The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-02-17
HE Dali q
SHORT STORY
The Girl in Tie Picture.
BY H. LOUIS RAYeoLp.
Copyright, 1920, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.)

pockets. sauntered atmlessly down
MedTord's one main street, alive
Tor few brief hours with the pleasure
seeking, Saturday night crowd. Two
years ago tonight he had been one
OF them, one OF the happy.go-lucky
content to enjoy the present. But to-
bntght Ills thoughts were occupied
with the past alone. And the past for
John spelled Julia Standish-slim.
brown.eyed Julia Standish, girl well
worth doing ones utmost to win.
And he had been SO sure of winning
Julia had almost said the little wore
YES when suddenly she had become
infatuated, obsessed with the idea taat
her place in life was not destined to
be the presiding genius OF mans
humble home, but tho admired favor
ite' OF moving picture audiences.
Plague take the moving pictures"
had cursed John unreasonably ever
since. Nor had he once in the days
that followed ever patronized that
popular amusement which he blaneo
|, for coming between him and the full.
lfillment OF his dreams
Tonight her words rang as insist
emily in his ears as they had the mo
ment she uttered them. mo, John, !
cannot marry anybody yet. must try
my luck. Perhaps, someN day, may
change my mind-when | have made
good.H And her eyes shone with the
hope that thrilled her.
But John, bruised and hurt, had
thrust aside the implied suggestion
rudely. your success, Julia, will
never bring me to your feet. Aban.
don this crazy scheme and become my
.lwife, or else you go your way and I
mine lonely as know my way will!
Ibe," he concluded bitterly.
Julia, her pretty head for once com.
pletely turned, had gone her way
gone somewhere where gifted aspir.
ants for the cinematograph were
trained and starred and paid fabulous
salaries and featured in Sunday sup
Elements with chic French maids and
tiny Pekinese-at least, he hoped it
was TO be that way with Julia. II he
couldn't have her for his own, he
still did not wish her unhappiness.
Wrapped in meditation over what
might have been, John found himself
brought up short before a lurid ad.
yertising board of the Medford Rialto
"a brightly lighted little theatre at.
tracing the crowd. For a second, his
eyes took In the cheap advertisement
uninterested. Then the huge letters of
the name Of the actress portrayed
startled him from his musings, Gloria
Blaine! Gloria!
Why Gloria had been the name that
Julia had limited she would like to
adopt for hers. She was sick Of old
plain .Juliai" But the carmined
faced woman pictured beneath in
motley raiment bore no likeness to
his delicate featured girl.
Strangely drawn by the subtle in.
fluence Of the name, John took his
stand at the end Of the waiting queue
before the ticket office. And, present
ly, dingy bit OF pasteboard admitted
him TO the gloomy depths within.
"a farce, broad In its humor, was be.
ing projected on the screen. Then fol.
lowed instructive trayelogues and
amusing animated cartoons, through
which John sat, mildly entertained.
At length, lavishly featured, was In
troduced the big picture. THE UNi-
mate Cost"
Curious. in spite Of himself, John
scanned the pictures Of the cast. When
the closeup of the star was thrown,
he sat back in his chair at ease. That
was not his Julia, even though he
fancied he could trace a slight resem.
blance. Two years will not change tie
shape Of ones nose OF lengthen an
upper Lip.
Relieved, John found himself watch
ing group Of people waiting the an.
nouncement Of dinner and discussing
some apparently well-known scandal
then the entrance of the footman,
announcing new arrivals-and pres
: emily the appearance in the doorway
of woman in evening gown, pearls
9gleaming on her neck-John gripped
the arms of his chair with whitened
fingers. he leaned forward his ex.
preston intense. That women must
be Gloria Blaine. But 1t was not
It was emphatically not. That woman
was Julia, Julia Standish.
Through the long nerve-wearing
play, John forced himself to sit-from
the disagreeable scene where Gloria
fltfted shamelessly with the villain
through to the bitter denouement-
the whole OF 1t a tawdry play. II he
WINGED when the Villains arms held
the girl he had hoped to hold some.
day, he made no outward sign. After
all, It wasn't real. Yet the thought Of
the rehearsals-"You utter idiot" he
addressed himself, ITO even think OF
such things when You gave UP the
girl forever"
Julia had grown beautiful, and yet
was 1t fancy that painted tired lines
In her face that no amount of make.
up would eradicate? Was it fancy that
gave a decided thinness to the figure
which not SO very long ago had been
delicately supple, limiting at the rich.
er fullness to come? What sort OF
success had the years brought Julia
all she had hoped for? Evidently, for
she was quite apparently the star she
had planned to be.
The thought of her possessed him
during the long sleepless hours Of the
night which followed. And the dawn
brought a sudden, wild resolution. He
would take long postponed vacation
from business, seek out the studio
which released the picture he had
seen, and hunt up Julia-er-Gloria
Blaine now. Not that he intended to
renew his suit. Far from it. He
wanted no spoiled actress for a wife.
During the tedious trans-continental
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