Picture Show (May-Oct 1919)

16 The Picture Show, September 21th, 1919. MONEY MAD. ^'ZT,e1/:r His deceitful eyes dropped under the thrusting look. "Yes. I You know your mother loft your money in my charge for mo to speculate witli ? " " I lyiow my money was left in your charge," said Elsie very quietly. " Your mother's will provided' that I was to invest your money, and I did so ! " " Yes." Tho girl was eyeing him shrewdly. " The investments have failed. The money is gone," he said. Elsie stared in front of her. She thought of all the things she had planned to do. Billy was poor and struggling. She knew it, although he had tried to keep it from her. She had meant to make him let her help. And then there was a children's home she was interested in. Billy had taken her there — but they would be obliged to close down now, for the matron had told her there was a lack of funds. The girl thought of all the wasteful extravagance she had seen going on in the house since her return from school. No wonder he had lost the money her mother had given him. The girl shrugged her shoulders slightly, as she put her dreams resolutely away from her, and, after all, she had a good education and she was young and strong. He did not quite understand her way of taking the loss of her money, but suddenly he smiled. She was a simple little thing, scarcely more than a child, certainly very young for her years. He had nothing to foar from her. Martin Ross was a superstitious man, and New York was just at this time in the throes of a spiritualistic craze. Sima professed to be a medium, and as he was a Hindoo, many people took him seriously. One evening, some days later, Billy was invited to the Ross mansion to attend a seance at which Sima would officiate, Fanette was also of tho party. But neither Elsie npr the young doctor would take it seriously, and tho seance was a failure, much to the annoyance of the others. Sima, especially, was very annoyed. " It is no use," he cried, glaring at tho offenders. " Tho spirits will not come because of the sceptic in our midst." Feeling themselves in disgrace, the two young people stole out into the grounds together. It was a beautiful evening, the moon shining a silver path for them between the trees. The girl opened her heart to her companion, and told him of the loss of her money. Billy was not at all satisfied. He did not like Martin Ross or his friend Fanette Lisborn, and wished he was in a position to take Elsie from her stepfather's charge. But he was poor, often put to shifts which tho girl dreamed little of, and he did not see his way to marriage for many years to come. And so he kept silent. But one day, Elsie mentioned the famous pearls. "They were left to me," she said, "but my stepfather has not once mentioned them." " I should ask him for them," said Billy. " Make him give them to you, and then take them to Charlton, the jeweller. He will look after them for you." " That *s a splendid idea," cried the girl clapping her hands. " Oh, Billy what would I do without you ? " After dinner that evening, Elsie broached the subject. " Oh, Father Ross ! " she said suddenly, " Have you my mother's necklace or did that go also with my money ? " " The pearls. Oh, I have thom, of course. Do you think that anything could make me sell that present to you from your mother," ho asked reproachfully. Elsie shook her head. " I didn't think so," she said. " But where is it ? " " Ah ! " Mr. Ross smilingly crossed the room to a small cabinet, and, selecting a key from his bunch, opened a drawer. The girl waited while he drew out the long icnthor case, and, with another peculiar smile at her, opened it. The girl caught her breath as the beautiful gems lay exposed. " Oh I How lovely they are," she cried, as she took the case from his hand, apparently the bettor to admire thom. " I must keep this," she said suddenly, as though the thought had just come in her mind. Mr. Ross expostulated, but Elsie was determined. She wanted the pearls. They were hers, and she wanted to look at them whenever she liked. Finally she marched up to her room taking the case with her. She saw Sima prowling about the corridor. She had never lost her dislike for tlie man, and now a sudden fear came over her. She had the pearls, but supposing they were stolen from her. She must put them in a safe place at once, somewhere where people who coveted them could never get them. She glanced round the room, but there was no hiding-place there. Then she thought of her old friend the clergyman. He was living near. She would take them to him, and ho could mind them until she, could take them to Mr. Charlton. She put on her hat and coat, and then tried to put the case into her handbag, but it was far too large. She took out the necklace and dropped it into tho bag. Then, after hiding the case, she stole out of the house. _ Ross saw her go. He called to Sima, and together the two men ru.shed up to her room meaning to regain possession of the jewels. But all they discovered was the empty case. The pearls had disappeared. The following day Billy Gavin and Elsie Dean called at the jeweller's. " I have brought you the Dean pearls, Mr. Charlton," she said. " 1 want you to take care of them for me." IVIr. Charlton expressed his willingnes.". Elsie opened her bag and brought out the necklace. The jeweller examined it. " But this is not the necklace. These pearls are only imitation," he said. " Not the real ones t " -The girl was dumbfounded. Billy and she walked slowly home together. " I am sure he has the real somewhere in the hou.se. He could hardly soli it," the girl said suddenly. " Oh, Billy, if only we were fortunetellers.". " I wonder if we could bait them," he said slowly. " Bait them I What do you mean ? " Billy walked on for a few minutes, his brow wrinkled in thought. "I have a patient, a Madam Rama. She is an Oriental lady who earns large sums by telling people the supposed, future. Shall we go and see her ? " Madam Rama lived in a small house away from her business. She was a delicate little woman, and had to go through a serious operation. ■ Leaving the girl in the tiny hall, the doctor went in to see her. " I shall lose all my clients," she wailed, " if I shut up my place ! They will come and go away again, and I shall be ruined ! " "Then why not let someone take your place. Madam Rama ? " The young doctor, in whom the foi'tuneteller had great faith,' talked to her seriously for about an hour. Then Elsie was admitted. Some few days later Elsie spoke to Fanette. " I have found tho greatest mystic of all," she said. " She can tell most marvellous things. What she has told me is really wonderful. You ought to go and see her." The following day, punctual to the minute, Fanette arrived at the house. She knocked, and a tall personage in Egyptian attire opened the door to her. " Madam Rama never speaks," he said. " Go through the curtains, madam." With a beating heart Fanette entered tho mystic chamber. " Help mo, Madam Rama ? Tell me everything ! " she said a little breathlessly, as the mystic reached for a slate and a piece of chalk, and she commenced to write. " Madam's mind dwells upon a man she does not love. I see him. He is afraid of losing groat wealth. Your destiny is wrapped in his." Fanette leaned eagerly forward. " Yes ! Yes ! Will you not be more explicit ? '-' The veiled woman shook her head. Then sh« held out a shell for the offering. Fanette dropped a note into it and went out. She drove at once to tho Ross man.sion. ." I have fovmd a new mystic, Martm," she said, as soon as he had greeted her. "She is wonderful. She told me all about you." " What did sho tell you about me ? " asked Martin. Fanette came closer to him. " She said you were in great danger. It was through money — your money was in danger." " Ah ! " Fanette, watching him narrowly, saw that ho was alarmed. " You go and see her ? she suggested eageily. " I will." Madam Rama was just about to close for the day when Ross arrived. He was usliered into her presence, and the mystic knelt beside the pool. Then she WTOte upon the slate. " You have something valuable in your possession, something you prize, but a woman would rofo you — she suspects the hidingplace." Ross waited to read no more. Throwing a note into the bowl she offered him, he hurried from the house. Scarcely had he left before Elsie— for it was she who had taken madam's place — was changing into her own clothes, and five minutes later she and Billy, who was with her disguised as an Egyptian, followed Ross. " If only we can get there in time, wo shall see where he keeps thc»m," said Billy, as they hailed a taxicab. Ross entered tho drawing-room. He was so agitated that he did not think to glance around. Fanette was sitting in a big lounge chair waiting for him, but she did not speak when she saw wha-t he was doing. For Ross had gone straight to tho heavy, big plush curtain which covered the window, and, holding it up, unripped a seam. He had scarcely done it, however, when he caught the sound of the opening of a door. With his mind full of what he had heard, he rushed out to see who had come in. It was Elsie and the young doctor. " Why do you bring visitors here at this time of the day ? " he growled. The young people, abashed at his manner and finding themselves discovered, said good-bye, and Elsie ran up to her room. Billy, however, meant to watch Ross. Muttering to himself, the man returned to tho drawing-room. At the door he started back, for suddenly he had come face to face with Fanette, and, from her manner, he guessed instinctively she had taken his treasure. " You here, too ? " he said, in a thick, unnatural voice. " You were here when I came in ! " he shouted. " You have taken the pearls, give them to me ! " He advanced threateningly towards her, and Fanette frightened, and hardly knov\'ing what she was doing, drew a revolver from her handbag and discharged it full at him. (Cairtinued on page 21). BEAUTIFUL POSTCARDS OF YOUR FAVOURITES. So many requc-stg have boon received from readers for photo<;raiih.s of their screen favourites that, in. response to their wishes, the Publishing Department of "THE PXCTUKE SHOW" has made arrangements to issue photographic postcard studies of a number of popular artistes. The first set of our " ALL STAH SERIES," which is Now on Sale, consists of the following cinema celebrities : — MARY PICKFORD, CHARLIE CHAPLIN, MAE MARSH, DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS, MARGUERITE CLARK, and CREIOHTON HALE. These attractive photogravure postcards arc issued at the surprisingly cheap price of ONE SHILLING, po-.t free, and as there is bound to be a big demand for them, do not delay in making your application. Send Postal order for One Shilling, made payivble to "Amalgamated Press," and crossed & Co. It to " The Picture Show," Postcard Dept., 7-9, Pilgrim Street, Ludgate Hill, London, E.G. 4. V