, Ruth had a
vision.

She felt that in spite of all the "great," "grand," "magnificent,"
"enormous" pictures already advertised upon the billboards, the public
was still waiting for a really well made and properly written and acted
series of pictures that claimed neither more sensationalism than they
possessed, nor were hastily and carelessly made.

Ruth liked to work with Mr. Hammond, and he had been very kind and
considerate of her. But she felt that, untrammeled, she would be able to
make better pictures than she had made with him. She wanted a free hand,
and she felt the insistence of the treasurer's office at her elbow. Money
could be lavished upon anything spectacular--for instance, like this
French-Indian picture they were making. But much had to be "speeded up"
to save money in other phases of production.

Mr. Hammond, like most of the other moving picture producers, thought
only of the audience coming out of the theater with "ohs!" and "ahs!"
upon their lips regarding the spectacular features in the film shown.
Ruth wanted to go deeper--wanted to make the impression upon the minds
and intelligence of the audiences. She felt that the pictures could be
something bigger than mere display.

But this is all aside from the fun they had at the costume dance. Ruth
and Helen both danced with Mr. Hammond and Mr. Grand and with several
others of the moving picture people, as well as with their own friends.
Chess got the second dance with Ruth; and then he had the third; and then
got the sixth. He might have gone on all the evening coming back to her
and begging the favor had Ruth not insisted upon his devoting himself to
some of his sisters' friends.

But, at the same time, Ruth was somewhat piqued because Tom Cameron did
not come near her all the first part of the evening. She could not
understand what the matter really was with him--why he acted in so offish
a manner.

After that sixth dance (and Ruth had danced them all with one partner or
another) she sent Chess away from her definitely. She went in search of
Tom. The orchestra began playing for the next dance. Ruth looked keenly
about the brilliant assembly. She knew Tom's costume--it was distinctive
and could not be mistaken. But she could not mark it at all in the
throng.

Two or three men asked her to dance, but she pleaded fatigue and
continued to walk about the edge of the ballroom. Finally, in an alcove,
sitting at an empty table, and with no companion