Picture Show (Nov 1919-Apr 1920)

9 Tlu Picture Show, January llth, 1920. " Did you say you had let it ? " lie said at last. " No, but I have been to the estate agents. They are sending someone to look over the house to-morrow." Bertie Fisher pushed back his ohair from the table, and stood up before the lire, his hands behind his back. ' Mrs. Meadows," ho said, after clearing his voice, " I have been thinking how I could help you, and this seems a'way. Some day, no doubt, Georgo may be able" to clear himself, and then he may return. It may not be this year, or the next, but eventually — one never knows." Diana had sprung to her feet, her beautiful eyes shining with hope. " Do you mean that ? Have you heard from him ? " she cried, in a low, tense voice. Ho shook his head and his eyes fell beneath her deep gaze. " No, no, Mrs.' Meadows. I am afraid I only imagine what may happen. I have hoard absolutely nothing." " Then, why do you talk like this ? " " Oh, because I wanted 1o help you and comfort you a little, I suppose," he said, speaking jerkily and turning away from her and staring into the fire, " I want to help you, if I can." She had sunk back into her seat, and there was a silence in the room for some mimites. Finally he spoke again. " I was about to suggest that I take on the liouse from you, Mrs. Meadows. Then, if George at any time returned, ho would not find a stranger in possession, and you — you would Dtill feel you had a home." " Oh, but this is too generous of you, Mr. Fisher." " Not at all, Mrs. Meadows. I naturally like to do all in my power to help my friends." Diana held out her hands to him. " You make me ashamed of how I used to treat you," she said unsteadily. " Do not say any more about it, Mrs. Meadows. We all make mistakes at times. I forgive you. I should not bo human if I could not forgive a pretty woman anything. '* ; He was gazing down at her. but Diana did not raise her eyes. Compliments were always distasteful to her, and the new feeling she had been experiencing towards her husband's friend froze suddenly at his words. " When would you like to take possession ? " she said. " Baby and I can go immediately. The estate agent had better arrange the business between us. I — I should not, in the ordinary way, want to charge you, but " ■ She paused, and looked at him appealingly. Bertie Fisher smiled. " My dear Mrs. Meadows, I could scarcely take posesssion of your home without paying for it," lie said. " What rent are you asking ? " Three guineas," said Diana falteringly. " Quite reasonable. I will settle with the agent, and tako possession next Monday. I'll run up and see young Eric now, if you do not mind. "T should like you to," said Diana cagi rly And as they passed up the staircase .she added " Although I'm his mother, I must confess l'v •never seen a more wonderful child." " Alone— Alone." DIANA stood in the roadway watching the old driver pile up the luggage on to the cab which was to take her and Eric to the station. ' > She had been to bid her friends good-bye, and they were waiting to see her start. ' '•' You lucky girl, I so often wish I were you " exclaimed Miss Lena impulsively as she kissed Diana for the last time, " Mind you remember us to your husband, my dear," said the elder sister as she pulled Eric's new hat more firmly over his head. i" I dare say he will be able to talk to us when you come back. I do hope he won't forget us," she said referring to the baby. Diana glanced towards Glen-y-mor. " Would she ever come back ? " she wondered. She was leaving all her happy life behind her. In a few short minutes she and her baby would be just wanderers without a home. " It will be so nice Mr. Fisher having your house. We sha'n't feel as though you had gone for ever," said Miss Lena in her gentle, fooli-h w£fy. • %?'£*ifcs ',_ <t* -jr*V " No," said Diana. And then she got somewhat hurriedly into tho creaky old vehicle. Two hoiu-3 later, as twilight was descending over the big city, Diana stepped o'ut from the station, her child in her arms. Crowds of men and women jostled her — > hurrying for their homeward train. , She stood bewildered for some minutes with the constant changing sea of faces and the rush and roar of the traffic. Eric was asleep. She thanked God for that as she held him yet closer to her breast, and then she stepped bravely into the road. An awful, terrible loneliness swept over her as she did so, a sudden frightened fear. She had arranged that her mother should receive the rent of the house. That would keep her in comfort and still all her fears and anxieties. No one belonging to those old days but Bertio Fisher knew the truth. They all thought her already on her way to the Argentine. She had burned her boats, she could never go back — unless some day with George. The man who ha-d pretended to love her and had gone away without a single word. The man who had not even written to her. As she walked along one thought seemed burned upon her brain—" Alone ! Alone ! " {Another fine instalment oj this real-lije itory next Monday.) MARY MACLAREN A Star with Brains and Beauty. DESTINY (Continued from page 6.) " I must advance you a little, mother, and then I must write and tell him," said Diana hastily. "lie has not mentioned money since he has been away, but we must both have some. I must see to it." " But surely this is not at all like Georgo ! " cried Mrs. Long recovering herself, the colour coming back to her face as Diana cr.ossed again to tho escritoire. " Did you say you have not received any from him, either, Diana ? Surely this is very strange 1 " " Oh, no. Ho thought I had some," cried Diana quickly. " He always pays his cheque himself into my account, you know." " Lucky girl ! " cried Mrs. Long enviously. Diana, as she wrote her mother a cheque, glanced at the rapidly diminishing amount which stood to'her credit, and a curious smile twisted, her lips. But there was no mirth in it. » Plans For The Future. A MAN in a long, loose ulster, with his cap pulled well down over his face, passed ,' swiftly down the road towards Olan-yn:or. •; Miss Lena, who was peeping through her casement curtains, gave a little sigh as she turned to her sister. "If -that isn't Mr. Fisher calling on' Mrs. Meadows again," she said. Her sister sniffed her disapproval. ' "He 's a great friend of her husband. No doubt they have a great deal to say to each ot her," sbo remarked. " It's not for us to j udgo, Lena." " Qh, no, sister. Of course not, I did not mean' anything," A faint flush spread over the little spinster's face. " Only Mrs. Meadows does not seem quite so friendly to us as she used to be. Do jdu think so ? " " She has more to attend to, perhaps, now her husband is away." " Perhaps so," but Miss Lena sighed. Meanwhile Mr. Fisher had disappeared into Glan-y-mor. Diana was out, Bertha informed him, but as he had shown his intention to stay she showed him into tho dining-room, where the only fire was burning. Mr. Fisher walked restlessly towards tho French window and glanced out into tho garden. The disused well, an uneven bunch of loose brick work over which the giant branches of a tree swayed dismally, fascinated his attention. Opening the door and unmindful of the cold wind which swept into the room, he made his way towards it. There he stood gazing fearfully into the murky darkness. He almost shrieked when Bertha suddenly spoke to him. She had been sent by Diana, who had just come in, to fetch him into tea. " Law, sir. You do fair give me the creeps," cried the girl indignantly. " Here's the missus wants you to come in to a cup of tea." Then she turned indignantly and left him. Bertie endeavoured to pull himself together. " I ought not to come here," he muttered. " The place gets on my nerves, and yet I am never h&ppy away." Diana was seated at the table. She wore a rose -pink silk negligee, trimmed with soft filmy lace. Her beautiful face was pale, and there were shadows under the deep, grey eyes. She held out her hand and smiled graciously to tHe visitor. " How nice of you to come again," she said. " I thought I'd look in," he said awkwardly. "It is very kind of you. I am leaving here, I hope,' next week, but I shall always think of how you have tried to help me " She paused. ",You aro leaving here ? Surely you do not mean that seriously, Mrs. Meadows ? " He had been about to take up his cup, but ho hastily hid his shaking hands under the table. Diana smiled at him kindly. " I am afraid I did not appreciate you in the old days, Mr. Fisher," she remarked. He managed to shrug his shoulders. "Tell me," he said at last. " What is this new arrangement of yours — 1 — I thought this house belonged to you ?•" " To George," said Diana simply, " and as ho docs not write I suppose ho means mo to have it. So I am letting it furnished." Bertie moistened bis lips, for they had become kuddenly very parched and dry. THE city of Pittsburg, noted for its smoke and steel, produced Mary MacLaren, Universal's charming star. The young lady's name is really MaeDonald, and she had no intention of changing it for the stage or screen. But a secretary, in the auditor's department at Universal City, absent-mindedly wrote MacLaren for MaeDonald in making out tho first salary check Mary received from the film company. Several times she tried to correct the error, and finally decided to adopt the name permanently. Five years ago Mary MacLaren won first prize in a beauty contest, conducted by a syndicate of newspapers in the middle west, and as a result of the publicity thus received she secured an engagement, as ono of the beauties in tho New York Winter Garden. In a short while she proved to tho Shubert management that sho possessed brains and ability, as well as perfect features, and she was giveua part in A I Jolson's Company* Sister Katherine. TWO years before her sister, Katheiino MaeDonald, had secured a position with a motion picture company on the Pacific Coast, and by that time had achieved sufficient prominence to attract Mary to the screen. With her youth and beauty, added to the unmistakable signs of talent, she found no difficulty in getting a contract from Universal Company. After she had appeared in several pictures in parts so small that her name was not mentioned in the cast, Universal began receiving inquiries from people everywhere regarding this goldenhaired girl. Soon she was promoted to leading parts, and for tho past two years she has been one of Universal's most popular stars. She has appeared in " Wanted a Home," " Saving a Family Name," " Idle Wives," " Shoes," " Prairie Gold," " The Amazing Wife," " The Unpainted Woman," " Bonnie, Bonnie Lassie," and is now engaged on " The Pointing Finger," which will be her next release.