The Press., 1916-05-10
Miss Hitty's
 Discovery A Story of the Movies
By cLARIssA MAcKIE

In the village of Edgewood were many straitlaced persons. To visit
 that town and become acquainted with
 the inhabitants was like going back a century, when the theater. playing cards and all manner of amusements
 were considered wicked. There Is a
 story of a man who paved the way for the enjoyment of the game of billiards in the God fearing town of Philadel-
 phia during the early part of the last century. He said that marbles were not considered wicked-why billiards? Marbles were stone, while billiard balls were ivory. Marbles were shot
 by the hand. billiard balls by a stick. Marbles were played on the sidewalk out of doors. while billiards were play ed on level bed in the house. Where in lay the difference:
 The good people of the Quaker City, whose children could not be prevented from playing marbles, concluded after this discovery had been made that bill lizards were no more sinful and with drew their opposition, and thereafter billiards became fashionable.
 1t was tn, fate of Miss Hitty to make similar discovery In Edgewood.
 Miss Hitty met Dick Hedges at a church sociable. Had she not met him at a church sociable she would prob ably never have met him at all. for dancing was drowned upon In Edge wood. and without dancing young peo- ple's parties are considered dull. The consequence was that. no one caring to go to the trouble of getting up a party that was sure to be dull. parties were not given.
 But 1t would have made no differ ence where these two happened to meet. for at once both recognized that they were made for each other. and after that they provided their own places of meeting. and very soon they were engaged. Unfortunately Hedges was poor and but one opening appear ed for him: that was a position in an American tea house in China. Dick ayailed himself of it and tore himself away from his betrothed. Weeks, months. even years. passed. and he did not return.
 When the Palace movie theater open- ed it's doors in Edgewood the house of entertainment was looked upon with by the church members.
 At first many of them declined to even penetrate the mysteries beyond the white painted doors and the many posters outside. but gradually one by one the villagers were lured inside un- til the venture promised to be profit able one. Even the ministers of the different churches visited the theater from time to time to censor the plays, but on the whole 1t was decided that it was a harmless diversion.
 After Miss Hitty Morton made her important discovery Edgewood took the Palace theater to its heart
 Every one knew that Hitty Morton would have been married long ago if Dick Hedges had ever returned from his long voyage to China. But Dick had never returned. and 1t was be- lleyed that he had died One by one his family had died or moved away from Edsewood until there remained only his old sweetheart. Hitty Morton. who lived on HOneypOt road, in little red cottage near the bay. Some people whispered that Dick had been faithless to Hitty.
 The first time Hitty entered the walls of the Palace she was bewildered by the crowd of silent people. the flash ing pictures on the screen. the novelty of 1t all. for she had never been in a theater in all her simple life.
 But the screen pictures laid their magic spell upon her. and she became a devotee of the movies. Twice a week | as regularly as the program was changed Hitty Morton could be found sitting in the same seat halfway down the room, her bright eyes eagerly fol | lowing the stories told by the screen.
 Deacon Peddie. who passed the col lection plate in church. always scru- tinized Hitty's contribution to detect | Or not she was enjoying the !