The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-10-09
EPISODE Of A
FILM
By SADIE OLCOTI

| Inc way MISS EuiCn MaAnAnS GIL
gsgement to George Cross came to be
broken was this:
Edith. when she was seventeen, had
q love affair with Fred Stanford.
Stanford's uncle was banker and
had a branch in Hongkong. He offer
ed bis nephew position in bis China
house that would insure him q fortune
In q few years. Fred accepted and
went to China. Before leaving he
tried to get Edith to promise that she
would wait for him and marry him
when he returned with his fortune.
Edith was not sufficiently in love with
him to make such promise. but told
him that il when be came back she
| felt as she did at his going she would
| be his wife.
Fred was obliged to be content with
this and went away hoping that she
would be true to him, though be had
no reason to be sure that she would.
Up to this time Edith had been
schoolgirl and had not seen many
men, but soon after Fred's departure
she was introduced into society and
became a belle. She met so many at
tractive men that they neutralized her
interest in them. Three years passed
when she met the man who was capa-
BILE Of inspiring her with grand pas
sion. George Cross was one of those
aggressive. strong willed men who
when they once get q woman under
their thumb are liable to keep her
there. The more he browbeats them
the more passionately they love him.
Cross proposed to Edith, and she fell
into his arms as II she had been struck
by lightning.
The Manning country place was a
beauty. The house had been built by
an architect who was also an artist,
and the grounds, consisting Of dozen
acres, were beautifully laid out. Mr..
Manning, Edith's father. was very
proud Of It. One day a man drove
by 1t who was looking for a place for
the location OF certain scenes for q
picture play. It was Just what he
wanted. and after inquiring to whom
1t belonged and Mr.. ManniHg's bust
ness address he called on him and
asked II be would consent to the use
Of his place for the purpose mentioned.
Mr.. Manning asked how much pic
ture business was involved, and when
Informed that q young man would be
driven up to the house In an automo-
bile. would alight and enter the house,
later to emerge through the same door
at which he went In with the star &C.
tress Of the play, re-enter the auto and
be driven away with her. Mr.. Man.
ming gave his consent to the use of
his place. and the pictures were to be
taken the next day.
When Edith heard that evening at
dinner from her father what was to
lie done she was much interested and
awaited the arrival of the movie men
with Impotence. The next morning,
hearing an auto coming up the road.
way, she went to the window and saw
the leading gentleman Of the play
handsomely dressed, chrysanthemum
In his buttonhole, being driven up to
the front entrance. az
Now, 1t did not occur to Miss Man.
ming that the scene was being photo.
graphed and that she would appear in
the picture. Quite likely it was her
interest In something novel to her that
prevented this entering her head. So
curious was she that she leaned out
Of the window. keeping her eyes fixed
on the top Of the actors silk hat i'm.
mediately below her till he had disap.
peared within the vestbule.
The leading lady had arrived and
was downstairs waiting for the lead.
Ing gentleman. though Miss Manning
was not aware Of her arrival. Eager
to see what would happen next, Edith
maintained her position.
Suddenly she felt herself clasped
from behind and mans beard against
her cheek. Turning her face. she rec.
ognized at once her former lover, Fred
Stanford.
Inc photographer must have been a
scamp of the first water, for he took
a close up picture of this episode |
which was not in the play. showing
Edith In the arms of a man and tbe
light striking her face, a fair likeness
OF her was obtained By the time the
leading gentleman and lady emerged
from the house Edith and Fred had |
disappeared from the window.
When the dlms were made mn the
person who did the work, supposinp
that the window scene was a part of /,
the play, left 1t in.
Well. the rest Of the story-the prin.
cipal part Of it-needs no telling. When
george Cross heard that a picture Of
the Manning place was given in A
movie play be went to see It He saw
more than he had expected-his faucee
In the arms of strange man. None
OF Edith's friends up to this time had
seen the play, and before they did the
window scene had been eliminated,
But George Cross had seen It. and that
was enough. he wrote a note TO
Edith peremptonly breaking the en-.
gagement between them.
Had be told her the cause all might
nave been explained: but. being one of
those up and down men. like Caesar
whOSo rrffa v,,zx