im if he were married, independent, and a professional
reformer. Mr. Mix, who was always a few lengths ahead of the
calendar, procured the addresses of a metropolitan anti-cigarette
conference, and a watch-and-ward society, and humbly applied by mail
for membership. An alibi is exactly the opposite of an egg; the older
it is, the better.

CHAPTER X

When Henry told his wife that he was counting on her for brilliant
ideas, he meant the compliment rather broadly; for he couldn't imagine
how a girl brought up as Anna had been brought up could supply any
practical schemes for increasing the patronage of a motion-picture
theatre. Indeed, when she brought him her first suggestion he laughed,
and kissed her, and petted her, and while he privately appraised her
as a dear little dreamer, he told her that he was ever so much
obliged, but he was afraid that her plan wouldn't work.

"You see," he said, "you haven't had very much experience in this
business--"

"Methuselah!" she retorted, and Henry laughed again.

"That's no way for a wife to talk. When I mention business you're
supposed to look at me with ill-concealed awe. But to get down to
brass tacks, I've watched the audiences for four or five weeks, and I
_am_ beginning to size them up. And I don't believe you can put over
any grand-opera stuff on 'em."

"It doesn't make the least bit of difference whether it's grand-opera
or the movies, my lord. It'll work."

He shook his head dubiously. "Well, even suppose it would, I still
don't like it. You don't make friends simply to use 'em for your own
purposes."

"Why, of _course_ not. But after you've made 'em, you're silly not to
let 'em help you if they can. And if they want to. And if they don't
then they aren't really your friends, are they? It's a good way to
find out."

Henry frowned a little. "What makes you think it would work?"

"Human nature.... Now you just think it all over from the beginning.
All our friends come to the Orpheum _some_ night, don't they? They'd
go to _some_ picture, anyway, but they come to the Orpheum for two
reasons--one's because it's a nice house now, and the other's because
it's ours. And sometimes they're in time to get good seats, and
sometimes they aren't. Well, we aren't asking any special favour of
them; we're just making sure that if they all come the same night,
they'll have the same seats, time after time. And they'll like it,
Henry."

"But to be brutally frank, I sti