The Washington herald., 1908-05-06
Bv W. T. BRYAN.


'The tide VIII turn some day" said
AIva hopefully as she stirred the sugar
in her tea with a carefully cleaned pal
cite knife and then buttered her bread
with the same utensil. There Is always
turn Of the tide"
Sally Peterson shook her tiny small
head vigorously. There is bound 10 be
a turn-when you turn it. Ny dear. moth
ing succeeds in this big town Ike sue
cess"
but YOU must first gain success, and
that is not something so easily gained"
Nonsense" declared Sally oracuiarly.
Men and women are too busy to inquire
liz success is real. Look at the way got
ahead II was all bluff- "
a biuffg Alva s eyes were wide open.
"You sinful child, I know 10 my own
knowledge OF three checks you've had
this week"
Now, yesr' said Miss Peterson dis
daIafuIIy. u mean when I began. I was
on the verge. was stopping at place
more expensive than I could afford. be-
cause one q the assistant editors on q
big magazine stopped there, TOO.
I I thought 1 could land him with some
of my stuff. but he fought shy Of it.
Then one day I got a check for slc0 from
another magazine. 7 don't mind admit
ting that il was commission on a lot Of
subscriptions had turned In. The editor
at our hotel didn't know that when he
cashed the check. as I asked him 20, and
/ his eyes bulged. Ny dear, l sent myself
that same check four times IN the next
week and sold my editorial friend two
steries on the strength Of my success"
/ But where could / get a check?' de-
manded Alva. sally smiled.
/ 'T'll back you Get out OF this cheap
/ boarding house into good locality Rent
/ q good studio and leave the rest to me.
/ III hnd the right sort Of boarding house
/ for you. why, from this address alone
they would know that you were a strug-
Cling artist and despise you accordingly. ~
There were other but less important
details to be settled, and It was the end
of the week before Ava found herself
established at fashionable address, en-
loving the novelty OF her surroundings
! 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 a check came in an en-
velope with q fashionable address. Even
| the waitress was more deferenuai as she
] brought Alva her breakfast, and the
/ landiady h4arned when asked to cash the
check. Other checks followed, and al
most before she knew e Alva was being
asked fer invitations 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 "a
get the checks, no longer eudgeled her
wits 10 keep up the supply. II has been
easy TO ask for check for cash on the
plea she had to send some money 70 q
friend and checks were easier than money
orders.
Alva was stiu uncertain From Puritan
ancestors she had Inherited odd notions
of right and wrong and It did not seem
fair to sell to her patrons pictures that q
few weeks ago had been regarded with
supercTious scorn by the dealers 10 whom
she submitted them. Under Sallys ss-
siduous coaching. she was becoming
used to It, largely because there was nO
way out OF It. II was not until Geoffrey
Marsden appeared upon the scene that
her protest against the slight deceit be,
! came strong.
! Marsden was a clean-cut young fellow
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 a fire.
Quent visitor to the coy studio with the
simple lettering Miss Vallhall" 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 marriage