, 1923-04-22

He would not even give a hint
as to h anonymous donor. but
I have my suspicious as to who the
man is. He left town some a
ago and has grown rich in New
York. My prayers follow him.
I cannot write morel I am too
busy renewing the life of his dear
old church. The mortgages have
accepted a part payment and agreed
to prolong the loan. The mem
bers have taken n new lease on
faith and some Of the wanderers
have beer drawn back to the fold.
A member on an outlying farm
has turned in three fat pigs to
sell an6 two merchants have In
dorsed a note which the bank has
discounted. The other preachers
may be younger. but they cannot
point to such a miracle.
As Elijah was fed by the raw
ems, 80 some unknown benevoience
has rescued this old man OF our
from the deeps OF helplessness.
II only you could come home
now. and II our beloved child could
see the light. all would be well.
Toll her Ct my good fortune and
say that my cup Of joy would over
flow indeed II only she might give
up her error before the night fall.
eth. 7 am trying not to ask too
much Of Heaven. but I am count.
ing on seeing you.
Your Loving
HUSBAND.
Never had Mem felt more ancient
or more motherly than when she saw
this aged child converted again to
Santa Claus. HIS blind confidence in
his wrongheadedness filled her heart
with tender amusement.
She was thoroughly happy and
fully rewarded for the sacrifice of
her savings. but she too freshly come
from the home OF farceur to escape
a torment of cyniclsm. She put ice
in her mothers heart when she said:
'I saw The Beggar's Opera tonight,
mamma-the wickedest thing I yer
did SEQ. too. But II It hadn't been
for that Handel wouldn't have writ.
ten The Messiah"
This was academic enough to pass
her mother without protest. But
went % with diabolical logic, '1t
Eve hadn't eaten the apple. then
Christ would never have come 10
earth"
Hush. In Heavens name!-
Hush is always good advice. nam
ma but I can't help realizing that
II I hadn't-well. sinned is the word
with poor Elwood Farnaby I'd
never have run away from home. II
I'd never run away from home II
never have come out here; I'd never
have earned a cent: I'd never hav'
had a cent to send to poor daddy
and his church would have gon Il
smash. So you Sec"
mo. I don'tr' sad Mrs. Stedcon
land you'd better not"
"AIl right. I won't" said Mem
kissing the frightened face. but ~
u funny world. isn't It mammn?"
Not at ALL" said
CHAPTER LIv
Mem dreaded to go to the studio
the next day for fear OF the comedian
who had overnight become a rejected
lover.
But Ling separated shop from life
completely and gave no signs of the
seIf.tormeutor. the love puzzle he be
came Of evenings. He was once mort
the chemist fretting over the mlnu.
tiae Of Iaugh-getting, pondering the
hair s.breadth lift OF an eyebrow, per
fecting the mixtures OF action to tho
least scruple.
The child's lonely heart was for
gotten and he was the keen profes'
sor in his laboratory. Mem won
dered II other scientists became such
babblers when they went back &c
Their homes and their boarding
houses.
She also became the woman profes'
sor storing up information. She be
gan to wonder II the same accuracy
would net be OF value in the manu-
facture and ale OF tears and sor'
rows. She began to revert to her
old ambitions n 20 feel that the
business of laughter making was not
her line.
The pathos and the amiable farce
Of her fathers delusion warmed her
heart toward the homely sentiment
of the everyday people. She wanted
to play small-toTwn heroihes ana en-
act village tragedies with n sunlight
latter all, most people were either In
OF laughter woven through them.
or from small towns. The richest
bought themselves farms ana dwelt
in villages. and she had read that
Marie Antoinette had her Petit Trla'
non. where she dressed as a peasant
and fed the chickens.
She began to long for a role made
to order for herself. She had been
putting en- other peoples ready-made
ideas. wearing characteristics that
came to her complete. adjusting her
own body and spirit TO a precon'
ceived creation.
Now, like all growing actor souls
she grew impatient for a mantle cut
TO her own shoulders of a tint suited
to her own complexion.
one evening when a Thursday
night dance at the Hollywood hotel
Drew n throng OF movie-makers or all
tho branches OF the industry, she
fell in with a Miss Driscoll. who
J wrote continulties and was one Of the
leading spirits OF the Screen Writers
Guild. She was also one of the chief
zeet.o-. 81 tn uey WriterR' club,