CHAPTER XIV
AN EMERGENCY
"Did you enjoy yourself, Alice?" asked Ruth, a little later thatafternoon, when her sister had returned from her trip to the BrooklynBridge, and the Grand Central Terminal, with Paul.
"Indeed I did!" replied the younger girl. "It was really exciting.And Paul is so nice!"
"Do you call him Paul?"
"Certainly--why not."
"And does he call you Alice?"
"Yes. He asked me if he couldn't, and I don't see any harm. He's justlike a brother would be."
"Oh," remarked Ruth, with a little smile. "Tell me about it."
"Oh, there isn't much to tell. We went up in a car until we got towhere the scenes were to be filmed. Then Paul and Miss Fillmore didwhat they had to do, and the pictures were taken.
"There was quite a crowd looking, on, too, and some of them got inthe pictures," Alice went on.
"Purposely, do you mean--to spoil them?" asked Ruth.
"Oh, no, they belonged in. You see this was supposed to be a naturalscene of Paul and Miss Fillmore meeting on the bridge. They walkalong a little way, and part of the plot develops there. So there hadto be other persons walking along to make it look natural. How odd itmust be if those same persons happen to see the film play later, andrecognize themselves in the pictures."
"Rather, I should say," agreed Ruth. "What next?"
"Oh, then we went up to the Grand Central, and there Paul had topretend to get on a train, and Miss Fillmore bade him a tearfulgood-bye. She's quite an emotional actress, too.
"It was quite exciting. Paul had some work getting the station masterto let us out on the train platform without tickets. But when heexplained about the moving pictures, it was all right.
"It was as real as anything--just as if it wasn't for the films atall. Paul got on the platform, and a porter took someone else's gripto make it look as though he were going on a journey.
"That porter enjoyed it more than anyone else. He grinned so muchthat Paul had to tell him to stop, or the top of his head might comeoff. And laugh! I wish you could have heard him laugh at that. Ittook us a little longer to get those films, for there was such acrowd. But it was all right. I've had a lovely time!" cried Alice,her brown eyes brilliant with excitement, and her cheeks flushed.
"And what happened next?" asked Ruth, after a pause.
"Oh, Miss Fillmore had an engagement, so Paul and I went and hadlunch together. He's an awfully nice boy!"
"Alice!"
"I don't care; he is! And he's in papa's company, so I don't see anyharm--especially as it was in daylight, and it was only in one ofthose dairy lunches, you know. Paul wanted to take me to a betterplace, but I know he doesn't earn much yet, and I wasn't going tohave him waste his money."
"Thoughtful of you," murmured Ruth.
"Wasn't it. Where's daddy?"
"Oh, he went back to the studio. There was some mistake in one of hisacts and he wanted to have it corrected so he could study over itto-night."
"Oh, hasn't it been a day!" exclaimed Alice, as she laid aside herhat. "Do you know, I think outdoor pictures are better, and moreinteresting. I'd like to be in some myself."
"It is interesting," agreed Ruth. "And really it doesn't seem likeacting when you don't have any audience except a camera. But Isuppose that makes it all the more difficult. Russ was in a littlewhile ago."
"What did he want?" asked Alice with a quick glance at her sister.
"Oh, he just called to say that all the films in which dad appearscame out fine. He mentioned that his patent was coming on all right,and he expects soon to have it out on royalty."
"That's nice. I do hope those horrid men won't get it away from him.What have we to eat? I'm nearly starved."
"Why, I thought you had lunch."
"I did, but we--we took a walk afterward, and my appetite came back."
Ruth looked curiously at Alice, sighed and then went out to thekitchen.
As the days went on Mr. DeVere grew to like his new occupation moreand more. At first he had talked and mused over the coming time whenhe could go back to the regular theatre. But his voice showed notendency to lose its whispering hoarseness, and he was, perforce,compelled to do his acting for the camera. Then came a gradual changeof feeling, and he grew really to like his new occupation. Besides,it paid almost as well as a legitimate role, and was more certain.
The girls and their father enjoyed a private view of the film inwhich Mr. DeVere was depicted. It was an absorbing play, and while itseemed a bit uncanny, at first, to look at yourself moving about, Mr.DeVere grew accustomed to it.
"And it is surprising what faults one can see in onesself," heremarked, after the film had been thrown on the screen for him. "Ican pick out a number of places where I can improve in my gestures.And I see places where the action can be more easily and plainlyexplained to the audience."
"I am glad you do," spoke Mr. Pertell. "It is a good thing to try toimprove the movies. They have, in my opinion, a great lesson to teachto the masses, as well as to provide amusement for them. And all wecan do, individually, to help, adds to it.
"I am thinking of greatly broadening my fields, I am not satisfied tofilm merely parlor dramas and a few city scenes. I want a largerscenic background, and I'm working to that end."
"I hope I shall be able to fit into some of them," observed Mr.DeVere. "I, too, begin to think I would like to get out in the open."
"I intend to have you with me," declared the manager. "I am lookingaround for a locality to serve as a background for certain ruralplays. But I have not found it yet."
Ruth and Alice paid many visits to the film studio, and watched themaking of many plays. Their father had parts in a number of them, andfor others new actors were engaged temporarily.
Russ was becoming an expert operator, and meanwhile was working onhis patent. It was nearly perfected.
They were exacting days that followed. Many dramas had to be filmed,and all the actors and actresses were kept busy. Ruth and Alice spentmany afternoons in the studio, growing more and more interested allthe while. There was much fun, as well as much hard work, for Mr.Switzer, with his odd expressions and mishaps, was a source ofconsiderable amusement.
Then, too, the "human grouch," Pepper Sneed, seemed always to findsome new objection to raise, or some dire calamity to predict. Andas for Mr. Bunn, he made many protests at roles he consideredincongruous with his dignity.
Once he wanted the story of a play so changed that he might give animpersonation of Hamlet in a setting that included a Western miningcabin, and when he was refused by the manager he grew quiteindignant.
"You might as well try to introduce Macbeth in the clown act,"declared Mr. Pertell.
Several times Ruth and Alice had expressed a desire to try a littlepart in one of the dramas, but their father would not listen. Atlast, however, their chance came.
Mr. DeVere had just completed his role in a difficult part, and Russ,with his camera, had been shifted over to film another play, a few ofthe scenes of which were laid in the studio, the others being set outof doors.
"Well, aren't those two young ladies here yet?" asked Mr. Pertell,coming out of his office, as he noted a delay.
"Not yet," answered Mrs. Maguire, who was to have a part in the act."They said they'd be early, too."
"That's always the way when you want someone in a hurry," stormed themanager. "Here we are holding things up just because Miss Parker andMiss Dengon aren't here. It wouldn't taken them five minutes to dotheir parts, either."
"Well, I can't wait much longer," said the principal actor, who wasto take a part with the young ladies who were missing. "I've got toget that train, you know, Pertell."
"Yes, I know!" was the answer, as the manager snapped shut his watch."I can't see what's keeping them. This gets on my nerves!"
"What is it?" asked Mr. DeVere, coming from his dressing room."Anything I can do to help you?"
"No, but two extra young girls I hired for certain pa
rts are missing,and this thing ought to go on. Harrison has an important engagement,and can't wait either. I didn't count on this emergency, thoughusually I allow for delays. If I only had two girls now--Say!" hecried, as he looked over at Ruth and Alice. "They might do it--theymight fill in! How about it, Mr. DeVere; would you let themsubstitute in this drama? It's a simple thing, and with two minutes'coaching they can do it. That will let Harrison get his train, and Ican go on with the next scenes. Will you girls try?" he asked,appealing to them.