Picture Show (May-Oct 1920)

18 The Picture Show, June 19th, 1920. THE CYNIC AND THE BEAUTY COMPETITION. POWDER-PUFFS IN THE BALANCE. THE recent " Daily Mirror." Beauty Competition seems, like a stone dropped in a pond, to have awakened a scries of ripples which penetrate to all parts of society. Hardly can one go to a " Victory Ball " or " American Night " for a few hours* undiluted merriment, not entirely unconnected with jazz, without finding that the dancing is to be interrupted by a " beauty competition." Certainly the winners of these affairs do not leap into fame and fortune at a bound like the " Daily Mirror's " lovely find, but they probably enjoy a certain amount of private satisfaction. One can imagine a cynic inviting his lady guest to a beauty-competition dance. They appear painted, powdered, and marcelled. They dance until the small hours in the tempered glare of electric lights. Comes the dawn, the lights are turned out, the curtains pulled back to let in the cruel morning light. " Ladies," says the host, " will yoirtakeyour places for the Beauty Competition ? " Need any more be said ? Few of us claim the perfection of beauty as set forth in someone's criterion : " If you can face the sun when all the others are sitting with their backs towards the light," but under more kindly illumination, it is possible to look one's very prettiest at a dance. One must admit that the heat of ballrooms and the ardour of dancing are foes to the complexion, and what maiden in these days of serious dancing dare retire too frequently to powder her shining little nose ? Yet even this has its remedy, as the wise girl knows. Before coining to the dance, Phyllis bathes her face and neck with a solution of pure cleminite, which she rubs well into the skin with her finger-tips until it is quite dry. This done, her complexion assumes a peach-like finish which will remain unchanged during a, whole evening's dancing. I suppose every girl would like a new frock for each dance she goes to ? But even the unemployed would find that rather a strain on the exchequer. It is a consolation, even if a poor one, to reflect that no amount of frocks will give a girl real prettincss — which is what counts in the end. A pretty complexion, which is the beginning of all beauty, is quite cheap, you know. For about one half-penny you can have a clean, fresh, new skin {not the old one cleaned up for the occasion) for every dance you go to. I expect anjr girl could explain this apparent mystery. For the benefit of those who cannot, here is the solution. Get some mcrcolized wax from the chemist. It is rather expensive, but it lasts a long time, with care. Smear it over your face before going to bed, not using too much, and wash it off in the morning. The oxygen contained in the wax absorbs the outer skin which has become rough and coarse, and gives the new skin below a chance to show itself. Quite simple, isn't it ? If the skin is inclined to be dry, it is a good plan to treat it with some ordinary cold cream beforo using mcrcolized wax. Certainly, the sort of complexion you get from using simple preparations' like the abovo shouid bo an asset in any beauty competition — even the cynic's ! PARKER BF.I,M0NT\s Cr/VNOl/ BERRIES FOR OBESITY. lAuVT.] MAID '0 THE STORM. ^^Vr Everybody rushed to her, but it was the calm voice of Strohman which stayed ttie excitement. He made a sign to Ariel's (fencing master, and the two went to the girl, who was still looking^-ery dazed. Leaning on their arms Ariel left the room. By the time she bad got to her house Ariel was quite recovered. She thanked Strohman and her dancing master, and dismissed them with the intimation that sl>c intended to retire at once. As he turned to leave, Strohman handed her the souvenir programme that had been printed for the first night. Written across the page in the manager's firm haud, were ttie wrfrds : " You know Shirley is engaged to Elaine Shackleford. I think I win.*' " " Not till he is married," replied the .girl. ■ Strohman bowed low and left her. There was no sleep for Ariel that night, and the morning found her still in a state of despair. Her love for Franklin Shirley had become an obsession. She determined she would not be beaten. She was beautiful, where Elaine Shackleford was barely pretty. She had brains, ami the great desire to give all Iter life to the one object of making him happy. She would not give in. She wonid win the man she loved, even if she took him from the other girl at the. steps of the altar. That morning she sent a note to Franklin Shirley asking him to call. He came that afternoon. The Proposal. ABIEL received him in a luxuriously furnished apartment. In the centre was a fountain, on the waters of which floated beautiful flowers. In a Sjmple but costly gown, which set off the beauty of her face and figure, Ariel presented a picture that, woidd have moved the soul of an anchorite. Shirley stood in rapt amazement as he entered the room. " Ifow beautiful you look ! " he exclaimed, his eyes shining his admiration. " Do I ? " replied Ariel. " Many men tell me that, but though I hear them, my heart does not listen. I am one of those women to whom love comes only once." Her expressive eyes melted as she stood for a moment poised like some fairy flower on the brink of the fountain. Then, with a shrug of her beautiful shoulders, she said in a light tone : " It was very foolish of me to faint last night." Shirley did not know what to say. He realised it was his announcement that he was going to be married that had caused the beautiful dancer to faint, but he could think of no suitable reply. He made a stammering and conventional remark about the great strain her performance must have put upon her. and then Ariel began to talk brilliantly about her art. She made him feel at home, anil that she had no anger against him ; but when at last he left, two thoughts were in his mind. One was that Ariel was. broker-hearted i>ccause he was going to marry someone else, and the other, that he was madly in love with Ariel. The visit led to others, and before long Ariel had acliieved her object. Franklin Shirley loved her as he could never love Elaine. Hut he was still engaged to Miss Shackleford, though he had caused the date of the wedding to be postponed. Presently Stories of Shirley's infatuation for the beautiful dancer began to come to Mrs. Shackleford's ears. She decided she must act at once if she wished to gain her ends. Apart from Franklin's love for her daughter having changed, there was another danger. She knew that Elaine had never been really in love with -Shirley. Her heart had !>een given long ago to a young man named Dicky Yale, but Yale was poor, and Mrs. Shackleford had told him that she would never give her consent to their engagement. One day she called on Ariel and insisted that the girl should give up seeing Franklin Shirley. " You know he H engaged to my daughter," she said. " But I love him. I loved him before he was engaged to your daughter," replied Ariel. If you really loved him yon would not sacriliro him on the. altar of your ambition," replied Mrs. Shackleford angrily. " It Is for the man to choose between us," replied Ariel coldly. Mrs. Shackleford went away hi a furious rage. At all cost the marriage must take place without further delay. She would force Franklin Shirley to keep his word. But wliile she was looking" for the young man he was at Ariel's house. He was becoming desperate. He was bound in honour to marry Blaine, but hit * heart told him tliat the marriage would be a mockcrv. I He had never really loved her, amj now that he had *. met Ariel again he could never love Elaine. " Why should we study conventions ? " he Dleaded to Ariel. " Your eyes tell me that you love me. l et us go away together." Ariel's checks burned. To think that he had so misjudged her. " I thought I had awakened love in vour heart, but I find I have only seared my soul to light the flame of passion." " You are wrong. ArieL I swear to Heaven von arc wrong!" cried the young mau fervently. '"I love you, and yon only. I want to marrV yon: Marriage with any other woman would be a tragedy." " Yon must leave me now," said the girl gently. " If yon are still of the same mind to-morrow, come and see me. Till then, good-bve ! " It is Good-Bye. BUT the morning found another Ariel. The words of Mrs. Shackleford had made her think. Although she realised that Elaine's mother had onlv worldly ambition in her mind when she spoke of her daughter's happiness, the fact remained that she, Ariel, had come between Elaine and Franklin Shirlev. She would give Franklin his freedom. It was her duty. Many great women had sacrificed their love that the men they worshipped might act with honour. She would do the same. At least, she would prove, worthy of. the great love that had inspired her life. When Franklin called he found a pathetic figure dressed in black. He was about to speak, when Ariel raised her hand. " Please don't," she said. " I can see bv vour eves that you have come to tell me that you still want' to marry me. Two days ago those words would have — made me the happiest woman in the world, for l.love you. Franklin, as I feel that few women 'have ever loved before. Kven now I am . proud and happy that you love me. but we can never marry. You are bound in honour to your fiancee. We must part. You must marry her, and I alas ! must go to another." It was in vain that Franklin pleaded for his happiness and her own. Ariel had made up her mind. At last, when he saw that he was hurting her by his repeated pleadings, he left, cursing the hour he had first met Mrs. Shackleford As soon as he had gone Ariel rang up Strohman. " 1 have last," she said simply. I am coming to pay my debt." As she went to keep her appointment .vith Strohman, Ariel remembered her friends. Papa Bontemps and Jules Picardc. she must say good-bye to them before going out of their life for ever. But as Ariel's ta\i whirled away. Fate was weaving a new thread in the loom of Destiny. When Franklin Shirley returned home, he found a telegram from Elaine. It read : ..<q " We have never loved each other. I have run away vith Dicky. By the time this reaches you we shall be married." Wild with joy, the young man rang up Ariel, only to be told by her maid that she had gone to NtrohmatvV house. Then the words of Ariel came back to Shirley1:; " I, alas, must go to another : " Putting an automatic pistol In his pocket. Shirley ran out, and jumping into a taxi, he drove to M Tollman's house. Tie forced his way in, and covering the producer with his pistol, he demanded : " Where is Mdll<\ Yvonne ? " " You cau put that pistol down," said Strohman coolly. " Wliy do you want to know where she is " Because I want to marry her." " What of Miss Shackleford ? " " Miss Shackleford is married to the man she loves," replied Shirley, showing the telegram. Strohman sank in his chair and looked blankly at the message. " Sit down." he said quietly. " Ariel told me that she wanted to l>e famous so that she could come up to your level," he went on with a strange tenderness in his voice. " I want to tell you that she is far above your level, or the level of any man. 1 should have been a proud man had she been my wife." As he finished speaking the door opened and Ariel appeared. " I have lost, Ariel," said the producer. " Abe Strohman never welshed a bet. May you be \cry happy I " Then he went out, leaving the lovers together. (Adapted from the photo-play, fea'uring Bess r Barriscate as Ariel bv permission of Renters film Co.) EVERY boy and girl who wants to get on in the world, should try for this £100 grant which is offered by the Editor of Children's Newspaper for the best attempt at painting a simple picture; 100 other prizes. For further particulars see inflTENSHitu"0 (THILDRENs ©