The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-01-07
Turning r.
ec The Tide.
BY W. F. BRYAN
By ". F. BRYAN
Copyrighted, 1907. by Homer sprasue.

IL @-c~--~@
-
1.-THE tide will turn some day." said
Alva hopefully as she stirred the sug-
ar in her tea with carefully cleaned
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 a bluff"
"a bluff?" Alva's eyes were wide
open "You sinful child, know to my
own knowledge of three checks you've
had this week"
Now, yes" said Miss Peterson dis
dainfully II mean when / began.
was on the verge. l was stopping at a
place more expensive than could af-
ford because one of the assistant edi.
tors on a big magazine stopped there
too
81 thought l could land him with
some of my stuff, but he fought shy Of
1t. Then one day / got a check for
800 from another magazine. I 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 eyes
bulged. Ny dear. 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 r.
demanded Alva. Sally smiled.
'I'll back you. Get out of this cheap
boarding house into a good locality.
Rent a 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 were other but less important
details to be settled, and 1t was the
end of the week before Alva 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 Alva was being asked for invita-
lions 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 check for |
cash on the plea she had to send some
money to friend, and checks were |
nasier 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
ly because there was no way out of it.
It was not until Geoffrey Marsden ap- /
peared upon the scene that her protest |
against the slight deceit became strong.
Marsden was a 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 miss
vallhalT' in black upon the door.
Marsden was not one to let the grass
grow under his feet, and in less thar
three months he had proposed mar
Rage. For an instant Alya's soul SEEM
ed filed with gladness, then she re
nembered with sinking heart that the
success which had attracted her lover
was all sham, a fabrication Of Sally
Peterson and herself. Gently she with
rev the hand he was pressing to his
fps and rose from her chair.
81 am sorry" she said DULY. II did
lot realize whittier we were drifting.
It was wrong Of me to permit matters
@ go so far Forgive me-
She raised her big, lustrous eyes to
lis white, tense face and held out her
land in token Of dismissal.
rs it that you do not love mel" he
Urged. us it because of some fault of
nine that you say nor he asked.
You can learn to love me, dear. The
ault might be explained away"
mo, no." she cried. at is not that
It is because-I cannot explain. Please
10 not ask me to explain" She pushed
lin from her and sank sobbing upon
he Turkish divan
For a moment Marsden watched her
He longed to take her in
lis arms and comfort her, to insist up
N an explanation in the hope Of clear
ng away the trouble; but, manlike, he
.ould not combat tears. SO he stole
oftly out
Alva heard him go, and she gave
way to a fresh accession OF grief,
which presently exhausted her, and
he fell into troubled slumber.
From her sleep she was reused by
upon the door, and almost
before she realized she had called out
Come in," and Godfrey stood before
Ter.
II met that little friend of yours
Town the street." he explained aWk-
vardly, "and she called me fool for
eaving you before l found out what
he trouble was. so came back" he
added
Il begged you not to ask" Alva re-
minded TREMENDOUSLY.
s.But Miss Peterson said to insist, he
,ountered "She is tremendously
lever little woman"
81 am sorry ever met her." cried
Viva passionately. Then l might
ave been a success upon my own ac-
cunt and not creature of deceit.
AN you love me knowing that my sue
ess is wholly false, an acted lieY'
"You mean that some one else paints
our picturesY' he demanded. Il don't
are about the pictures. It's you l
want, little girl. don't care who did
he pictures" 4