Picture Show (Nov 1919-Apr 1920)

The Picture Show, December tth, 1519. OUR FASCINATING SERIAL OF AN UGLY DUCKLING THAT BECAME A CINEMA STAR. Ddul D. READ THIS FIRST. " Harry " Marvell has accepted an engagement with a film company in order to earn sufficient money to help her sister Bethia pay her gambling debts, George Battershy, who is in love with " Harry," has been kept in Ignorance of his sweetheart's occupation, but owing to her frequent absence from town he becomes suspicious, and follows her to the studio one day. " Harry " is in a tight corner, and enlists the aid of Ted Lambert, her producer. In order to shield the girl, Ted plays a joke on George, and accidentally injures him, before he finds out the truth about " Harry." George is laid up for a time and when his sweetheart comes to see him he (ells her he trusts her, and decides to let the incident drop without further inquiry. Then Delia, one of Bethia's society friends, visits the studio, She is jealous of '. Harry," and obtains information which ' Harry " is afraid will cause more trouble. You fan Now Read On. "In vain is the net spread " GEORGE BATTERSBY looked in at the Night Jars " a few evenings later. Ho had been having a short enforced rest at home, during which he had felt considerably aggrieved because ho had rocoived no communication from Harry. He wont there with no desire to take pari in the rather tawdry and childish amusements of Delia Fa wleyand her dashing circle. He wanted to see Harry ; and he had called at her home only to get tho unsatisfactory news that she was staying with friends and would not be back for some days. Old Mr. Marvell was also, it seemed, feeling rather aggrieved. He preyed upon Oeorge's feelings to the extent of making him play chess with him, a game which Georgo hated, and instead of being becomingly grateful, the old gentleman was very cross because George tactlessly won the game. " I get very little sympathy," Mr. Marvell complained. " I have two daughters, charming girls, no doubt, but what good are they to me ! I hardly ever have the two of them at home for an evening— and what time Harriet is at home she generally spends at the kitchen stove. And my health is very bad. My doctor talks about the South of France for the winter. He might as well talk about the South Pole, for any chance there is of my getting there. I suppose this winter will finish me." George pretended to agroo with him, but he secretly thought him a rather selfish old fellow, and he knew that ho was a great deal mora thoughtful about his own comfort than for tho well-being of the girls. Ho had no hopo of finding ■ Harry at the night club, butfthcro was a chanco that her sister would bo there and could give him news of Harry. He wanted Harry now ever so ; that short return of his weakness and illness had shown him so clearly that she was the one thing in life he couldn't do without." Ho wanted to have a good talk with hor, to mako her fix the day ; ha had never yet broached this point. Their love had boon so far a happy, intangible thing ; a matter of mutual understanding, eloquent looks, and rapt silence, not often profaned with words. Now ho felt the need of setting a term to this happy, delicate lover-stage, and he was looking for Harry, reluctant yet eager, to enter on a new phase. Delia Fawloy fell upon bid] as soon as ho appeared at tho club. She showed such a flattering pleasure in his • ompany that ho felt constrained to say a few pretty things to her, and submitted to bo drawn into a curtained recess for " a wee little talk." But he began tho wee talk rather abruptly for Delia's taste. you seen anything of Harriet " Have Marvell V ' Delia's long-^lit eyes narrowed and hardened. ' Not set eyes on her -inco our hunt that ended so farcically. Of course, I got to tho bottom of that business." " What do you mean ? " "Surely you know? You didn't spend several days thero, and never find her out J " " I don't want to tind her out, as you call it," said George. " I didn't try any more. I camo to see that it was a rotten thing to try to track her, to spy on her movements. If she didn't want to tell me, she had every right to keep whatever it was to herself." he said stiffly. Ho hated talking about it all to Delia, Delia with her sidelong looks, who had tried to tempt him to distrust Harry. No man likes to own to a woman that he has been wrong. " Oh, no doubt she can please herself.. You'ro not married yet. She can ehango her mind if she likes." "I'd rather not discuss her with you, if you don't mind, Let's talk of something else." " By all means. Of her new admirer, if you prefer it. Quite a smart young fellow — though, after you, what sho can see in him is beyond me." * What — who do you mean ? " — suddenly. " Why. Ted Lambert, of course. You didn't know — you never found out that we were right on hor track all the time ; that she was positively staying there, in that place ? I tell you, I went into her room. I saw her things all lying about, her clothes ; her photograph on the wall, photographs of that Lambert man — I couldn't help laughing to see how completely wo were tricked. She must have been thero all the time, and enjoying the joke." " I don't believe that," the words came slowly and deliberately. " I don't care who tells me — I won't believe it." " Well, it's true, and nothing to worry about, either. For I'm not by any means alone in thinking that you were about to throw yourself away on a heartless little nonentity. Everybody said so. She wasn't worthy of you. A girl like that can't feel a big passion. She isn't capable of it. I've often noticed that. A splendid man that any girl would be proud to receive attention from takes up with one of these smug little nobodies that another fellow wouldn't look at, and as soon as she thinks she has him safe, she throws him over for somebody of her own sort. But you won't let her break your heart, will you ? " Delia drew nearer to George, eyeing him with a suspicious tenderness in her long, narrow, greeny eyes. "I've hated having to tell you, to disillusionise you," she wont on, standing and facing him, her long fingers twisted together in the fringe of her girdle, her eyes searching his J'ace. " You're ono of those sensitive men that feel things deeply. But it was l ight to tell you. "You ought to know. It's awful to think of a love, like yours thrown away — wasted — when there is a heart — somewhere— hungering for it." George moved impatiently away. " You are talking a lot of twaddle. Plcaso understand I didn't ask you, and I don't want to hoar any of this. No doubt Harriet has a full explanation of anything you saw — or thought you saw. I shall not ask her for any." " And that's all the thanks I get ! " " You get no thanks of mine. I wish neither Harry nor I, nor Harry's liddleheaded sister, had ever seen you or had anything to do with you. Good-night I He thrust aside the curtain and strode out. Tho room was a shimmer of light dresses and shaded lights ; and tho darkio orchestra was clashing out amazing chords as tho " NightJars," began to lose self-consciousness in the intricacies of the dance. It all jarred on George horribly. It made him \yant Harry more than over. He grabbed coat and hat and got out into the cool clean night air. What was it that hateful girl had been trying to tell him ? That Harry wtys false — was friendly, with the young cinema actor who had so taken his fancy. And he bad been such a nice young fellow, too, so straightforward and wholesome — just his sort. Gcorgo had cottoned to him at, once. " Anyway, it's a lie. I don't believe a word of it," he told himself. If it had been Bethia, now, there might have been some colour in it. But Harry and a moving-picture man — it was ridiculous ! Nevertheless, he was acutely miserable. And ho couldn't get at Harry. An interminable week was before him until she carne back and cleared it up. No ; on second thoughts, he wasn't going to ask her to clear it up. Ho trusted her : he was going to go on trusting her. But he wanted to see her, oh, so badly. Bethia Sees Daylight. DELIA was not herself at tho " Night Jars'' that evening. Sho was dull, jaded and distrait, and" looked it. The yellow frock she had thought so vivid and striking made her skin look almost jaundiced. She bit her lip as she saw herself in tho glass. She wished she had worn anything else. Her anger deflected upon Bethia, Sho beckoned her aside on the first opportunity. " I hate having to remind you, old thing," said Bethia sweetly, " but — you remember, don't you ? I gave you a week — was it last Friday week ? You promised mo then faithfully to settle up — and — really, one does so hato pressing a friend— but — well, I've got to have it, and — the lot, please ! " " Tho lot ! But — why, it's over sixty pounds ! " Bethia almost screamed. " And Harry's no good ai y longer. She's got some bee in her bonnet about sending the Gov'nor to the South of France — and says she must save every cent she can get hold of for that. She doesn't care what becomes of me." " You will have to pay this time — I don't care how." " I can't pay," Bethia said sullenly. " You know the rules ? " Delia spoke lightly, but there was tense meaning behind the suggestion. " But — you couldn't post me ! " Bethia gasped. Horror and fear showed in her lovely face, driven ashy white at the thought of public exposure. " What are rules for ? " asked Delia cruelly. " Oh, Delia I And after we' ve beeii gpch friends " " Yes, to my cost, I have let you victimise me — and my friends. You would see, if you were honest, that you can't afford to live our life. I have had enough of you, Bethia ! Your good looks are your only recommendation. Really, you are little better than an adventuress. Nobody here knows what your true position — what a wretched place your home is. How could you dream of keeping up with a set like ours — to whom money is nothing ? " " But that's just it, Delia," Bethia pleaded earnestly, choosing to ignore the insult. '" If as you say, money is nothing to you, how can you think of ruining me — of disgracing me — making me that I can't hoid up my head among the people I know — and you called yourself mj friend ! All for a paltry sixty pounds — which 1 shall not be able to pay, even if you are so crurl as to post me." " For the simple reason that I want the money ! " retorted Delia. " That sixty pounds will keep my dressmaker quiet for a few days. You can find it if you choose," said Delia coldlj . "A few more members like you and the ' Nightjars' would soon get a thoroughly bad name. Debts of honour niu«t bo paid ! That's the rule." Bethia had no moro joy in the dance." She (Continued on page 8.)