Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1908-08-27
By W. F. BRYAN
COPYRIGHTED, 1907. by Homer sprague.


THE tide will turn some day" said
Alva hopefully as she stirred the sug-
ar In Der tea with a carefully cleaned
I palette knife and then buttered her
bread with the same utensil. There
\ is always a turn of the tide"
Sally Peterson shook her tiny small
head vigorously. There is bound to
be turn when you turn it, My dear,
nothing succeeds in this big town like
/ success
But you must first gain success, and
that is not something SO easily gain
ed
Nonsense" declared Sally oracular-
~. Men and women are too busy to
inquire if success is real. Look at the
way ] got ahead. 1t was all bluff
"A bIuff?" Alva's eyes We're wide
open. You sinful child, know to my
own knowledge of three checks you've
had this week"
Now, yes,'' said Miss Peterson dis
painfully. Il mean when | began |
was on the verge. / was stopping at a
place more expensive than | could af-
ford because one of the assistant edi-
tors Oh a big magazine stopped there
too
Il thought l could land him with
some of my stuff, but he fought shy of
It. Then one day I got check for
$500 from another magazine don't
mind admitting that it was commits
sion on a lot of subscriptions / had
| turned in. The editor at our hotel
didn't know that when he cashed the
check. as | asked him to, and his ewes
bulged. My dear, l sent myself that
same check four times in the next
week and sold my editorial friend two
stories on the strength of my success. .
"But where could get a check q
demanded Alva. Sally smiled.
I'll back YOU. Get out of this cheap
boarding house into a good locality.
Rent good studio and leave the rest
to me. I'll find the right sort of board
ing house for you. Why. from this adj
dress alone they would know that you
were struggling artist and despise
you accordingly
There We're other but less important
details to be settled, and it was the
end of the week before Alya found her
self established at a fashionable adj
dress, enjoying the novelty of her sur
roundings and yet still fearful of the
success Of the scheme. For what her
boarding place and studio now cost
each week she could have lived for
two months in the old way.
The second day check came in an
envelope with a fashionable address.
Even the waitress was more deferen-
tial as she brought Alva her break
fast, and the landlady beamed when
asked to cash the check. Other checks
followed. and almost before she knew
1t Alya was being asked for invita-
tons to her studio
Her work was good. and soon real
checks came in with orders for work.
and Sally Peterson, who was using the
fact that she was writing up society
women for one of the Sunday papers
to get the checks no longer cudgeled
her wits to keep up the supply 1t
has been easy to ask for a check for
cash on the plea she had to send some
money to friend, and checks were
easier than money orders.
Alva was still uncertain From Puri-
tan ancestors she had inherited odd
notions of right and wrong, and it did
not seem fair to sell to her patrons
pictures that a few weeks ago had
been regarded with supercilious scorn
by the dealers to whom she submitted
them Under Sally's assiduous coach
ing she was becoming used to it, large
~ because there was no way out of it.
1t was not until Godfrey Marsden APP
peared upon the scene that her protest
against the slight deceit became strong.
Marsden was clean cut young fell
low, far less aware of the Importance
of his millions than were most of his
associates. He was doing squire duty
to some of his friends at one of Alva's-
studio teas. Thereafter the young man
became frequent visitor to the coy
studio with the simple lettering "AIiss
yalihalT' in black upon the door.
Marsden was not one to let the grass
grow under his feet and in less than
three months he had proposed mar
rIage For an instant Alya's soul seem
ed filed with gladness then she re-
membered with sinking heart that the
success which had attracted her lover
was all sham fabrication of Sally
Peterson and herself. Gently she with
drew the hand he was pressing to his
lips and rose from her chair
Il am sorry" she said duly. 81 did
not realize whittier we We're drifting.
1t was wrong of me to permit matters
to go SO far. Forgive me-
She raised her big, lustrous eyes to
his white, tense face and held out her
hand in token Of dismissal.
as it that you do not love me?' he
urged. rs it because of some fault Of
mine that you say mop he asked.
you can learn to love me- dear. The
fault might be pynlained 9Way''