Evening star., 1925-05-12
More Stately Mansions
BY SAMUEL MERWIN.


In the breast pocket she put his small
Testament. He liked to have the book
| by him. Sometimes he read 1t, seated
| in the park. 1t was. she recalled. the
| revised version. Horace had taken UP
| the cudgels for that small revolution
at time when to do so required
courage.
She helped him on with the coat.
and then said: Horace, do drop in
at barber shop. You're getting posi-
lively shaggy" She contrived to be
almost bright about that And he
| gave her patient smile that she
found heartbreaking and went out.
She had not made a decision for 15
years. and felt somewhat frightened
now at the need. But she had cour
age. He had been gone but little
on her old straw hat with the daisies
on 1t. and caught the troyyel for
| Pasadena.
Mrs. John P. Stanton was stopping
at one Of the overpoweringly magnif-
| icent hotels there. Alice Bencroft's
| heart f1uttered with excitement and
with a little degree OF fear. Mrs.
Stanton had raised the fund among
| the older parishioners that enabled
Horace and herself to make this
amazing journey halfway across the
continent into the unfailing sunshine.
and the stir and hustle Of a brisk
young country. California
seemed like another country where
| the mountain tops stood bodily, beau
tifully white in the blue. Mrs. Stan
ton had called. too, since her arrival,
in a Limousine with purple upholstery
that she apparently hired by the week.
Alice had to nerve herself up to it,
But the younger woman was kind.
Perhaps we have been extravagant,'
she heard herself rather breathlessly
| exclaiming, but it cost so much to
make the trip. and get settled. and
since then the Christian Tribune has
been sending back Horace's articles
| I'm afraid he's out OF touch, a little.
I'm afraid people don't want to read
exegles-even people In the church.
He doesn't tell me. but I've seen the
postman give them to him. And there
hasn't been a check for long time
Mrs. Stanton murmured something.
She vas sorry. At the same time
she found the situation puzzling. She
could hardly undertake personally the
support of this quaint couple. She
was stout. but energetic woman, and
now thought quickly. Something she
would undoubtedly have to do. The
old parish in Crochettville thought the
world OF Horace Bancroft. Her own
father, for all his hard.heartedness,
|
| now.
LOT course, we can't accept more
help The sveet-spirited little woman
was talking excitedly on, a nervous
light In the child-like blue eyes. The
people at home have been more than
wonderful. Horace has been doing his
best, too. He works for hours every
day. I'm sometimes afraid he-This is
what I've thought, Mrs. Stanton: ]
used to teach, and I was librarian al
Crochettville, you know: I've beer
wondering If I couldn't find some work
{ that
/, 1T occurs to me-" remarked Mrs
stanton, pouncing on the though,
: with much Of her fathers crisp energy
that Fred might help US to work
something out"
"oh. is Fred"-Alice reflected tha.
Fred was the son. He had gone West
years back
, He is in Hollywood. yes. We came
partly to see him. He is interested in
one OF the big motion-picture produc
ing companies here"
oh" faltered Alice Bancroft in a
peculiar tone, motion pictures"
Mrs. Stanton nodded briskly They
have libraries, you know-a great dea,
of research work"
oh" came again from confused
Alice. The thought Of the picture in
dustry brought a new tremor to her
oVertaxea nerves. Horace would
never approve Of that Before he
gave up the pastorate he had preached
against the sensational advertising on
the fences of Main street. And q
public committee had been formed be
cause of some trouble about young
girls in those dim places. She had
herself seen few educational films
that had been shown at the assembly
hall OF the high school. And once
she had attended q Burton Holmes
lecture. But she knew a little of the
Iee1ng out here. in Los Angeles and
3! fasadena. People were quiet about il
but Hollywood with its queer inhab
ltants and it's exotic ways they had
shut out of their world with walls OF
massive moral masonry. Mrs. Stan.
ton, as casual hotel guest, could
not have felt that as Alice had. II
was deeply perplexing. What could
she say?
Wen run right over there" said
car brought around"
The bewildered Alice Bancroft found
herself whirled over to HOLLYWOOD a nc
ushered into luxurious Office
through a window she glimpsed tall
glass roofs and house fronts that were
only scafolding behind, and strangely
garbed men and dangerously beautiful
painted women. Fred Stanton she re
memoered. He was more than kind
He even rubbed out his cigarette ir
bronze ash tray. They took her te
library, where few quiet women
were busted at dasks. and MANY
shelves were filled with books on cos
tune and architecture and the man
ners and customs of people in foreign
lands.
She was engaged, to report at 9
o'clock in the morning. A salary
was mentioned. 1t seemed a GOOD
|; deal. She felt wicked and bold b1t
knew that she was going on. What
else was there to do? Perhaps some
how some good would come out OF il
She hoped so. She wished she coulf
catch her breath.
Mrs. Stanton dropped her at the
apartment. Thinking desperately ali
the way. she finally said, picking her
words with timid care: II can't ex
press my
It's nothing dear. Really I'm de-
lighted that it has worked oIIt sc
easily ~
But
Mrs. Stanton turned
Piease don't mind if Horace