Picture-Play Magazine (Oct-Nov 1915)

The Little Mademoiselle (WORLD) By Richard D. Taylor Perhaps the most lonesome person in the world is one surrounded by people, but who do not speak his language and whose language he does not understand. That is the situation into which the little mademoiselle was cast, but she had no time to be lonesome, for things happened in too rapid succession. Then the whole course of her life was altered by a thrilling automobile race, but altered only to make a new complication. This story is taken from the World Film Corporation's production of the same name, and those who starred in the cast of the picture were: Mademoiselle Lili Breval Vivian Martin Etienne Breval E. J. d'Varney James Pemberton Arthur Ashley ALOW, dull sound broke the intense silence that had held the little group in the church as though spellbound. The couple who stood at the altar turned and faced each other as they heard it — it was the priest closing the book, and to them it meant the beginning of a new life. The wedding was over. The bride, a young French girl, looked almost timidly up at the man before her and raised her arms toward him, but even as she did so, she found herself held tightly in his embrace, while she buried her face amid the thin veil and light gauze that rested on his shoulder. As they stood thus for a moment the few others who had been present at the ceremony gathered closer to offer their congratulations and best wishes to the couple to whom the afternoon had meant everything. "That city of Boston is one of beauty and culture, though quite far from here, my little niece, and you should be glad to see it," said Henry Breval, speaking in the purest Parisian French, although he had been for some years a hustling commercial climber in the automobile marts of New York. "I shall be glad to see it !" declared Mademoiselle Lili Breval, with a pretty shrug. "I should be glad to see anything in this wonderful country. But it cannot be so far away as my own home in Paris, nor would any distance seem far. I am living almost as in a dream. I am happy to be here in New York, but everything is so strange — the people and the language. I cannot speak a single word that they will understand. It is, almost, that I am living on another planet. I cannot so much as exchange the polite greetings of the day with any one but you and my aunt, and Cousin Etienne." "Etienne !" echoed Henry Breval, a look of affectionate parental ardor flashing into his kindly eyes. "Ah, but is he not the fine fellow, my dear Lili? I am not ashamed to be proud of such a son. It is my dearest hope that you and your cousin will become very good friends indeed." Lili was too polite to return anything less gratifying than a winsome smile, even if she did not respond with enthusiasm to her uncle's thinly veiled suggestion of his intentions regarding the futures of his son and her. "Cousin Etienne is a charming young man," she agreed ; "very handsome and gallant, and the son of my dearest uncle, whom I came all the way across that terrible ocean to see." The distinguished elderly man chuckled jovially, and kissed her on the forehead with unmistakable affection. The Breval household in New York was in a state of mild turmoil. Packing cases and trunks were scattered through the house, and the family was making elaborate preparations for the journey to Boston. In the Massachusetts metropolis Henry Breval was opening a branch office of his motor-car manufactory, and until the new department of the business was well established, the home of the family was to be maintained in Boston. The party that set out for the ne^j home, leaving New York by train, cor sisted of Henry Breval and his wife their niece Lili, their son Etienne, an Mrs. Breval's personal maid. With quaint roguishness. which wa more amusing than annoying, the elde Breval exerted all his ingenuity and di plomacy to keep the two young peopl as much in each other's society as pos sible. Mrs. Breval was unpleasantly at fected by railroad traveling, and on th plea of sitting by her in the parlor ca while she composed herself for a nap the old fellow sent Lili and Etienn into the dining car alone, to lunch tete_ a-tete. The cousins had already becorrn, good friends, but there was no feelim of tender sentiment between them, an( they went so far as to laugh gayly a the deep-laid designs of the fond parent When they returned to the parloi car. Mrs. Breval was sleeping tran quilly : so, leaving Lili to read a Frencl magazine, Etienne and his father ex-, cused themselves, in soft whispers, anc went to the club car for a half hour oi smoking and business discussion. The train was a fast express, stopping only at the important cities in Connecticut and Rhode Island, but a United States senator, of great wealth and distinction, wished to quit the train at a small village on the line, to go to his country place, and the train was stopped at his bidding, long enough for his stately exit from a private car, and the removal of his baggage. Lili was finding more to interest her in the beautiful New England scenery than in the pages of her magazine, and