Picture Show (Nov 1919-Apr 1920)

t5 . , The Picture Show, November Zth, 1919. :-v.,..' ;,> y-' ■ * V'-V :S': " % YOt/ CAN BEGIN THIS FASCINATING NEW SERIAL TO-DAY! Double HAR MARVELL. READ THIS FIRST. BETHIA MARVELL, a very pretty girl, receives an invitation from some smart friends to pay a visit to them at a large house called the Towers. She is not well to do, but a rich aunt comes to her assistance and supplies her with the money to dress herself in a style befitting the occasion. Bethia looks forward to the visit ; she is ambitious to know people of social standing, and regards this as the opportunity of her life. Bethia's sister, " Harry," is a girl of quite a different disposition. Although she cannot be described as pretty, she has a pleasing personality and possesses a certain attractiveness. Her young man, George, thinks the world of her, and loves her for what she is. He is a good fellow, and does not approve of her sister's craving for gaiety. The day after Bethia has left for the Towers, Harry is surprised to receive a telegram from her sister telling her to " come at once," and bring £50. Her loyalty to her sister makes her decide to start at once, although she has not been able to obtain the money she needs ; and she makes an excuse to George, as she knows he would object td*her going. On arriving at the mansion at seven o'clock she finds no one is yet astir, and so goes down to the water for an early bathe. By her bravery she saves a little girl's life. Later, she finds out that the .girl is the daughter of the producer of a motion picture company which is in the district, and out of gratitude she is offered a position in the company. Bethia is very annoyed with her sister Harry when she finds that she has not brought the money along with her. She has lost heavily at cards, and desires to repay some borrowed money. Harry is introduced to Delia Fawley, of the Towers, and when Delia learns that she is engaged to George Battersby, the famous swimmer, she decides to invite him by some means or other to the house, although Harry naturally does not wish this. Later on Harry keeps her appointment with the cinema producer, and she meets the whole company who turn out to bo very nice people. Business is discussed, and Harry is delighted when she receives ^50 to pay for her wardrobe and other expenses. (You can now read on.) Bethia is Happy Again. MONEY can work miracles. Harry saw one in tlio wave of delight that transfigured Bethia's despondent face when sho put t Iio money into her hand. That small handful of paper transformed her from a cold and unapproachable statue to a radiant and irresistible nymph. " Good old Harry ! I knew you'd manage it ! " She rewarded her sister with one of her unwonted caresses. " You wouldn't see me down and out, would you ? Oh, I am so happy now. I feel as if a great weight had been lifted from my brain ! Did George wire you the money ? '! Harry's colour rose. " Never mind where it came from. I didn't get it from George. It's yours— and you're oh, so welcome to it. But, Bethia, I must beg and implore you to be more careful. You might have landed yourself in a most frightful hole." Bethia shook her pretty head. " All right, old dear. You deserve to have your little preach out for that ! But never fear ! I don't get let down again. I've learnt wisdom, and when I play now, I play to w in ! To win ! " • " I wish you wouldn't play at all," sighed Harry. She' watched with regret the enthusiasm in her sister's face. She might have stood for the personification of Success in life, so radiant, So happy, so full of zest were the charming, glowing features. " Howe\'er,' now that worry's settled, I can bring my visit to an end. And, as I was foisted on your friends in such an unconventional way, I'm sure they will be as glad as I shall." " But — you can't '. You know they've asked you to stay on. And now Delia's expecting George Battersby any time on purpose to meet you." " To meet me ? " " Certainly. Didn't sl e wire him in your name to come ? " " She didn't ! She couldn't do anything so — so outrageous ! " cried Harry. " And if she did, ho wouldn't believe it came from me. He would be disgusted ! " " Oh, for goodness' sake, unbend those black brows ! " laughed Bethia. " There's nothing to make a tragedy about. I thought you were pretty sure of George. Why, if anybody were as keen on me Harry, you can't leave. The Fawleys will think it strange." " They may think what they like, but I leave to-morrow." Harry lost no time in making her decision known to her hostess, the fat and faded Mrs, Fawley, and found that she knew nothing of the movements of the household, and cared less. It was indeed Delia who " ran the show." Delia took it \'ery calmly. A glance of understanding passed between her and Bethia. " Oh, well ! We had planned to ha\e you and George Battersby together. However, you're not afraid to trust him to us ! It's nice to feel so sure of a man ! " Harry could not help thinking Delia's words, and the laugh that accompanied them, in the worst possible taste. Yet Delia had been sent; to a most expensive school, and was supposed to know all that there was to know about good breeding ! Harry impressed upon Bethia, however, that., in case George should turn up, she must on no account tell him about the fifty pounds, a condition to which Bethia was quite ready to agree. For Bethia had a shrewd idea that it might be possible to wheedle further pecuniary benefits out of her future brother-in-law. Harry started to walk to the station, her shabhy luggage having preceded her in the luggage cart. Passing through the pretentious Towers gateway, she found herself face to face with — George Battersby ! Yes, it was .George, dear old George — right enough — striding along with a set, anxious look that aged his white face. He dropped his suiteaso, and put his hands on her shoulders, almost roughly. " Dearest, what's wrong ? Dearest, answer me ! Heavens, I've been in anguish since I got your wire. Tell me, what's up ? " He gazed fiercely into her eyes, with tired eyes that spoke of a sleepless night. He clasped her impetuous!} ; kissed her ; then held her at arms' length, waiting. And Harry trembled. For this was a new George, shaken out of the complacent decorum of every day. It startled her. She felt for the first time that she was afraid to anger George. " But — I sent no wire," she faltered. " Xo wire ! Why, it's here ! I'd have come from the ends of the earth on that summons. I lost an important contract as it is. ; Do come to me. I want you so badly. — Harry.' There $!' " Then Delia must have sent it. I knqif nothing about it. And oh, George, I'm catehiftg a train " * i "A train ! In the name of patience, whe^4 " Back to town. I have an appointment." |j It sounded lame enough to tell an angry lover. But Harry could not have told the true, story with George glaring at her in that alarmirfg ; manner. And yet she did so want to make a clean breast of the whole thing ! '' You haY*e an appointment ! " There was bitter irony in the scathing words. " And pray, what about your appointment with me 1 ' He waved the telegram angrily. " " But I tell you, I never sent it. Ask Delia." " And I tell you frankly, Harry, I can't believe you. What are you doing here, with this lot ! Why did you fib to me when you came here — putting me off with excuses ? \Vh, did you not tell me you were coming 1 I insist on an explanation." " Well, George," said Harry, half-crying, half-laughing, " you are certainly not going to, shale an explanation out of me. I jus* can't', begiii explaining anything — when my trail starts in twelve minutes — and nearly a mile — ai< "you coming to see me off ? " " Xo," said George coldly. " I've accepts these awful people's invitation entirely on you account — and I shall have to stay and be civil to them. ]\Iiss Fawley expressly said in her1 letter that I got this morning that I was asked at your special request. Is that Delia Fawley coming towards us ? Ye gods ! What a get-' up ! She looks as bad as a cinema star." Harry nearly smiled. She knew that pet phrase of George's so well, and she knew now how very little George knew about it. However, time and trains wait for no man. She held out her hand appealingly. " Good-bye, George. You won't think ill of me, will you, for running off like this ? You'vejust got to trust me. I'd love to tell you all; about it — if I could." Georgo dropped her hand after a loose clasp. " I think it's all deuced odd — and mysterious,"' he said grumpily. And off went Harry, once again trying to keep her face straight. She just caught her train ; got in laughing ; and finding herself alone^ relieved her feelings by a good cry before the I next station. "What an awful rig!" thought George, 1 surveying with distaste the approaching Delia, j '" Would any decent girl get herself up in beastly j glaring colours like that ? She's got thatj horrid bobbed hair, too ! " But, in spite of his disapproval, Georse foundl himself conversing quite affably with Delia, andj telling himself he couldn't decently begin byj pitching into his hostess under her own roof. J And Delia mentioned quite naturally that shel had been so anxious to give Harry pleasure by asking him, and was so sorry that she should have had to leave before he came. She hoped lie would put up with the Towers without her, and they would do their best to entertain him, and so forth. It all sounded quite right and reasonable, though of course inexcusable on I Harry's part; and ho was not surprised, He thought, that Harry was ashamed of her (Continued on page 8.)