ento?"

"Oh, we've got to open somewhere, I suppose! Try it out on the dog, you
know!" Connie said, with a sort of bored airiness.

"And you, my dear?" said Artheris, turning toward Julia.

"She's come to see you about that amachure job," said Connie, reaching
over to grab a theatrical magazine from the desk, and running her eye
carelessly over its pages. Artheris's blandly smiling face underwent an
instant change. He elevated his eyebrows, pursed his lips, and nodded
with sudden interest.

"Oh--to be sure--to be sure! The performance of 'The Amazons' for the
Hospital--yes, well! And what do you think of it, Miss Page?" he said.

Julia stretched out her little feet before her, shrugged, and brought an
indifferent eye to bear upon the manager.

"What's there in it?" she asked.

"Well, now, _that_ you'd have to settle with them," smiled Mr. Artheris.

"Oh, rot!" said Connie cheerfully. "_You_ manage that for her; what does
_she_ know? Go on!"

"But, my dear young lady, _I_ have nothing to do with it!" the man
protested. "They come to me and wish to hire my theatre, lights, ushers,
orchestra, and so, and they ask me if I know of a young actress who will
take a part--to give them all confidence, you see"--he made encouraging
gestures with his fat little hands--"to--to carry the performance, as
it were!"

"What part?" asked Connie shrewdly.

"The part of--of--a splendid part, that of the Sergeant," said Artheris
cheerfully.

"Yes, I know that part," Connie said grimly.

"The idea is to have Miss Julie here understudy all the parts," said the
manager quickly. "These amateurs are very apt to disappoint, do you see?
They feel that there would be a sense of security in having a
professional right there to fill in a gap."

"Why, that would mean she'd have to learn practically the whole play,"
said Connie. "They ought to be willing to pay a good price for that. Of
course Miss Page is only seventeen," she continued, a calculating eye on
Julia, whose appearance did not belie the statement.

"No objection at all--they are all very young! Come now, what do you
say, Miss Page?"

"Oh, I don't know," said Julia discontentedly. "I'm not so crazy about
acting," she went on childishly. "I'm not so sure I want all these
swells to stand around and impose on me--" She hesitated, uncertain and
vague. "And I don't believe Mama'd be so anxious," she submitted lamely.

Just then the door of Mr. Artheris's office was opened, an