Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-06-15

~ HE Chief of Police Of St Louis sat
UP in his office chair with start
L when he tore open q telegraph en-.
velope and read
The White House
Office OF the President
o, the United States
Washington. April IS.
To the Chief OF Police. ST. Louis
will consider il great personal favor
/: you will use every effort TO locate
Florence Pope, fourteen years old. as her
step.father. Donald Brian. the actor, is an
old fri End of zine.
Joseph P. Tumulty.
Secretary TO the President.
Florence Pope-fourtcen years old-run-
away girl-st epdaushter OF Donald Brian.
the ac:or-supposed TO be in st. Louis.
Oh. this was an easy one. the Chief of
Police thought. He wired the White House
that Florence would be found Immediately,
and the search began.
The usual police dragnet was spread far
and wide in ST. Louis. The New York po-
lice officials were telegraphed for any de-
taais or information which might help in
the search. They replied that the child
was fourteen years old. wore short skirts
and modest little hat
The st. Louis police searched hotels
roomins houses. boarding houses, hotels.
theatrical agencies. everything and every
where. but no child vas found who fitted
this description Of runaway Florence
Pope.
Again the ST Louis police asked the New
York police If they were sure the girl was
III st. Louis. II the child was In ST. Louis
Z could hardly be possible that she could
Escape the experienced methods OF the po.
lice department.
But ourteen.year.old Florence Pope was
not such simple child as they thought
Florence had a head on her shoulders
whch-they now KNOWS wise beyond
her years
Life at her home at Great Neck, L. l.,
was dull Her daily school routine was
horrible bore. Why not run away from It
all and get position In the movies? Flor
ence determined to do 1t.
Of course Florence would need a little
money. That could he easily managed
Florence had two tathers-one. Charles H.
Pope, the former husband OF Mrs. Donald
Brian, contributes regularly to Florences
support. Florence helped herself to one
Of her fathers $500 checks.
Bue she might need more. So she made
dramatic appeal 10 her dancing step
father Donald Bri;n She touched him
with moving story OF how lonely. how
misunderstood she was and how she never
mad any oti.tte things all other girls al.
WAYS had so, as a friend OF the family
has put IT, the kind Brian's heart was
moved and taking from his pocket one Of
the mos, powerful levers ever devised by
nan. crisp hundred dollar bill. he pried
the weeping Florence from her pillow on
his shoulder saved his coat, made florence
dry her eyes and set her on her great ad.
venture
And now Miss Florence had $500 That
would 90 verY we'll She said not word.
bu, she stepped out into the great wide
world all alone with her 800. This vas
OF april !
When night came and there was no Flor.
ence there vas an uproar in the Brian
home a. Great Neck
Nevertheless" said Mrs Brian she'll
be back before long. She hasn't any
none and she can't go far without It."
Mr. Brian thought OF that 500 and re-
doubled his efforts NTH statesmen. police
and sleu,hs
And in the meantime as they say on
the screen captions, Florence was having
her first glorious day Enter now Flor
ences foresight
The alarm would De sounded as soon al
ner Disappearance was Motel She knew
that; knew, too, tina, all the bloodhoundf
of tic Law would be on her track VIA
would they lcoE for? Why, q little girl II
short dresses. o. course Aha-down will
the short dresses literally! Also up witt
her hair, When Miss Florence. A It'll
Ger an hour later emerged from quite
fashionable "rcady.nada ladies' wear" sho
she hardly knew herself she wore cren
de chine waist, very nodish skirt tina
chung fashionably just above her ank,es
quite mature coat and wide "ticture" ha
Just like the one the heroine has IN tina
fearful Aim. "scorcted Souls" Shoe
stockings, just everything ma,cbed-ar
there was quite crimp in that $500 RI
80 unwittingly contributed by the ,u
rapas.