Picture-Play Weekly (Apr-Oct 1915)

PICTURE-PLAY AVEEKLY 23 itude of a swimmer about to make a dive. Kirke. leaning from the saddle, caught her around the waist as he galloped past. and swung her up beside him without , diminishing his horse's speed. Straight on through the village he sped with her. j and so into the safetj of the jungle beI yond. He looked over his shoulder to find the doctor right at his heels, he having likewise passed through the village unscathed. It was not until he reached the farmhouse and set Elsa down upon the steps jl of the veranda, that Kirke was aware that the arm which the lion had torn had been bleeding all the way back from the Zulu village. It was the one in which he had gath' ered Elsa up from the ground, and the ^ effort had ripped open the wounds which the doctor had dressed. As he stepped down from the horse, the loss of blood he had sustained sent him reeling, his head strangely light, to the veranda steps. And there he dropped, at full length, unconscious, at Elsa's feet. It was evening. Higgens, who had heard the news that his master was lying wounded at the Birches' farm, had hastened there to be at Kirke's side, for he was sincerely attached to the young man. Xow he sat at his bedside, where Kirke was getting back his strength which was the only thing he needed to make him whole again, the doctor having fixed up the damage he had done to his injured arm. Elsa came into the room, unnoticed in the dusk that filled it. "Higgens." said Kirke weaklj-, "yesterday I found my rifle here in this house. Do you know how it got here?" There was a full minute's silence. And then Higgens broke down and confessed. ■'I took it, sir," he told Kirke the truth, "to go hunting with, the day we were leaving for America, a year and a half ago. I shot at a leopard with it, and killed a man. I didn't see him. He was behind a thick cover of underbrush, sitting directly in line with the beast. It was an accident. But — but w-hen I saw what I'd done, I was afraid. I dropped the gun on the ground beside him and came back to our camp. I didn't dare to say anything about it, for fear of what might be done to me." "^^'ho was the man?" asked Kirke. On the silence of the room, the servant's voice came in reply : 'it was Mr. Birch.'' Kirke pulled himself up in the bed with an exclamation of surprise. There was another and a longer silence. Then "So that was how the way was cleared for me," Kirke said musingly, hardly aware that he spoke aloud. "I'm sorry Birch had to go, but how else could I ever have let her know that I love her? And to think that it was my father's rifle that did it !" Higgens spoke again, his tone fearful. "I don't know what she'd do to me It was a mystery to Kirke how the rifle could have been loaded with a cartridge too big for it. if she knew," he said. "Vou won't tell her, will you, sir?" Elsa, advancing out of the gloom, laid her hand on the servant's shoulder. "He doesn't need to," she said quietly. "I have heard everything. And you may hold yourself blameless henceforth, as I hold you. It was an accident, as you said, and something you could not help,'' She pressed Higgens' shoulder, with a meaning nod toward the door. He jumped up, taking the hint, and grinningly left the room, Kirke reached up and took her hand when they were alone. "You said you heard everything," he said. "That means you understand how I feel toward you. But there is some thing / don't understand yet. Why the cartridge that was placed in my rifle today was too big for it " Elsa hurriedly broke in, "Some day," she said, "I will tell you everything. But isn't this enough for you to know now?" And she bent and kissed him on the lips. News of the Photo Playwrights. The latest writer to be dignified by the title of editor is Xathan Anderson. He has assumed charge of the script department of the western division of the Essanay Film [Manufacturing Company, at Niles, California. B. P. Schulberg is saying nothing these days, but working away on the scenarios tor the many Famous Players pictures soon to appear, B, P., although never credited on the screen, is recognized as one of the brainest of the script writers m the game to-day, Chester Clapp, recently of Biograph, and for a long time a member of the Dramatic Mirror staff, has joined the [Mutual West coast scenario department. ^Vill Ellis, who wrote many Mutual and Eclair scripts, died recently at his home in Hollywood, California, He is survived by a wife and child. His sudden demise cast a spell of gloom over the entire West coast motion-picture colony, Luella O. Parsons, formerly scenario editress of the Essanay Film Manufacturing Company, is now conducting a photo-play department for the Chicago Record-Herald. Julian Lamothe, formerly a free lance of New Orleans. La,, is now scenario editor for the \\'estern Lubin Company, at Los Angeles. Cal. C. A. Frambers is president of the Photo-drama Club of Chicago, and, while not officially acting in this capacity, is busj turning out scripts for many of the leading licensed companies. IMary Louise Farley, the New York photo-playwright, was the winner of a "finish contest" held by Edison recently in connection with an "Edison Night" at one of New York's photo-play houses A part of a picture was shown, and all of the Edison guests were requested to finish it and supply a title.