Picture Show (May-Oct 1920)

B Tkture Show, July llth, 1920. THE SILENT DUPE (.Continued from page 6.) " Mr. Arlingford really ought to marry money," sho had said to the girl in her carefully modulated voice. " He is such a charming man, and is so clever and capable. He should get anywhere." Mona. had taken little heed at the time, but when alono these little remarks had ah uncomfortable habit of recurring to her. Mona was sensitive and proud. She was so afraid that Jack might think that now he was free again she might expect him to make love to her, and it made her avoid him. She only wanted him to be happy. She wanted nothing for herself, she would think passionately. And so it happened that when a year after Sylvia's death, when everything had settled down and was almost forgotten, he asked her to dine with him, they were both curiously ill at ease and unnatural. If Jack had waited for another opportunity he might have received a different answer, but he had made up his mind to ask Mona to marry him on that occasion, and so ask her he did. » And Mona had refused him. Kindly and gently but quite emphatically. If he had taken her passionately in his armsthen she might not have kept to her decision, but they were both shy and horribly uncomfortable. The thought of those days in Manchester was in both their hearts. " I should have waited a little longer," Jack told himself moodily. And Mona, kneeling by her bedside, was sobbing out her heart. " He made one mistake, he shall not make another if I can help it," she was thinking. And all that had happened a couple of years ago, and Time, that wonderful healer, had shed a soft, vague forgetfulncss over the cruel jags of the past. Mona could think only kindly and always gently of poor erring Sylvia. Bobby was four years old now, and came often to call on Auntie Mona on Saturdays, when Mona was home from business. Mona had seen Jack's name among the list of honours. She felt half inclined to ring him up and congratulate him, but she thought better of it. Jack was getting a big man now. There would be plenty of others to congratulate him. It so happened that as the thought passed through Mona's' mind, Mrs. Craige, having finished her breakfast, was now on the 'phone. A few minutes later she was congratulating Jack over the wire„ " I think we must have a littlo dinner together to-night to celebrate the occasion," sho said brightly. "' Mrs. Craige was always very bright when in conversation with men," as a jealous woman once remarked. " I am engaged, I am afraid, for to-night," came Jack's voico in reply. Mrs. Craige frowned. " Perhaps you will call in, then, afterwards." " I am so sorry but I shall be so very late." Again Mrs. Craige frowned. " To-morrow, then ? " sho cried pleasantly. " You naughty man, I have not seen you once this week." " It is most kind of you, but really I am so busy. I Havo promised to dine at the Wilsons on Saturdov. No doubt wo shall meet there. Good-bye ! y' Ho had rung off, and Mrs. Craige, after trying to speajv again and getting no reply, put tho receiver into its place with no very gontle hand. Sho was not so young that sho could afford to keep on waiting. All unknown to Jack sho had worked to get hi in his title. Sho had thought that Jack might have hesitated because of her wealth, and that if ho was placed on an equal footing with herself it might hasten results. Vet Jack had rung otf without the least suggestion of tenderness. "Telephones aro an abomination, and men " — Mrs. Craige punched a cushion on the settee beforo settling herself down to her morning corrospondonco with quito unnecessary violence — " men aro tho most unsatisfactory of mortals, and Jack — Jack is the limit." abent the spot where the 'buses stop to pick up passengers in the City Road. A 'bus came and went, and yet another and another, but the young man did not move. Suddenly, however, a slim, girlish figure clad in a neat coat and skirt came running up just as-a 'bus was about to start. She did not glance around her, but swung herself on to the step. The next moment Jack had followed her on to the top. Mona, for it was she, took a seat and Jack was forced to sit behind her. But lie was quite .satisfied. He kept hoping that she would turn round and discover him ; but Mona did not turn round, and he had to be content with watching the wavy tendrils of hair against the cream velvetness of her neck and the spotless white collar of her blouse. There was always something so clean and fresh about Mona. And then, just as he was making up his mind to lean forward and speak to her, the person beside her made a movement to alight, and Mona slipped along to his seat. jack felt his heart beat quicker as he took her vacant place. Even then she did not notice him, for her eyes were fixed on a baby in a pram. The mother was seeing off a friend and the baby, which was bareheaded, was throwing out its little arms and gurgling happily, hoping to catch the mother's attention. A lump had risen to Mona's throat. That was tho one thing she envied mothers — their babies. She was. getting on quite well in business, but the sight of chubby limbs and downy little heads always made her want to cuddle up their owners. Bobby had been like that, but Bobby was now nearly four years old and resented liberties. He never wanted to be cuddled when he came to see her, and objected often to bo kissed. Jack noticed the pensive expression on her face and wondered, and then quite suddenly he placed his hand over her own, which were lying lightly clasped in her lap. Sho gave a startled movement and a quick glance upward, but Jack did not release the imprisoned hands. Oh ! " The tell-tale colour flooded her face. " However did you get here, I did not see you get on ? " she said in confusion. He chuckled like a schoolboy as he explained. "J was feeling a bit off colour to-day, and I made up my mind I would try to catch you," he said boldly, his eyes fixed on her burning cheeks. " I thought a nice quiet little ivoning with you, just as wo used to have in the old days when I first came to London, might do me good." " I must get off at tho corner and get some chops, then," said Mona, striving to speak lightly and hoping that ho could not hear the noisy beating of her heart. " Yes, wo must have chops. I believe you used to get them for mo because you were afraid I was not feeding properly. You were always like that, Mona.' His voico had grown very tender, and the girl WAS seized with a sudden trembling. Sho had thought sho had put happiness away from her. Might it be a mistake ? " I must not stand in his way ! " She repeated the words to herself passionately as sho followed him off the 'bus. " He must have the best tba'. life can offer, he has suffered enough in the past for his chivalry." She felt it was up to her to see that he did not do it again. Jack tucked her hand under his arm just as he had done in those far-off days. " Now for the chops," he said. Jack persisted in carrying the newspaper parcel, wliich he tucked under his arm, then he led her into a pastrycook's. " Two dozen flakey jam tarts," ho, ordered. Mona endeavoured to expostulate, but Jackgrabbed the bag and piloted her out into the street. " This is a very important occasion. Haven't you read the papers to-day ? " he asked her. Mona confessed she had. " Well, surely I may celebrate the occasion," he demanded. " But you do not like jam tarts," she reminded him. " That is all you know. Perhaps I used to pretend I didn't because I knew you would have saved them all for me. I sometimes do these things myself," he said wickedly. And Mona could only laugh and call him " an utterly ridiculous person." She was feeling utterly ridiculous herself, but somehow she did not care a bit. " This was her night," she told herself. She hoped he would not spoil it, and she would havo to send him away. In Lhe tiny sitting-room tire meal was laid for one. Jack suggested repairing the defect while Mona attended to the cooking. Her heart was just bubbling over with happiness as she lit the gas-stove and fetched out the frying-pan. Jack came into the kitchen and seated himself on the table. " Mona," ho said suddenly, after watching her peel a potato and slice it into tho pan, " I meant to wait until after supper, dear, but it i:just no good. How much longer are you goinn to punish me, little girl ? I want you. Mona. I need you, dear. Mona, you must know just what is in my heart. 1 love you. I worship you, dear. 1 know I am not worthy of you, Mona, but be my wife." He had taken hold of her, and now he crushed her to him with all a strong man's passion. " Jack, dear, the cooking fork," cried Mona tremulously, as a horrible smell of burning rose from the stove. Jack held her a prisoner while he moved the pan to safety. , " I shall hold you here all night unless you promise me what I'm asking. You're a dear little perfect darling, but you are obstinate." " But, Jock dear, you are a great man now. I am so anxious that you do not make a mistake," Mona began tremulously. Jack held her at arm's length, and looked at her very steadily. " I've often thought you must think me a fool, but I never guessed you looked upon me as an imbecile," he said at last. " Jack, I — I don't." " You had better not," ho said ; and then seeing that he had teased her enough he drew her again into the shadow of his arms. " My own little girl," ho murmured. THE END. o As in the Days of Long Ago. N that same ovoning, at five o'clock exactly, a tall young man, immaculately dressed in grey, might havo been seen hovering IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT ! NEXT WEEK— A series of Real Crime Stories will begin in the "Picture Show." There is nothing so interesting to Read as the Story Behind the Verdict in a Court of Law. The Human or Inhuman Motive that Suggests the Crime, the Unweaving of the Plot by the Master Minds of World-Famous Detectives. THE SILKLESS BANKNOTE is the first of a series of wonderful crime stories told for the first time in the " Picture Show " next week. HERBERT RAWLINGSON who plays the part of Stephen A mold — " Lightning — on Vie screen. umi i t am I pi vnn Every detail ot these stories, which have been filmed by the Selznick Film Company WILLIAM j. rtinn, &nd wj„ jhorUy be snown over herei js taken from real life. The crooks describes Chief of the Umlea are men wnose criminal careers are to be found in the American Police Record* States Secret Service, in the film version the part ol the real detective is played by Herbert Rawhngton A'cw York City. otherwise the stories are an exact reproduction of everts which actnally happened