagration, and from end to end the vessel was a mass of flames. It was every man for himself. Some were burned to death in a futile endeavour to •ret boats away ; others, including John. leapt into the sea. Pitiful were the cries for help from the drowning, but there was no one to answer them. John struck out for a smouldering spar. He burned his hands, but clung to it as his one salvation. He heard a tremendous roar, saw a volume of white flame rage from the ship, a terrific explosion which hurled masses of molten metal and flaming wood all around him. and then the freighter disappeared beneath the seething waters. Of the crew not a man lived. John Don-las was the only survivor in that waste of waters. For hours he drifted about: whirled like a top. and carried rapidly away by strong un.ler-curients. A heavy sea was coming on. and John knew full well that he could not live many minutes in it. His limbs were becoming numbed, his brain beginning to fail. and. to add to liis torture, the brine had parched his throat. He felt that great longing of the drowning to slip from his frail support and find rest beneath the cold green waves. Night came on swift and