The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1917-03-09
EPISODE OF A
FILM
BY SADIE oLcoTT

The way Miss Edith Manning's en-.
gagemcnt to George Cross came to be
broken was this:
Edith, when she was seventeen, had
a love affair with Fred Stanford.
Stanford's uncle was a banker and
had branch in Hongkong. He Offer
ed his nephew a position In his China
house that would insure him fortune
In 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 he came back she
felt as she did at his going she would
he his wife.
Fred was obliged to be content with
this and went away hoping that she
would be true to him. though he had
no reason to be sure that she would.
Up to this time Edith had been a
schoolgirl and had not seen many
men. but soon after Freds departure
ShO was ihLO swiftly anu
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 a grand pas
sion. George Cross was one of those
aggressive, strong willed men who
when they once get 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 q
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 it who was looking for place for
the location Of certain scenes for
picture play. 1t was just what he
wanted. and after inquiring to whom
1t belonged and Mr.. Mannings bust
ness address he called on him ana
asked if he would consent to the use
of his place for the purpose mentioned.
Mr.. Manning asked how much pie
ture business was involved, and when
Informed that 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 lie 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
be 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.
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 1t 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
OH the top Of the actors silk hat i'm
mediately below her till he had dlsap.
peared within the vestibule.
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 mt once her former lever. Fred
Stanford.
The photographer must have been O
scamp of the first water, for he took
close up picture of this episode.
which was not In the play. showing
Edith in the arms of n man. and. the
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 films were made up the
person who did the work, supposing
that the window scene was a part of
the play. left it H.
Well. the rest of the story-the prin-
cipai part of it-needs no telling. When
George Cross heard that q picture of
the Manning place was given In a
movie play he went to see It. He saw
more than he had expected-his fiancee
In the arms of a 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 1t. and that
was enough. He wrote a note to
Edith perenptorily breaking the en-
gagement between them.
Had he told her the cause all might
have becn explained; but. being one of
those up and down men. like Caesar,
whose wife must be above suspicion,