Missouri Valley times., 1919-02-27

The HELPING HAND |
sy GEORGE ELMER coss.
OOVOOOOOOOOOO
(CopyrigAt, 1918, Western Newspaper Union.)

peWliOereO way at her praCtlcal-faced
landlady, alone for the first time in her
ife In the heart Of great city.
ut means. my DEAR" spoke Mrs.
Denham gently, but with a clarity of
expression that struck dread chill to
The soul of her auditor, "that you are
like many another who has trusted t.
the lure Of ambition and false prom
!ses-stranded"
Hopelessly Grace sat weaving her
small white trembling hands In and
out, her frightened eyes fixed upon the
face Of the landlady in pleading hope
and despair.
"Tell me your story, DEAR" insisted
the other. but sighed secretly, for all
this, while pathetic, was dreadfully
commonplace in long experience that
had not hardened her heart, although
1t had brought the settled conviction
that the seamy side Of life came to
all-good, bad, honest or tricky.
A simple story had Grace to tell.
She had lived her life in quiet little
Quaker community. It had been bliss
ful enough until her only relative, an
aged aunt, had died, leaving her PEN
njless. i.
There had come along handsome,
flashing young fellow calling himself
Brant Durward. He was a musical
director, he told Grace. He professed
to be interested at once in her welfare.
Something in her novel environment,
In the rare purity and beauty Of her
face really struck this natural-born
speculator In the field Of exploiting
dramatic possibilities. He ayerred
that, just as she stepped out Of the
simple framework Of u novel, unique
environment and appealed to his sense
of the artistic, 80 he could take
her to the city. give her training and
make of her star in the great mimic
armament. He did not make love to
her. yet he hinted at success, fame
and mutual benefit. He gave her an
address, the dramatic boarding house
where Grace had been waiting for him
vainly for week with implicit faith
In his promises.
And he had not come; her little stock
Of money was depleted and-disillu.
slonment! She had met an incongru.
ous group Of men, girls and women,
most Of them tawdry. superficial, each
and all imbued with rare self-apprecia-
tion Of their gifts of genius and dream.
ing Of vast future.
She shrank from them, somehow.
When one day she got into the conf
dence Of an unknown like herself, Just
starting In at the dreary treadmill Of
study and training, her heart grew
sick within her.
my dear" pronounced the sympa-
thetic landlady, II am glad Of one thing
that you haven't foolishly rested
your heart on the love OF Brant Dur
ward, who Is unworthy of you. he
is an enthusiast, and do not doubt
the genuineness { his belief that he
could make something of you In a dra.
matte way, but he 10 attracted by every
new face he sees.
"The fact Is; he has been arrested and
is In Jail for misrepresenting one of
his dramatic schemes to an investor
and has simply forgotten you"
"But what am I to do7" choked up
Grace in direful distress. "Mr. Dur
ward spoke Of a half-brother, a Mr..
Edgar Braham, who had great infiu.
ence in helping forward the untried
and struggling In the line l hoped to
succeed In"
"Give me time to think" murmured
Mrs. Denham. deeply interested in this
forlorn waif who had drifted so help
lessly into her life. Then, after a
pause: "Mr. Edgar Braham is, In.
deed, a power in histline, an advanced
one In the moving picture field. But
he considers his half-brother a scamp,
has backed him at q loss and will have
nothing more to do with him. Yes, my
dear, It is best that you should go and
see Mr.. Braham. Tell him your sim
pie story and abide by what he says. for
he is good man. He is producer
of the better type Of movie picture
specialties with moral lesson at the
end Of them. and his sister, Harriet
Braham. writes the scenarios. They
live an ideal life together"
Never did Grace Burton forget that
eventful morning when she was
ushered into the presence of Edgar
Braham at his Office in his mansion
home. She had to await her turn, and
after gay. chatting actors end actresses
had come and gone, she found herself
facing serlous-eyed young man who
listened to her story with great earnest
attention.
"Sister Harriet" he said, "here is a
little stray bird lost in the storm. See
what we can do to make her restful,
and safe. and happy"
What life opened up to Grace Bur-
ton among these simple. noble chill
dren of the heart! With what delight
and ardor did she cooperate with Har.
riet Braham in furnishing the coloring
for true, simple, heartsome screen
story of the old Quaker community.
evolving drama that appealed later
to the souls of thousands!
One day, about six months later
Brant Durward, unkempt, at odds with
the world, down and out. entered q
theater to view with startled wonder
the great new Aim Of the day.
"And Braham has married the pretty
little heroine of his star play" Dur
ward overheard some one say, and
with bitter disappointment realized
what he had-lost? No. for the love Of
Grace Burton had never been his, and
now 1t was bestowed upon . worthy