Reel Life (Sep 1914 - Mar 1915)

Eighteen REEL LIFE "June in Danger at Mrs. Villard' s" From the Reliance Serial By Oeorge Randolph Chester and Lillian Chester TRUST a pretty French maid and a handsome French chauffeur to strike up a lively friendship on the slightest provocation. It was the most natural thing in the world, that while her mistress was at the sanitarium, recuperating from the taxi accident, Marie should have accepted the invitation of Henri, Mrs. Villard's chauffeur, to take a joy ride. As it happened, they got stalled, not a hundred yards distant from the Moore house in Brynport, where they were discovered by Bouncer, June's collie. On the road, Marie was watching the house nervously, while Henri adjusted the carburetor. He completed his task and Marie jumped into the seat. Henri speedily followed. But they were just a moment too late. Out of the gate came Bouncer. Behind him streamed Aunt Debby, Mr. and Mrs. Moore, and Bobby and Iris Blethering. Urged by Marie, Henri started off at a good speed, paying no attention to the cries of the pursuers, lowing the car. CAST June Warner Norma Phillips Ned Warner : J. W. Johnston Gilbert Blye Arthur Donaldson Marie Evelyn Dumo Charles Cunningham Charles Mason Edwards Ezra Walck Tommy Thomas Marguerite Loveridge Mrs. Villard Elizabeth Drew Mr. Villard William Bailey Episode Nine of 'Runaway June" June Was Overjoyed to Have Bouncer with Her Again But Bouncer persisted in folLong after the others had given up the chase, he came on, his pink tongue hanging, his brown eyes appealingly fixed upon the distant motor. When she realized that no one else was pursuing them, Marie asked Henri to stop the car. She lifted the dog into the machine, and they drove home, where it is needless to say that June was overjoyed to see her pet again. On the grounds of the Villard estate, Bouncer discovered Ned and Burton hiding in the shrubbery. Hie chased the detective away. Ned, however, fell into Henri's hands. Thus it was, that, as the Cunningham limousine, carrying" June, Mrs. Villard, Tommy Thomas, Blye and Cunningham, entered the driveway, and Warner started to intercept the machine, he was dragged back by the chauffeur and Jens, a hired man, who then made him captive in the loft of the garage. Marie, having told Henri who Ned was, he was carefully tied up and guarded by the Frenchman and his companion. When, that evening, Villard entered the drawing-room, it was to 'his wife's very great astonishment and then her anger. Later, when she was alone in her room with Tommv Thomas, June learned what kind of a man Villard was. It seemed that several years before he had been engaged to Tommy's older sister. With his accepted sweetheart's kisses fresh on his lips, he had gone to the house of a Mrs. Peters, where he started to devote himself in most lover-like fashion to Alice, the younger of her two daughters. He was surprised, however, by the entrance of Tommy and her sister. No explanation which he could make ever could satisfy Nell Thomas. Meanwhile Villard was learning from Blye just how it happened, that a pretty young girl was here in his house, in the role of companion to his wife. After dinner, while the others were drinking and smoking, June, a bit disconsolate, and feeling much out of tune with her surroundings, wandered into the conservatory. There Villard followed her. But just as he put his hand over her mouth to keep her from calling for help, Bouncef came tearing in and sprang upon her tormentor. Trying to fight o ff the dog, Villard stumbled and fell. His dignity and his clothes were sadly impaired And June felt for him such contempt as no man ever had inspired in her before in all her young life. Scarcely an hour later, Edwards arrived. The yacht was sailing South that night, he said, and they must lose no time in getting off. Then June, realized, that during dinner she actually had been persuaded to join the party. Why had s'he consented ? It seemed to her it had been mostly Tommy Thomas's doing. Anyway, she didn't care much now what she did or did not do. Her will seemed breaking under the strain of her confused adventures, and the peculiarly helpless position in which she found herself. While all this was going on in the house, Ned had contrived to make his escape from the garage. He was just in time to see June enter the limousine which, the next instant, drove away. But he heard Blye direct Scatti, the chauffeur, to a certain cafe. Making for the nearest railroad depot, he arrived at the New York restaurant just as the party was ready to leave. Neither the waiters nor the guests realized the relationship between June and Ned. They saw in his efforts to reclaim his bride only an attempt to attack a young girl, who was being protected by three very husky and competent men. Perhaps caution for their own skins added to their unwillingness to help Ned fight Blye, Edwards and Cunningham. Quickly June was carried to the machine and the others piled in after her. But Ned, in spite of all, resolutely pursued, little dreaming of what was to follow.