The Washington times., 1919-02-23

" ONHONOV OOOAOSN
mind that controlled her? What were the
methods by which slowly he possessed her
soul, heart and body?
Norma Mcleod was, apparently, a normal
child. She was high strung, imaginative
with a curious strain of stubbornness-hut
these qualities are not unusual. There was
some mystery about her origin. She was
brought up by foster-parents and there is
a story that her real father and mother
were members of the company of a dis
tinguished French actress who had left her
behind when they sailed back to France
She received an excellent education, mar
ried young man of good family and lived
for a time happily in a suburban town.
Then ambition to become an actress
seized her. Another curious parallel with
Du Mauriers heroine now appears. TriIby,
it will be remembered posed in artists
studios. Norma McLeod's petite figure her
wistful, childlike face and gentle personal
ity registered" as the motion picture
people say, on the screen. She took sew
eral fairly important parts in a number Of
successful films and seemed to be on the
high road to success as a star when sud-
denly-she met Sanderson.
Somewhat shy, reserved, she had made
no intimate friends. She was estranged
from her husband. Her foster-parents, as
she puts it, "were so sternly good that
when | went on the stage they would have
nothing to do with me-" She had been
taken i'll. No one can be as lonely any
where as one can be in New York. Norma
Mcleod lay in her apartment as lonely as
any enc in New York had ever been.
TriIby, you remember, after her beloved
Little Billee, the Laird ard Taffee sailed
back to England and left her, went to
Svengali-and not till then!
81 do not think l would ever have had
this terrible story to tell if had not been
ILL.," she said. 81 am not weak-minded.
There are Two traits Ippermost in my
character -stubbornness and gratitude.
No one, when l was growing up in Min
neapolis, nor among those in the COM
panie5 in which l played, ever thought l
was easily swayed by the will of others.
One actress once said to me: You are the
stubbOrnest girl in the company. wouldn't
have Your obstinacy for the world"
zone morning when l awoke feeling
more wretched than ever, saw a little
square of white paper under my door
crept out of bed and opened it. 1t was
a note:
Poor little girl it said. 4 am sorry
you're sick. I'd like to help you. If there
is anything can do, let me know
1T was signed Harry Sanderson.'
"a few minutes later there was a rap at
the door I cried, Come in A man came
into the room. He brought me toast and
coffee, and he was very kind to me. 1t
was Sanderson.
81 was so grateful to him for his kind
ness that could have kissed his hand. He
bought me a kitten. Gradually ] got to
think of nothing but him He said we
would be married, and when he proposed
moving away from that apartment house
to another went with him. He talked
a great deal about when we should go back
to England. He never once spoke harshly
to me-
land at last found that whatever he
told me to do that l must do l who had
been so stubborn had no thought but his,
no will but his when he commanded me.
Soul, heart and body-he was their master!
Now that | am free l remember some
very odd things There was, for instance,
what l might call the command of the
black suit case He put the black suit
case in my room one day, pointed to it and
told me l must never open it. | used to
sit by the hour looking at that suit case,
wishing to open it. and every time l tried
could not even touch it. Some