The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-12-26

T
 it. it was very easy for him to buy me more jewelry."
 Gl~ria' Are you telling me tnav Herbert Richardson gave you jew elry that had been given him by an other woman?"
 You heard me truly, Virginia"
 Gloria jumped up from the chair in which she was sitting and brought out from the dresser a magnificent brooch set with diamonds, and three or four more rings.
 T should think you would be afraid to keep them here. Are you sure no one will try to steal them 2"
 l fingered the jewels, watching the light play upon them. Never had handled so many beautiful things in my life.
 Aren't they lovely" she exclaimed as she took them one by one and held them up for me to admire again..
 t'They must be worth a great d9sl of 4money. Ria. Did Herbert Rioh- ardson gove them all to you?"
 Yes, he gave every one of them to me-"
 But you are not engaged to him? You should not have accepted tall these beautiful things unless you ex pected to marry him"
 At this, Gloria sat down abruptly and commenced to laugh.
 "Oh, my dear, my dear, when will you get over your .old-fashioned mo- tions? Virginia, in our world costly presents are some of the prerequis- ites that accrue to pretty girls"
 ''But I don't understand, Gloria"
 You will before you have been on your own long"
 irI x4yhn her own living accept presents like these from men who are merely good friends?"
 Perhaps not all of them, but I would like to see the girl in my position who has longed and dreamed for jewels. like these refuse them when offered to her by a man like Herbert Richardson. Before you have been earning your own living long in this business you will know that there Is a game of wits that is played out here between men of more money than principle and girls who have more calculation than money.
 "It's an old, old game. Virgie-this game where men show you the things you want most and whisper they can be yours for the asking. The Bible tells of satan taking the Di- vine One up into the mountains and showing Him the kingdoms of the earth. He, being divine, was able to withstand the great temptation. But what of you and me, Virgie? We're just poor little human mites-as good looking and just. as smart as the girls who'h spend money like water for everything their hearts desire. But we must not want them; they are not for us.
 Why not take some of the good things that these foolish men will buy you?"
 But sometime, Gloria. you will h;sve to pay"
 q wonder if we will? Personally, I think I have paid. Virgie, have you ever read that story called The Salamander? It describes a girl who plays with fire and always escapes being burned.
 Men will offer you beautiful jew els. and sometimes even wonderful clothes. and if you're clever you'll take them all It iss part of the ga me, my dear. a part of the game" s"Oh, l could not, Gloria; 1 could not"
 why not? The man who gives them to you understands that it is 6 game, and he does not always play it according to rule either He pits his wits against yours. He is gam bling just as you are. And accord ing to all traditions, men like the game of life even better than its re- ward. ,.~,a
 Put remember, my dear, If the man wins, you stand to lose some thing you can never regain--your own self-respect-and if you win. you only gain few baubles that the man has probably forgotten all about the next day"
 Tou,orro~-Vu the Movie World.