Picture Show (Nov 1919-Apr 1920)

The Picture Show, February 7th, 1920. DESTINY (Continued from page 6.) "Good. I must come anil lielp dress him in it." He took the brown paper bap, and then tucked her hand within his arm with a boyisli f ir of possession. Both their faces reflected their complete satisI action in each otner's company. " I asked your father for a fortnight's holiday to day, I have taken a little house at Highgajte, and I want to get it straight. I thought it would be nicer for Eric, and my mother is coming to live with me," said Diana suddenly. That's jolly ! " But his face suddenly < hanged as he looked his surprise. " Did you say you had taken a house ? " he remarked, with a slight raising of his eyebrows. " Yes," said Diana. " It is all settled, and I can move in as soon as I like." He made no remark, but she realised that the man beside her had become very quiet and constrained. For some minutes they walked along in silence, then she gave his arm a gentle pressure. " You are not annoyed by any chance ? " she asked wistfully. He glanced down at her. " No, Diana ! " he replied earnestly. " You ( ould never seriously annoy me, I love you far too well, but I cannot help sometimes feeling very hurt. You are so discreet — so careful not to ever discuss your affairs." " I am sorry," she whispered. " But, Dicky, I — I can't help it. I have to keep things to myself. I don't know how it is but I can't confide in people like others do. Sometimes I wish I could. But all my life.1 have been, as it were, alone. I have had to fight my own battles and look after myself, and I never was good at talking about my own affairs." " You have had a hard life, Diana." His strong young voice vibrated with sympathy and tenderness. " Yes, Dicky, I have had a hard life," she said quietly. They spoke no more until they were seated oh the top of the 'bus which would take them to 1 lie Borough. Dicky arranged her coat collar up about her ears so that she should be protected from the chill wind that was blowing. * She snuggled up closer to him, and he glanced down at her with a tender smile. " Comfy ? " he asked her. She nodded happily. " I don't know what I should do without you, Dicky," she said. His heart gave a sudden throb. " Then don't you think you were a little premature in taking a house at Highgate without consulting me ? " he said half-jokingly. " I should never have dreamed of doing such a thing without consulting you first. Listen, Diana," he went on very earnestly. " You have been with my father two years, and I have been courting you all the time. Oh ! yes I have," ho went on steadily as she would have contradicted him. " Dicky, please ? " Her eyes implored him, but the man beside her for onee had no mercy. " No, Diana ; you mu9t listen," he said firmly. " I have asked you to marry me twice and you have put me off. 1 am not going to ask you again." 1 Ho saw the relief in her eyes, but he wilfully misunderstood it. " No," he repeated. " I shall not ask you again. I. am simply going to put the banns up next Sunday, and get a special licence ; and then either you can come to Church with me or walk into a registry office. 1 don't personally care which, just as long as we are married to each other." Diana did not speak for a few minutes. A sudden wild hope had come to her. Why not ? Why not do as Dicky suggested — a special licence. She could disappear under (mother name — George would never find her. Dicky's deep, dark eyes were fixed on hers and (she dropped her own suddenly. How could she think of deceiving him. " You do not understand," she said hurriedly. There is a barrier. I can never marry you, • J< ;ir not if I would. Oh ! don't yoKi sec that I am flinging from mo every chanco I have of happiness '! li I only could, I would do exactly an you wish." She had attempted to draw away her hand; but his fingers tightened over hers. " 1 won't worry you, dear," he said, " but you must explain. You have some silly litllo notion fixed in your head which no doubt r can clear away. I shall never give you up, Diana:" His words thrilled her. " You say that now," she said miserably. He laughed with the assurance of a man who knows his own mind. Let's go out to-night," he said. " I know a nice, quiet, little restaurant where we cun dine, and then you can tell me everything.' The 'bus had come to a standstill at the corner of their street. ' Diana did not answer him as she followed him down, but a sudden presentiment of evil was already coming over her and she shivered. End was not at the window to greet her as usual, and involuntarily she hurried her steps. Dicky walked beside her, but he, too, had become unaccountably silent. Diana opened the door with her key and Erie came bounding towards her. " Mummy ! Granny is come," ho cried excitedly, in his high-pitched, baby voice. From the sitting-room voices could bo heard. Diana walked into the room followed by Dick. Mrs. Long had half-risen, and then sank back into her seat again, her face was disfigured witli ,tears. Mrs. Harris looked glum anil forbidding. Diana glanced quickly from one to the other, an awful fear had fastened itself upon her. " Why, mother ! she said in a curiously low voice, what brings you here ? Is anything wrongs? What is the matter ? " Mrs. Long dabbed her eyes with her handkerchief. " Oh, Diana ! " she said in a weak, trembling voice, " I — I feel as though I shall go mad. I — I can't believe it. Mrs. Harris tells me you have been living here with her for the last two years." " Well ! What of it ? " Diana's voice had grown very cold and hard. " What business is it of yours ? " she said. " I hare been here the last two years. What then ? " Mrs. Long was looking at her daughter and ■her1 eyes were distended with a sudden, awful f ea r. " Diana," she cried brokenly, and she swayed suddenly to her feet. " Do you know what you are saying ? Do you mean t<5 tell me you have not been living with George ? " Diana glanced round at the three pairs of eyes \\ hich she knew were watching her. " I have not been living with George. How could I be. I have been here," she said wearily ; and then, with a sudden burst of anger, sho turned on her mother. " What do you mean by coming here ? " she said bitterly. " Haven't I been starving my boy so that you could live in comfort and keep you quiet ? Do you think I wanted my business to be bandied about from mouth to mouth ? Why did you not stay where I told you ? If 1 had wanted you here I should have asked you to come ! Now 1 suppose you have been discussing all my family affairs here ? " Her scornful eyes swept from one woman to the other. Dicky placed a hand on her shoulder. " Diana," he said pleadingly. " Diana, my dear I You are talking to your mother." FOR many years Thomas Santschi, the popular film artiste, played in the famous old Selig animal pictures, and he has handled as many as twenty -two ferocious beasts at one time. He has brought the beautiful Kathlyn Williams to perfect safety through countless hair-raising adventures. The secret of Tom's success in thestf parts was due to a great extent to his calm, forceful eyes. He had only to stare fixedly at the fiercest " forest king " for a moment or two to send him cowering away to his jungle home. Likes Rough Parts Best. TOM dislikes what he calls " pretty " leading parts. Handsome hcroos*arc not altogether in his line. Ho prefers either villains or strong leads, " the rougher, the better," he says. Santschi commenced Lis screen' career in His touch softened her as nothing el.se would have done, and her hungry eyes sought his face. She gave a hoarse, gasping, little cry, and put out her hands to him. " Dicky ! " she said. " Oh, Dicky ! you will stand by me? " He put his arm protectingly around her. There was a gasping cry and Mrs. Long sprang to her feet. " Oh, it is shameful ! " sho cried, " sliameful that a child of mine should be so degraded, with a husband lying dead." Diana made a step forward. " What do you say ? Is he dead '! " she said in a frightened voice. It was Mrs. Harris who answered her. " Your husband has been found murdered," she said. " He was murdered at your old homo at Gian-y-mor." " Murdered ? " "Yes," said Mrs. Harris very' sternly. " Murdered, and, from what your mother says, put in a well in your own garden." " But — but when did he come back ? Who could have done it ? " " That's what the police are trying to find out. They say by the description of the body it has been dead some time, very likely two years." Mrs. Harris had come nearer to Diana and her keen old eyes were fixed on the girl's face. " They are saying, Diana, that your husband never went away, that it is all the lies you have been telling." Diana shrank back, her face was ghastly. " Oh ! but he did go ! " she cried. Mrs. Harris shrugged her shoulders. " You, it seems, are the only person who says' that. If he did, you will, of course, be able to prove it." Mrs. Long was wringing her hands. " Yes, Diana, of course," she cried hysterically. " You will be able to prove it, dear. You have his letters ? You know the letters you used to tell me about." Diana gave a sudden, frightened little cry. She turned to Dicky, who was standing pale and anxious beside her. " But I haven't," she cried in a terror-stricken whisper. "He never wrote to me. I said ho did, I know I did. I didn't want anyone to know about him and so I pretended and pretended— but it was all lies — lies — lies ! " Her voice died away in a whisper. Dicky placed his arm around her trembling shoulders. " There — there," he said. 11 Try to keep calm, dear. You must tell me just exactly what has happened." Then he turned to Mrs. Long. " Have they found the murderer ? he asked. Mrs. Long only shook her head and went on sobbing into her handkerchief. Then, as they stood there, a sudden, heavy knock was heard at the door. Involuntarily they glanced at one another, and, as they stood waiting for it to be repeated, Eric caught hold of his mother's skirts with a sudden, frightened, little cry of fear. There is a man and a nasty, big policeman] outside," he cried. " I don't like them, mummy ! Don't open the door or else they will come in ! " (Another Splendid instalment of this Thrilling Life Story Next Monday.) 1906, and in point of service he is one of the) oldest actors on the screen. He has produced and played in a record1 number of photo-plays, and has acted with all the best-known stars. Tom remembers the time when he played opposite Mary Pickford in two-reel films. One of his latest successes is with Geraldine' Farrar in " Shadows." His marvellous eharac-, terisation in "The Garden of Allah" will' also be remembered. | Away from the studio Tom Santschi loves ai quiet life. He reads a lot and studies his parts! intensively. He also practises athletics, and thus keeps himself in fine athletic trim. Tom is younger, to-day than most of the screen idols, and he,l is in great demand by producers. The diversity of parts given him is a suro proof of the fact that directors recogniso his versatility and adaptability. . TOM SANTSCHI. rj^SS?«^"